Eco Unesco visit Stratford

On Thursday, the 6th of December, 3rd and 5th year Biology students attended a Biodiversity Workshop. It was presented by two members from Eco Unesco - Paddy and Niamh. We were all taught how each living thing contributes to the natural world. The day included many activities, including making our own food webs, planting seeds and debating.

For many activities, we were split into groups. We talked about the vast variety of species which make up our eco system, and how each organism contributes to it. We were shown how nature is balanced, and if just one part of the eco system was to fail, it would affect much more than you would think. In one activity, we linked up different plants to the animals that ate or benefitted them, and linked those animals up to other organisms within the group. When one member of the group was removed, it affected the rest of the group drastically.

We were also told about how foreign species could have a negative effect on a country’s wildlife. We were told about how grey squirrels were originally brought into Ireland as a gift for a wealthy landlord’s wife. When the two grey squirrels (male and female) escaped, they began to breed and eventually, these grey squirrels began to overtake the native red squirrel, as they were better at finding food and adapting.
We all found this day very enjoyable and informative. The students participating had a great time and we thank Paddy and Niamh for coming to Stratford College.

Andrew Enright (3rd Year)