Field Studies, 8, (1996) 727-741

EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION ISSUESINTHE SLAPTON LEY NNR

STEPHEN TRUDGILLDepartment of GeograplEt, University of Cambridge, CB2 3El,I

KEITH CHELL AND CHzuS RILEYFSC at Slapton Ley Field Centre, Slapton, Kingsbridge, Devon,fQT 2QP

ABSTR{CT

Field experience of areas valued as nature reserves is seen as a fundamental educational

experience. Conservation aims to maintain diversitl ' and species richness while also

controlling succession and access. Conservation and education are seen to be compatible

by making conservation part of the educational agenda and by careful spatial zonation of

educational activities so that thev are comDatible with the robustness and value ofthe site.

IxrRoouct.lox

If we have the ideal of improving the quality of life for present and future generations,we can aim to improve the u,'orking and living conditions of people and the qualitl' oftheir environment by "green" research agendas, innovative appropriate technology,targeted cash inputs, idealistic social changes and visionary polit ical agendas. However,any idealism will founder upon the rocks of economic reality unless people's attitudesare sympathetic to the ideals of conservation and sustainability -and the-v can afford toencompass them as opposed to goals of short-term economlc survival. Fundamental toall these considerations is the question of education and the development of attitudes.The political will of the future comes from the education of toda.v. It is an inescapableconclusion that if people's attitudes included environmental ethics as a priority, then thebarriers to a better environment would diminish (Trudgil l, 1990, 1991).

It can be argued that the success of environmental education depends to a very largedegree upon first-hand experience or at least a degree of empathy for situations whichone cannot experience directly (Trudgill, et al., 1990). Experiences of areas of wilder-ness and nature are fundamental to the develonment of attitudes which cherish and wishto conserve such areas.

In 1994, 20,635 student weeksl were spent at FSC centres) many students armedwith the pragmatic expectation of syllabus fulfilment. The field centre experience is aunique opportunity not only to fulfil this expectation but also to provide an educationalexperience that will develop the attitudes which will cherish the environment theyperceive. The more evidently valuable the environment is) in which they work, the moresuch a cherishing attitude is enhanced.

In 1994, 3,452 student weeks were spent at Slapton Ley Field Centre u'here theNational Nature Reserve (NNR) and surrounding area provides a prime experience of

rA student who spends a r.l'eek (7 nights) at a Field Centre represents one student-u'eek in FSC statistical

statements. Ed.

7 2 7

728 StepHpN TRUocrLL, Kr,rrrr Cselr- aNl CHRts Rrlsy

an evidently valuable environment. The diversity of open water, shingle ridge and seashore, wetlands, woodland and nearby rocky shores, headlands and cliffs, provides ampleopportunity for the appreciation of nature.

A potential conflict might arise in that the most valuable areas also tend to be theareas of highest conservation priority. One can learn about species diversity on theschool playing field but, in a field of orchids, with butterflies and abundant wild flowers,there is a greater chance of the awakening of an attitude of cherishing what one sees.This diversity and richness is, however, precisely the kind of situation that will be a highpriority for conservation, with the attendant conservation management wishing tominimise any damage to such areas. So, if the value of the all-important educationalexperience increases with the richness of the site, how do we encourage this experiencewithout damaging the very conservation value that is at the heart of that experience?

Conservation and education can be seen as having their own, separate agendas. Inthis paper we consider them as not, in fact, incompatible. The elements of successinvolve:

' making conservation part of the educational agenda while also fulfilling customerexpectation (e.g. syllabus fulfilment) and

' seeking careful zonation of spatially distributed educational activities so that thevare compatible with the robustness and value of the site.

Any conservation agenda tends to include items such as enhancing habitat diversity,the conservation of both representative and rare species and the management of visitors.Such an agenda can readily become part of the education agenda.

Educational priorit ies in field work tend to include syllabus oriented work (e.g.attainment targets), a promotion of investigative skills, a high quality learning experi-ence) personal development and assessment and also seeing both typical and unusualsites, habitats and species.

An immediately compatible aspect is that much syllabus work can be focused oncommonly available situations, habitats and species. For example, infiltration of waterinto soil, species diversity and sampling techniques can be taught at any number of siteswhich are not especially valuable or easily damaged (l ike the playing field mentionedabove). It is only where threatened or fragile sites are themselves the subject of investi-gation that a potential conflict can arise. The most valuable sites are not necessarily themost fragile and so conservation value and fragility have to be evaluated separately andthen these considerations must be balanced with education value. Flere, the essentialdecision is either not to use valuable and fragile sites (and thus to prohibit that kind ofeducational experience) or to use careful spatial planning.'Core'or pristine sites areidentif ied and protected. l lere, rare species, such as birds of prey can nest withoutdisturbance-but can still be seen by visitors in the air. Other sites, perhaps periphera^to, but representative of, the core sites, are visited sparingly and/or in rotation to allowthem to recover. Respect for the site can readily be built into the educational experience.

In this way one might learn, say, the principles of quadrat analysis by estimatingthe percentage cover of daisies in a lawn where everyone can trample round, makingestimates and discussing the standardisation of results. Then, going to fragile areas suchas a thin vegetation mat over shingle or sand, educationally useful data can be gainedwhile simultaneously using strategies that involve appropriate footwear which will notdamage the turf and only one person standing on the site, calling out information toothers who are taking notes. Scientif ic data can be gained on vegetation successiontogether with making the point about having a respect for the environment.

Education and Conseraation Issues in SlaDton ley NllR 729

Trre EoucarIoNAL ExpsnrsNce

The Field Studies Council (FSC) objective of 'Environmental Understanding for All'

has been interpreted in a variety of ways since this phrase-and it predecessor 'Towards

a better understanding of our Environment' was introduced over 30 years ago. Theinterpretation placed on this mission statement has been necessarily wide, based on theconcept that most f ield-based activit ies give some opportunity for learning, howeversubliminal.

More recently, and certainly since the U.N. Conference on Environment andDevelopment held in Rio de Janeiro 1992, thought has been focused on the precise

meaning of 'environmental understanding'-and the role which environmental educationplays in that. Broadly, the educational emphasis to the teaching and learning programmes

based at Slapton have moved between education rn the environment) to education aboutthe environment, and now, increasingly to education ;t'or tll'e environment. It is this lastpoint, most recently emphasised in the Rio Agenda 21 deliberations, that is beginning toflavour the educational services provided by Slapton Ley Field Centre. Thus in, aboutand for has developed in an evolutionary way since the inception of Slapton Ley FieldCentre in 1959 to mirror the national awareness of environmental issues. Each of thethree educational styles can be found in the learning taking place today-much as nodoubt happened in 1959-but the emphasis has certainly changed.

Education irz the environment is, perhaps, a learning style of dictates. The style issafe, without strong challenges for the teaching, or learning process. At one level, thiscan operate as the guided walk. Information is given and received in an unsophisticatedprocess. The fact that the learning in the environment is far more effective is beyonddispute,-being deafened by a Cetti's warbler on the Ley shore is an infinitely moreeffective and meaningful learning experience than listening to a taped call.

Education in the environment can be synonymous with the development of know-ledge for its own sake, however, with the 'environment' itself perhaps gaining little fromthe interaction.

At a higher level, the environment can be used as the vehicle to develop skills notnecessarily related to environmental topics. This educational process in the environmenthas been extensively used in skill enhancement course for pupils involved in vocationaltraining, and for management training.

Managing time and people, organising others, and discovering more about one'sown character are effectively practised out of doors. Environmental education in thiscontext is unplanned and opportunist but can develop a strong empathy with the naturalworld. TVEI students involved in group management and night navigation exerciseshave happened across badgers in SlaptonWood.This produced the strongest experienceand image of the entire training event: quite unplanned, strongly memorable, yet againwithout positive benefit for the environment above and beyond the empathy.

Education about t}i'e environment is an educational style far more representative ofthe teaching and learning opportunities at Slapton-and where current strength lies.This approach has been fundamental since the earliest days of Slapton, and featuredstrongly in Ian Mercer's First Annual Report for 1959-60. Courses by ProfessorDineley, Paul Holmes and DrValerie Sankey typified the approach. Dr Sankey's course"added considerably to the body of information we are gradually building up about theReserve". Similarly, school and university courses since that time have providedthe opportunity (of which more could be made) to monitor and develop that body of

730 SrepHnN TRuocrLL, Kerrn CHsr-L aNl CHrus Rrr-sy

information.The educational process inherent inthe about has evolved with educationalphilosophy. Courses of 30 years ago were perhaps syllabus-led, with emphasis onidentification, taxonomy and recording-all vital ingredients to rhe process. Morerecently, and still under the banner of about the environmentr a move away from a purelyknowledge based field course into a more overtly problem solving and personal 'skills'

oriented event can be recognised.The Curriculum from 5 to l6 (D.E.S. 1985) emphasised this need for change. In

addition to knowledge as a major element of learning, the Curriculum identifies clustersof skil ls, ranging from communication to personal and social skil ls, necessary for aneffective education. The practical, investigative work, inherent in a field course, com-bined with the residential role provides, the ideal platform for such an enhanced aboutthe environment course.

Some of the skills identified in that document-particularly those study andproblem solving skills-provide the bridge between education about the environmentand for the environment. Skills which encourage the selection and extraction of datafrom a variety of sources, plus the ability to weigh and interpret evidence, and drawconclusions begin to promote the 'ownership' of environmental issues by individualstudents. The development of personal values towards environmental issue is theimportant step in ensuring action. This sequence was perhaps best exemplified by theintroduction of the Schools Council Geography Curriculum Development Project inr97 6.

The enquiry route moved students towards challenge and personal response to theenvironmental issue under investigation. It also emphasised the need for case-studiesand investigation into real landscape-management issues.The l6-19 approach (Table l)typifi es this development.

It was at this point that the real strength of earlier monitoring programmes, andhigher education research q'as revealed. That mass of information perhaps previouslyperipheral to the day to day teaching at Slapton-suddenly became an indispensableresource.

Land management and water qualitl', biodiversity, coastal management and sea-levelrise, and social consequences of tourism impact suddenly became-and sti l l are-thecornerstones of environmental education at Slapton. Data collected over 30 years (e.g.Burt er a/., 1988) provide the temporal insight of events to students spending just oneweek-or perhaps one day investigating a topic. This approach has narrowed the gapbetween in and t'or the environment considerably. Indeed investigative project work hasfrequently empowered students into taking direct action over an environmental issue.This has often taken the form of letters with comment and criticism to those appropriatedecision makers-and is hopefully a reflection of an informed and articulate populationrevealing commitment to ethical and moral values.

The next logical step towards education /or the environment is to bind more closelyinvestigation and direct, practical activity. Monitoring energy use and waste at the FieldCentre, and using this information to elicit a change in lifestyle-at least for the durationof the residential experience is perhaps one such step. rWaste management, in the formof Centre inspired "Community Composting Schemes" is a development now under-way and which will reinforce that need for desirable, practical outcomes inherent in theeducation for tL'e environment banner. More imaginative use of Centre grounds, inwhich direct practical involvement l inks with academic endeavour need to occur.The process is already underway to some extent on the Nature Reserve with the

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Education and Conservation Issues in Slapton Zey ,AINR

TABLE l. Geography 16-19 Project: Key questions and guiding concepts of Geographg.(Reproduced by permission of the Geography 16-19 Projeu)

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lnvestlgation into coppice management incorporating student power at appropriatetimes of the year.

Evolutionary change in educational style is taking place. More imaginative issuesbased practical activity does induce ownership of and care about the environment and isperhaps in keeping with the national mood, if not the internarional intent.

"There is a need to increase people's sensitivity to, and involvement in, f indingsolutions for environment and development problems. E,ducation can give people theenvironmental and ethical awareness, values and attitudes, skills and behaviour neededfor sustainable development. To do this, education needs to explain not only the physicaland biological environment, but the socio-economic environment and human develop-ment" (I(eating, 1993).

C oNsEBvRrroN Pruonrrrss

Conserz,tation IssuesSlapton Ley NNR is leased by FSC from the\ThitleyWiidlife ConservationTrust, as ithas done since 1960. Both landlord and tenant share joint general aims for the site offostering conservation, education and research. South Hams District Council are thesub-tenants of the Shingle Ridge (so that bye-laws can be implemented) and EnglishNature have become partners in the running of the Reserve since 1993.

It was the Agreement with English Nature tn 1993 which made Slapton Ley anNNR, and secured funding to run it as such, guaranteed for 20 years. But considerationof the issues relevant to the conservation of species and habitats in the long term begsthe question of how secure is the future of the Ley system, given the natural forcesacting on it? These forces originate principally outside the NNR boundary, in thecatchment, or in the sea and include nutrient enrichment, sedimentation and changes insea level. Management plans for the long term are thus focused upon the NNR area butthere is also considerable interest in the relationship of that management with the widercatchment and other surrounding areas.

on a year-to-year basis, the NNR is run according to an approved ManagementPlan (Rile-v, 1993).The Conservation (and other) Objectives expanded in the Plan arespecified in the Agreed Management Policl ' document, part of the Agreement withEnglish Nature, an extract of which is given in Table 2 (with the original documenrparagraph numbering) and il lustrated in Figs 1-4 (1, wetland management;2, shingleridge and grassland; 3, woodland and 4, access).

Managentent Policy AreasLand areas on the NNR are shown according to management policy in a pie chart(Fig. 5). Implementation of the Conservation Objectives involves only 37.2% of theReserve, in terms of area. The rest (white in Fig. 5) is under a policy of non-inter-vention) at least for the time being i.e., the current Five Year Plan. Most habitatmanagement is essentially controll ing natural succession (black on the pie chart).Thisamounts to 27.4o/o of NNR area and involves mainly reed-bed. Other habitat manage-ment is defined as habitat enhancement (grey) and involves mainly woodland andgrassland, covering 9.8%" of the Reserve.

Only a portion of intervention policy areas are likely to be being worked in anyparticular season, up to about 4%o of the Reserve. Visitors and wildlife are thus quitelikely to find sanctuary at Slapton, undisturbed even by conservation manasement.

Education and Conserz;ation Issues in Slapton ley NNR 733

T.A.eI-s 2. Slapton Ley NNR. Extract from the Management Policy Document.

5.3 ObiectivesConservation Obiectives

5.3. 1 To maintain the aquatic habitats of Slapton Ley particularly uith respect to water lexel and uater quality in

the Louer Lelt and Higher Le1.

5.3.2 To maintain and enhance populations of rare species on the Reserve particularly those species listed in

Annex C as requtring encouragement.

5.3.3 To maintain, enhance and protect the existing types diversity of vegetation and habitats on the Shingle

Ridge im particular the control of scrub.

5.3.4 To maintain, and enhance, the diversity of wetland habitats particularfu reaieuing the extent and quality of

the reed-beds.

5.3.5 To maintain, and enhance, the diversir,v of the semi-natural woodland including woodland of particular

xalue as landscape features.Tb maintain the coppiced woodlands.

5.3.6 To maintain, and enhance, the grassland communities including Hartshorn Fields and Southgrounds wetnteadozt.

5.3.7 To control undesirable or pest species where practicable particularly those species listed in Annex C as

requiring control Herbicideslpeuicides will not be used unless approved by English Nature.

5.3.8 Parties should wherever possible seek additional protection on areas adjoining the Reserve by liaison

and oossible asreement u'ith the landowners.

Legal and Other Obligations

5.3.9 To uphold the terms of the lease with the South Harris District Council.

5.3.10 To provide/maintain boundary structures and prevent trespass.

5.3.11 To maintain and control Public Rights ofVay.

5.3.12 To maintain good relations *'ith neighbours, visitors, authorities and other interested parties

Provision of Facilities

Subject to 1 12 above provision will be made for the following facilities:

5.3.13 site monitoring to nrcasure the effects of reserve mdnagement

5.3. 1 4 scientific research and survev to include ahere necessaryt the erection of temporary structures e. g. . hides.

5.3. 1 5 education and interpretation 6jr means of guided walhs, leaflets and signs. The deaelopment of a co-ordinatedlnter Pf etatlon strate gJ,

5.3.16 angl ing f rom boats

5.3. I 7 controlled access for visitors away from areas of open access

C ontrolling Succes sionNatural succession in the wetlands, from swamp and carr to scrub and woodland (andover which we seek to have some control), has been influenced by changes in water levelwhich are man-made. In 1856 a tunnel outlet was built to reduce dramatic fluctuationsin water level (and enable the road along the bar to be made permanent). An overalldeepening of the lake resulted (Cannell 1992). Further deepening occurred in the 1920swhen the weir lip was raised, and it was this act which caused, it is suspected, the peat

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Frc. ISlapton Ley National Nature Reserve Management Plan: wetlands

Education and Conserv()tion Issues in SlaDton Lerr NA'R 7 3 5

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Education and Conserz;aion Issues in SlaDton ley NNR 737

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islands in the Higher Ley to float free of the lake bottom. However, sedimentation israpid, especially in the Higher Ley, and succession is continuing steadily (Cannell,r992).

Targets have been defined for the reclamation of reed-bed from willow scrub. 0.2hectares of wil low trees are to be removed in the period 1993 98.This target has beenset following studies of aerial photographs going back to 1945, since when progressivewillow colonisation has occurred. A similarly scientif ically-obtained target has 5retto be set for harvesting of reeds, but wil l involve estimation of the rate of bioeenicaccumulation.

Dramatic disturbance during World War II provided another start point forsuccession. This was particularly the case on the Shingle Ridge where tanks laid baregreat areas of shingle. Grazing of the vegetation here does not seem to have restartedafter the evacuation of the area in l9l3l44,leading to scrub invasion.The present scrubcontrol programme is a legacy of this past.

The Role of Research in ManagementWe are fortunate at Slapton that there has been a considerable amount of scientif icresearch which, while not necessarily directed to conservation objectives ('managemenfled'), has often been'management-relevant'. Such research into the issues and processesaffecting the NNR is outside the scope of the present Five-Year Management Plan butcontinuing research wil l enable Management Objectives to be updated and put intocontext.

Truly'management-led' research is on a fairly small scale, with individual studentprojects suggested, approved and assisted by the Reserve Officer. English Nature's granrscheme for student proiects on SSSIs and NNRs has enabled the availability of grantfunds and, more importantly, information disseminated to Universities in the form of adirectorv of suggested projecrs.

New research developments are exciting, but the continuous accumulation of moreroutine background data is an important management requirement. Monitoring by FSCstaff occurs weekly, and has been complemented by sampling b-v the National RiversAuthority. Gaps in the data sets, and lack of simultaneity, barel1' derract from the factthat Slapton's wealth of accumulated data is one to be proud of and one which r,vil lcontinue to be the basis for analvsis well into the next centurv.

E NsuRrNc C or,lp,qr-r srr-rry B ET\vEEN EDU c.ryrroN AND C o NsnRr,'err oNStrategies for IJse of Sites in Fieldwork

The foilowing strategies are applied on Slapton Ley NNR (Table 3 and Fig. 5):

Robustcan support frequent use by groups of students without significant damage. One site hasbeen particularly studied for possible changes during its life-time as a sire for fieldwork.This is the 'Freshwater Community Site' which has seen variations in numbers ofparticular species or groups of animals, but these are more related to changes in waterquality, or local successional changes, than by use by student groups. The generaidiversity of the site appears stable and confirms the 'robustness' of the site.

Education and Conservation Issues in Slapton ley.AtrNR 739

Tnels 3.Fieldwork Site Use and Strategies in Slapton Ley NNR

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beneficial (0.6%)permanent (0.10lo)sacrificial (0.9%)

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Management Policl' Areas, Slapton Ley NNR

Sacrificiala certain amount of damage is accepted; the site is sacrificed for the sake of the rest ofthe ecosystem and for the educational benefits; site will recover soon after usage stops.

Permanent siteswhich could takes years to recover and where rotation would only spread the damage,e.g. soil pits.

Rotatingtwo or more sires used in rotation-frequency should be defined. For exampleexperimental water infiltration plots in woodland.

Beneficialtrampling or disturbance of soil may be seen as beneficial e.g.. keeps scrub down.

Elitesites preservs6l <in1ss1'-specialist groups only; minimal collecting.

Such a zonation of use ensures that both the educational experience andconservation priorities can be met.

Education and Conseraation Issues in Slapton Ley NltrR 7 4 1

beneficial (0.670)permanent (0.1o/o)sacrificial (0.9%)

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Use of Slapton Le,v NNR

RrpERgNcgs

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742 SrspHeN TRUocrlL, KstrH CHer-L aNn Csnrs Rrley