Waterbirds and wetlands
Students will immerse themselves in the habitats of the local and international waterbirds and shorebirds
Monday - Friday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Sydney Olympic Park Education Centre, Bicentennial Park
$625 per class of up to 30 students
4 hours
Bus drop-off area and all-day bus parking in P10f.
2024 Education Bookings Closed
Thank you for your support, we are fully booked for Terms 1 and 2, 2024. We will no longer be delivering school excursion programs due to changes in our organisation.
About the excursion
Our wetlands are rich in biodiversity and home to many endangered plant communities and animal species. Over a quarter of birds found in Australia have been recorded here.
On this field trip, students will immerse themselves in the habitats of the local and international waterbirds and shorebirds that live in and visit the protected wetlands of Sydney Olympic Park. Students will use a combination of observation, scientific measurement and data collection methods to determine if the wetland habitats of Sydney Olympic Park can support the needs of local, national and migratory waterbirds and shorebirds.
Throughout the day, students will be provided with information to assess ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultural practices and knowledge of this wetland environment contribute to the conservation and management of sustainable ecosystems.
The students will be using scientific equipment to assist them with their investigations. All of the data collected will be recorded by the students and their results then be compared with current research data used to answer the field trip question “How effectively has this wetland been constructed and managed to provide a habitat for local and international waterbirds?”
Activities include
- Use scientific equipment to conduct abiotic testing of the water
- Complete a field sketch to identify whether this constructed habitat is suitable for waterbirds
- Use binoculars to conduct a bird survey
- Identify the type and quantity of waterbugs to determine the health of the water
- Identify various environmental management strategies used to protect this environment
Knowledge and understanding
| SC5-14LW | analyses interactions between components and processes within biological systems |
| SC5-2VA | shows a willingness to engage in finding solutions to science-related personal, social and global issues, including shaping sustainable futures |
| SC5-4WS | develops questions or hypothesis to be investigated scientifically |
| SC5-6WS | undertakes first-hand investigations to collect valid and reliable data and information, individually and collaboratively |
| SC5-7WS | processes, analyses and evaluates data from first-hand investigations and secondary sources to develop evidence-based arguments and conclusions |
Learning content
| LW2-e | assess ways that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ cultural practices and knowledge of the environment contribute to the conservation and management of sustainable ecosystems |
| LW2-a | recall that ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment |
| LW2-b | outline using an example how matter is cycled through ecosystems |
| LW2-c | describe how energy flows through ecosystems, including input and output through food webs |
| LW2-d | analyse how changes in some biotic and abiotic components of an ecosystem affect populations and/or communities |
| LW2-f | evaluate some examples in ecosystems of strategies used to balance conserving, protecting and maintaining the quality and sustainability of the environment with human activities and needs |
Skills
| WS4-a | formulate questions or hypothesis that can be investigated scientifically |
| WS6-a | individually and collaboratively using appropriate investigation methods including fieldwork and laboratory experimentation and collect reliable data |
| WS7.2-a | analyse patterns and trends including identifying inconsistencies in data and information |
| WS7.2-f | evaluate conclusions and evidence including identifying sources of uncertainty and possible alternative explanations |