6th form chemists
travelled to Bristol
University for a workshop
on organic synthesis
19
Aluredian
Madagascan hissing cockroaches and allowing
two snakes to tour the audience.
King's Hall also visited the science centre for a
series of masterclass workshops in the physics
and chemistry departments. Finally a team
helped to reline the lower big pond in the
environmental science garden (it had developed
a serious leak), in readiness for the ponddipping
season: during its restoration, two very
rare giant medicinal leeches (four inches long)
were discovered, raising the question how they
had arrived there in the first place. (Medicinal
leeches have been classified as a vulnerable
UK species).
In the Summer term we had a series of TREC
(The Renewable Energy Cabin) visits from local
schools, more rainforest workshops, a
workshop on Exploding Jelly Babies and
Custard, pond-dipping visits, a visit to the
Cheltenham Science Festival, a marine biology
expedition to the Scilly Isles, and in July of
course, there was the ambitious two-week
biodiversity and conservation expedition to
Kruger National Park in South Africa. A full
report of that highly successful venture can be
found on page 28.
This year's Science Weekend culminated in a
competition to see who could design a vehicle
to transport an egg across the theatre using
the smallest amount of solar energy