Knapp and Knowle

Ten Practical Outdoor Activities

1. To complement the seven-part series on the Knapp and Knowle cluster, here are ten field activities designed to take learners out of the classroom and into these specific sites. These activities range from low-tech observation to the use of modern citizen science tools.

1. The "Cues to Care" Audit

Location: Sidmouth Cemetery or The Knowle

Activity: Walk the perimeter and the interior. Identify three specific "cues" that tell the public the area is being managed for nature (e.g., a mown strip alongside a path, a formal sign, or a bird box). 

Learning Goal: Understand the social side of conservation and how "tidiness" is used to manage public perception of rewilding.

2. Lux Level Mapping (The Night Shift)

Location: Public footpaths near Manor Park or The Knowle (at dusk)

Activity: Use a free "Light Meter" app on a smartphone to measure the brightness (lux) under a streetlamp versus a "dark corridor" hedgerow. 

Learning Goal: See why the <0.5 lux limit is so important for the Lesser Horseshoe Bats mentioned in Part 6.

3. "Veteranisation" Scavenger Hunt

Location: The Knapp or the Cemetery

Activity: Search for mature trees and look for signs of "retrenchment pruning" or standing deadwood. Can you find a tree with a "bat slit" or visible fungi growing on a dead limb? 

Learning Goal: Recognise that a "perfect" tree isn't always the best for biodiversity; decay is a vital habitat.

4. Grassland "Quadrating"

Location: The Knapp or Peasland Knapp

Activity: Use a 1-metre square of string (a quadrat). Count how many different types of plants are inside that square. Compare a frequently mown area to a "conservation grazing" area.

Learning Goal: Directly observe how different mowing regimes affect plant species richness (Part 2).

5. Water Quality "Bactiquick" Simulation

Location: Bickwell Brook

Activity: Observe the water flow. Look for signs of "siltation" (cloudy water) or runoff from nearby roads. Use a simple pH strip (available in garden centres) to test the acidity of the brook. 

Learning Goal: Understand the "Living Laboratory" concept and how upstream activity affects aquatic life.

6. The Pollinator "Restaurant" Observation

Location: The Knapp (July/August)

Activity: Find a Wild Carrot or Hogweed plant (an umbellifer). Spend five minutes counting how many different types of insects visit it (beetles, flies, bees).

Learning Goal: Witness the "abundance" described in Part 5 and how certain flower shapes support specific insect orders like Coleoptera.

7. Identifying the "Vertical Rock Garden"

Location: Sidmouth Cemetery (Victorian section)

Activity: Closely examine an old, shaded headstone. Use a magnifying glass to distinguish between different coloured lichens and the "Silky Wall Feather Moss." 

Learning Goal: Learn about niche habitats and why "cryptogams" thrive in the cemetery’s unique environment.

8. Hedgehog "Tunnel" Tracking

Location: Garden borders near The Knapp (with permission)

Activity: Set up a simple "footprint tunnel" (a cardboard triangle with ink and paper) overnight to see if small mammals are moving between gardens and the nature reserves. 

Learning Goal: Understand the "Wildlife Super-highway" and how private gardens act as vital links in the network.

9. iNaturalist "BioBlitz"

Location: Any of the six surveyed sites

Activity: Use the iNaturalist app to photograph and upload three species you don't recognise. Check back later to see if the community has identified them.

Learning Goal: Contribute to the actual data mentioned in Part 5 and become a "Citizen Scientist."

10. The Barrier Analysis

Location: The road between The Knowle and Manor Park

Activity: Stand at the border of two sites. Identify three physical barriers that might stop a hedgehog but wouldn't stop a bat (e.g., a curb, a fence, or a streetlamp). 

Learning Goal: Practical application of the "SWOT" analysis (Part 7) regarding fragmentation and connectivity.