Fieldwork themes for secondary geography at Magdalen Farm
River channels and floodplains: The meandering course of the River Axe, its floodplain and terraces offer opportunities for investigating the relationships between channel form and processes as well as contrasting ecocentric and technocentric approaches to channel and floodplain management.
Integrated investigations of small catchments: Local catchments offer opportunities for exploring the relationships between catchment characteristics and runoff events in terms of water quantity, sediment yield and solute concentrations. The farm and its watercourses present practical examples of the links between land management and water quality.
Woodland ecosystems and habitats: Contrasting woodlands on the farm and close at hand provide scope for investigating the impact of different management practices on productivity, biodiversity and landscape.
Farms as ecosystems: The farming operations at Magdalen offer opportunities to compare an organic farm with conventional methods. A holistic approach is possible which evaluates farm systems in terms of conventional economics, green economics, inputs and outputs of energy and resources, quality of output as well as landscape and habitat impacts.
Coastal processes and coastal zone management: The lesser known coastal environments of the West Dorset coast offer opportunities for investigating coastal processes and comparing a range of coastal zone management practices. The classic landforms of Chesil and Purbeck are also within reach of the farm.
Rural settlement futures : A range of rural settlements, including small country towns with diverse social geographies, offer opportunities for investigating both aspects of rural decline and the pressures of counter-urbanisation from critical social and environmental perspectives.
Weather and energy: Spatial and temporal investigations of weather and hydrology can be applied to the question of assessing the potential of the site for renewable energy generation. The context for such investigations is the real need to assess the relative potential contributions of solar, wind and water power as Magdalen Farm strives towards sustainable forms of development.
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