Geography students Inspired by Iceland Trip

A group of A Level Geography students recently embarked on a life changing trip to Iceland.

The students are currently investigating the management of natural hazards and the four-day visit provided an opportunity to see how the Icelanders cope with the threat from volcanic activity.  The group also got to see and understand some of the stunning Icelandic landscape and the country’s unique culture.

The students will have the advantage of being able to apply the knowledge gained during the trip in their forthcoming exams. At least three of the students are planning to go on to study Geography at university.

During the four days the students enjoyed a range of exciting experiences including donning crampons and ice axes to go ice walking on the Solheimajokull glacier – one of the fastest retreating glaciers in the world. The group also visited a geothermal power station to find out how natural hot water is helping Iceland develop clean energy and cut its carbon emissions.

Chris Wathen, Head of Geography at Birkenhead Sixth Form College, said: “It was such a rewarding trip for the students and a rare opportunity to visit this fascinating country. It is invaluable for the students to gain first-hand experience of what they are taught during their studies – it really does make more of an impact and has greatly contributed to their understanding of many current geographic issues.

“The students also got to view the Northern Lights, the geothermal activity at  Geysir and saw the impacts of the 2010 Eyjafjallajokull eruption on the local environment. Another memorable highlight for the students and teaching staff was to stand on the Thingvellir rift valley, where the North American and Eurasian plates move apart at 2cm a year.”

The students said the trip was both educational and inspirational.

Freya McVey, 17, said: “Seeing a real active plate boundary helped me to understand the theory of plate tectonics, which is very important for our exam.”

Gemma Carolan, 17, said: “I would describe it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but once you see how stunning the landscape is and how amazing the activities are, you know you’ll want to go back.”

Birkenhead Sixth Form College organises dozens of overseas and UK-wide educational trips each year, reinforcing the classroom teaching and giving students the opportunity to expand their horizons.