Thirty students from the academy enjoyed a three-day residential 'Eco-Challenge' in the Lake District at the Blencathra Field Studies Centre.

30 students from the academy enjoyed a three-day residential Eco-Challenge in the Lake District at the Blencathra Field Studies Centre. The residential course, which took place on January 26th-29th, offered students the opportunity to experience and enjoy the natural environment through a range of adventurous, challenging and explorative activities.

Students gained a better understanding of the human impact on the environment, through participating in lots of team games and tasks such as a night walk without lights which helped develop their communication and collaboration skills. They also trapped small mammals, measured their carbon footprints, coppiced trees at a farm, made shelters, made fire, had a hike to a slate quarry, completed an adventure challenge and shared their ideas around a campfire.

Now the challenge for the students who went on this trip, is to try to make their pledges a reality back at the academy. Following post-course discussions, the students would like to create a small farm on site and are investigating the viability of keeping some chickens and making use of the eggs produced.

To find out more about the Eco-Challenge, please visit their website: www.fsc-eco-challenge.org