Cumberland State Forest - Year 6

2015! The year I’m in Year Six and also the first year that Year Six has gone on an excursion in first term! Where to? A Forest!!! Why did we go?

You’re just about to find out!

We (6KU and 6AD, my class, with the best teachers ever) travelled by bus to Cumberland State Forest and I sat next to Kiir,(my friend). We went there because we are learning about rainforests at school right now and thought we would experience one (even though it wasn’t a rainforest, it was just a normal forest).

First we went on an enjoyable walk in the forest and then we ate recess. After that we learnt how to measure trees (without having to climb them though) and this was a lot of fun. The next thing we did on this great day was having our lunch during which we played a fun game called Infected (tips build up). 

Lastly, as a relaxing end to the day, we did some planting and then we looked in the Information Centre and there were some quite cool sights there.

Soon, we all went home to our loving mothers who fed us dinner and put us to bed.

That was my awesome Year Six excursion in 2015 !

Dante P.

Cumberland State Forest Excursion

Epiphytes, Black Butts, butterflies, birds and flowers. These are just some of the things Year Six saw on our excursion to Cumberland State Forest in Pennant Hills last week. This term, Year Six is learning about rainforests and this excursion supports what we are learning about in class.

We travelled by bus and when we reached our destination we were met by Ranger Steve and Ranger Alex. We learnt that two differences between a State Forest and a National Park are that you can walk a dog and cut down trees in a State Forest, but not in a National Park.

Our first activity was to compare two sites in the forest by calculating the height of a tree, the humidity, the slope, temperature and the canopy coverage using various instruments.

After recess, we moved onto the second activity, planting! Each of us got our own bottlebrush. Planting was quite easy (for most of us), because all we had to do was to move the plant from the little pots to bigger ones so that the plant’s roots weren’t cramped in a small space. We put them in bigger pots so that the plant could grow bigger. We filled the pot up with soil and watered it. We were able to keep our own plant. 

After that activity we went to the Visitor Centre where we learnt lots of information while solving puzzles.

After lunch we went on our final activity, a bush walk. We saw Black Butt trees, Blue Gum trees, Epiphytes and a wide array of bird and butterfly life. This was only a small part of the state forest as its forty hectares in total. We all really enjoyed this.

I hope Year Six next year get to experience this amazing excursion as this reflects so much on what we are learning in class. This was a fun and enjoyable day for everyone.

Sabrina C.

Year 6 Excursion to Cumberland State Forest

On the 5^th and 6^th of May, year six went on an AMAZING excursion to the Cumberland State Forest.

Year Six started off their adventure with a short bus ride to the Cumberland State Forest. When we arrived, we were greeted by rangers who explained the rules that we needed to follow and the activities we would be doing.

Throughout the day classes were to complete three activities:

1. A walk through the open forest
2. A hands-on activity involving a survey, measuring task and a walk around the closed part of the forest
3. Planting a native Australian plant (bottle brush) and an experience through the interactive education centre

Our first activity was a walk through the forest. When we walked through the open section of the forest the ranger would regularly stop and show us some of the amazing trees and flowers that grew there and would also tell us about some of the animals that lived in the forest. Through the walk we learnt that the State Forest is classified as a Metropolitan Forest, which means that it is surrounded by houses. We also learnt that every few years the forest floor of the State Forest is set on fire to clear all the rainforest plants that do not allow the native Red Gum trees to grow. This also helps the plants to regenerate and regrow.

When we had finished our first activity, we gathered to eat our recess and discuss the FABULOUS activity we had just completed.

The second activity we completed was a survey and a measuring activity. The survey had questions which involved:

1. The humidity of the area
2. The slope
3. The type of canopy 

As a group we completed the survey and measuring task. Afterwards the ranger took us to the closed part of the forest where we completed another part of the survey. Once again, after the second activity, we came together, ate our lunch and discussed the activity we had just completed. 

Our third activity was to plant a native Australian plant - the Bottle Brush. We were given black pots, soil and our seedling. 

After our planting experience we walked to the Interactive Education Centre. Our teachers then asked us questions about the Cumberland State Forest. We concluded our excursion by walking through the centre looking at all the exhibits.

When we returned to our buses, the teachers asked us some questions about our day. Then we boarded the bus and set off back to school. Overall we had a lovely day and gained a better understanding on the importance of a natural forest.

Lily K.