Year 12 Geography students in the field

Over the past few weeks, Year 12 Geography students have spent some time in the field carrying out geographical fieldwork to support their studies of Urban Places and Ecosystems at Risk. During this time, students have considered the social, environmental and economic impacts of urban renewal in Green Square and explored the biophysical interactions and management of intertidal wetlands at Sydney Olympic Park. Below is a reflection from a Year 12 student.

Eva Guirguis
Geography Teacher

Recently, our Year 12 Geography class visited Green Square to explore urban dynamics of change. To begin, we met with a City of Sydney Town Planner to learn about the current and future plans for Sydney and more specifically Green Square and we were able to view the models showing the future development sites. We then visited the Green Square Town Centre and various parts of Zetland where we recorded the impact of urban renewal in the area. Walking around the precinct to understand the history, economic benefit, layout and sustainability provided our class with insight into what our city could possibly look like in the future.

This week, we also took part in fieldwork at the Homebush Bay intertidal wetlands as a part of our topic ‘Ecosystems at Risk’. Whilst we were there, we were fortunate enough to have our guide, Danielle, impart her extensive knowledge on the history and management practices of the wetland and surrounding areas. The day consisted of mapping land use change in the area using Geographic Information Systems, exploring management strategies such as the waterbird refuge where migratory birds from China and Japan spend the summer and using fieldwork tools to conduct first hand investigations around the health and ideal biophysical conditions for mangroves such as measuring water, soil and air quality. 

Both fieldwork experiences have provided us with invaluable information to consolidate our learning in class and prepare us for our upcoming HSC exams. – Raquel Molina