Exploring Our Ocean Backyard: The Final Year 12 Geography Fieldwork Excursion at Chowder Bay
Last Monday, the Year 12 Geography class embarked on their final fieldwork excursion for Stage 6 Geography – a significant and memorable component of the course. The day took students to Chowder Bay, located within Sydney Harbour, to investigate the Kelp Forest ecosystem as part of the Ecosystems and Global Biodiversity case study. This was not only a chance to apply classroom learning in a real-world setting, but also an opportunity to connect with cutting-edge research and explore the environment in an immersive, hands-on way.
The excursion highlighted the value of Geography as a subject that goes beyond the classroom to help students understand the world they live in on a much deeper level. Geography encourages critical thinking, inquiry, and exploration of the systems that shape both natural and human environments. Through this experience, students saw first-hand how ecosystems function, how they are impacted by human activity, and how management strategies are being developed to ensure sustainability for the future.
At Chowder Bay, students investigated the local kelp forest, a vibrant marine ecosystem that is part of the broader Great Southern Reef. These kelp forests are incredibly important, harbouring a greater variety and diversity of marine life than almost any other ocean community. With the stunning Clifton Gardens Reserve as their base, students participated in a range of fieldwork activities designed to enhance their understanding of ecological processes and geographical inquiry. These included mapping and annotating the area, investigating spatial patterns, collecting data on biotic and abiotic features, constructing food webs, and observing the specific conditions kelp needs to thrive. A key component of the excursion was the analysis of human-induced modifications to the ecosystem and the evaluation of strategies to mitigate their effects.
A highlight of the day was the visit to the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, where students attended a talk by one of the scientists involved in Operation Crayweed, an innovative research project focused on restoring kelp forests that have been lost due to pollution and environmental degradation. This connection to live research brought relevance and authenticity to the day, allowing students to link their fieldwork directly to real-world conservation efforts and scientific advancement.
The excursion was a fitting end to the students’ journey in the discipline of Geography since Year 7, offering not only academic enrichment but also an appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the environments around us. For many students, it was a moment to reflect on how much they have learned and how Geography equips them with the skills to observe, question, and contribute to the world in thoughtful and informed ways.
“Senior Geography has been an interesting course that is vastly different from junior Geography. The different topics that we study, such as global sustainability, where we learn about the fast fashion industry, as well as New York City, Parramatta, and Berry, in the rural and urban places topic, have all been genuinely interesting topics. The three excursions that we have also undertaken over the past 2 years have all been fun experiences whilst also expanding our knowledge in the course. We have gone to places such as the Blue Mountains, Parramatta, Berry, and Chowder Bay, the most memorable of them being our overnight stay in the Blue Mountains, where we visited the famous Yellow Deli Cafe, and completed the Grand Canyon bushwalk.” – Aimee, Year 12 Geography student
“Throughout Year 11 and 12, Geography has become one of my favourite subjects. I have grown to love the course, with the mix of both practical and theory making learning exciting and allowing me to better understand the content. Geography is a great and useful subject as it has helped me to understand the world around me, from environmental challenges to the way people and places are connected. While the excursions were seemingly a learning experience, they taught me valuable lessons that I was able to implement as examples into tasks and assessments, and really enabled me to have a conceptual and stronger understanding of the content through real world experiences. As part of our study on ecosystems, we adventured to Chowder Bay which was a great experience to put our theory into practice. This excursion allowed me to directly observe management strategies of the area, human impacts, and ecological interactions, giving me a deeper appreciation of the subject beyond the classroom. The practical components, like fieldwork activities and recording data, combined with the theory we had studied in class, expanded my knowledge and helped me develop a clearer and stronger understanding of the topic. Excursions showed me how the things we learn in class are actually applied in the real world, showing how interactions between people and the environment shape communities and landscapes, overall giving me a better understanding of Geography.” – Alyssa, Year 12 Geography student
As the final excursion for Stage 6, it was both a culmination of their learning and a celebration of the subject’s power to inspire deeper understanding and connection with the world.
Greg Sciortino, HSIE Teacher
