A select group of Year 9 students travelled to Brighton Girls this term to represent Blackheath High at the GDST Geography Symposium, GeograpHER, which brought together KS3, KS4 and KS5 students for a day of inspiration, innovation, and environmental action. 

The morning featured insightful lecture-style talks from industry leaders, including the Future Water Association and Knepp Estate. Students explored the significance of habitat conservation and rewilding, an ecological restoration approach aimed at boosting biodiversity. Through the case study of white storks, they learned how rehabilitated, non-flying storks from Poland were introduced to Knepp's rewilded estate to attract migratory storks for breeding. The students also discovered how GPS technology tracks bird migration across Europe and how a chance sighting led to exciting collaborations between conservationists in Morocco and the United Kingdom. 

In the afternoon, sustainable fashion innovators Prickly Thistle, who transformed climate change data from Prof Ed Hawkins into clothing that funds PhD research and charity projects, led a series of talks. Prickly Thistle then challenged students to design their own items based on geographic research. Teams worked together to create their designs before pitching their ideas to a panel of judges. 

Written by Mrs Stevens, Head of Geography