Year 10 Geography Students Examine Environmental Change and Management

Catherine McAuley Westmead students on Collaroy Beach excursion
Year 10 Geography students examined environmental change and management at Collaroy and Narrabeen beaches.

Year 10 Geography students recently travelled to Collaroy and Narrabeen beaches to examine environmental change and management.

Students Valencia D. and Angelina G. have written a report:

We hopped on a bus for a one-hour journey to the stunning yet threatened coastline at Collaroy Beach, ready for a day of learning and exploring. Everyone was provided with a booklet that we used to capture the information shared by the environmental guides. After morning tea, there was a slight rainfall, but this didn’t stop our exploration of the beach and our learning of how the coast undergoes the effects of various processes like the tides caused by the lunar cycle.

We split into our three classes and walked along the beach. We used equipment like a compass to find out the wind direction and a Kestral Meter to gauge the wind speed. We learnt about coastal management strategies such as seawalls and rock revetment walls that ensure the protection of housing and the dunes. It was interesting to see how these strategies prevent damage from storms and whether or not they were proven effective. Later, we had lunch with a gorgeous view of the beach, enjoying the sea breeze and the sound of each others' laughter.

To finish off the day, we headed towards Narrabeen Beach where we learnt about the key zones of the beach and took samples of ground sediments. On the bus back to school, we reflected on what we learned and some of us napped after an eventful day. A shoutout to our awesome guides who taught us a lot!

Catherine McAuley Westmead students on Collaroy Beach excursion