Moorland Indicators of Climate Change Initiative

Background

The Moorland Indicators of Climate Change Initiative (MICCI) has been operating for four years and children from all over the country have been braving the weather on some of our most remote moorlands in order to collect data on climate change.

In 2007 the Peak District National Park Learning Team based at Losehill Hall identified a possible link between climate change, moorland research and school children, from the (mostly urban) areas around the Peak District National Park. Since then this project has blossomed and now children from around most of the UK's National Parks are involved.

The Economic and Social Research Council provided a grant so that this could  be included in the Festival of Social Science/ National Science and Engineering week in March 2009 and 2010. OPAL and the East Midlands branch of the British Association of Science provided some funding for 2011. In 2012 OPAL and South West Water through the Exmoor Mires Project are helping to fund MICCI.

The upland areas of Britain are a significant global carbon store, in the form of peat. Whether moorlands are a net carbon sink, or source is of fundamental importance. Human interaction in terms of direct erosion and fire as well as the effects of global warming are the major variables influencing this debate. Students investigated the interaction between people and the moorlands and their effect on climate change.

This is an innovative project involving secondary school students from across many of the UK's National Parks. Through a series of creative investigations, young people will learn more about our connection with the planet by exploring the role that peat plays in carbon sequestration. The Event was showcased at the Festival of Science at University of Derby and has been the subject of much media interest.

Approach

Over the lifetime of the project, it has involved over 30 schools from in and around the national parks. They were all initially invited to take part because they were specialist science schools and were within half an hours drive of their national park boundary and close to moorland landscape.

Each school was given a moorland site to investigate and collectively they covered most of the upland areas of the Peak District National Park from Staffordshire up to Kinder, Bleaklow and Black Hill down to Bakewell (see location map) . Other National Parks picked their own areas for investigation. Students and teachers were originally engaged in the planning stage using emails and a chat room facility called Campfire to discuss the design of investigations with real scientists and each other.

They carried out fieldwork during National Science and Engineering week and took back samples to be tested at school. Some of the water analysis was done by Dr Martin Evans at Manchester University and the results are being analyzed by the Moors for the Future Partnership.

The results are presented on this website soon after Easter.

Outcome

This Initiative exceeded all expectations both from a schools point of view and from the National Park’s perspective. It achieved considerable media interest and increased the profile of the National Park Learning teams throughout the country. Chris Robinson and many others have given  live radio interviews had articles local papers and even been on BBC Breakfast time.

There has been an increased sense of ownership and responsibility by pupils for their local environment and the National Parks and how it links with a global issue (Climate Change). The value of these visits for students has been increased by their experience in team work and outdoor learning hopefully leading to improved confidence and engagement back in school.

"Despite the fact that most of these kids live in the Peak District they certainly don’t come out to places like this, so it’s a very good opportunity for them. I am very happy about doing it!" said Andy Gregson – Science Teacher at Lady Manners School Bakewell.

The schools have contributed to fulfilling their aim of raising expectations and attainment by enriching and enhancing their curriculum through outdoor learning.

This project matches curriculum needs, looking directly at the effects of human activity on the environment applying student's scientific thinking outside the classroom as well as broadening their understanding of climate change. It has also allowed the students’ access to the world of real scientists, and researchers the chance to engage the public about their work.

From a National Park perspective the project has helped to achieve some key corporate outcomes

1. Promoting the need to protect the natural resources (such as water, soil and air quality) of the National Park.
2. Providing learning opportunities to key rural and urban audiences, particularly residents, young people and under-represented groups from surrounding urban areas.

The students’ research will make an important contribution to the restoration and conservation work of the Moors for the Future project in the Peak District National Park.

How Deep is Your Peat and other video clips?

Project Partners 2012

Download Pack 2012

Results (all years)

For further information please contact chris.robinson@peakdistrict.gov.uk (MICCI coordinator).