Students use GPS to help save heathland

OPAL is working with school students in the East Midlands region to map heathland and help in its conservation.

Heathland is one of the rarest habitats in the world, and home to an exciting range of plants and animals. Climate change, pollution, tree encroachment and human interference have been causing heathland to decline rapidly. Many large areas of heathland have now become fragmented into isolated patches.

Pupils from Hadden Park High School in Bilborough and Nottingham Emmanuel School are using GPS technology to map the 10 isolated patches of heathland at Sherwood Pines Forest Park. This information will be used to develop ‘habitat corridors’ - passages of land that enable animals to travel safely from one heathland site to another. This is vital for the survival of animals living in heathland when threatened by changing conditions and the effects of climate change.

The students will give their results to the Forestry Commission to aid conservation management decisions.

OPAL community scientist, Dr Amy Rogers, from the University of Nottingham, said, “The idea is to decide how best to link heathland fragments together with a corridor. Habitat corridors are becoming more important with the threat of climate change, as organisms will need to move to match environmental conditions. If they are trapped on isolated islands this won't be possible. As heathland is one of the rarest habitats we have, it's even more important that species can move to new, safe homes.”

You can help save our heathland too. Our OPAL East Midlands team organises many conservation activities that you can get involved in. Visit the OPAL East Midlands activity page to find out more.