NatureLab in school Biology Fieldwork Workshop

School Workshop

Latest News: 5th March 2026
Our outdoor season starts now! From March to November, NatureLab offers a variety of outdoor workshops and field trips for all age groups. All our workshops include practical scientific investigation, nature exploration and align with forest school principles.

Available as a half or full day, our workshops introduce students to ecological sampling techniques and the varied species found in their own school environment.

Students are guided through designing and carrying out hands on investigations in nature, all without the need for travel. Workshops can be tailored to suit the outdoor spaces available at your school, such as:

• Playing fields

• Woodland areas

• Overgrown areas, hedgerows and field edges

biology field work plant guide and quadrat

NatureLab in school Biology Fieldwork photograph

school trip at NatureLab in school Biology Fieldwork

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Where we travel to

We can visit your school in:

What activities are available during this school workshop?

Workshops will be tailored in collaboration with you.
Depending on available habitats in your grounds and your individual focus, this can include a selection of the following:
• Random sampling and belt transects to determine distribution and abundance of plant species
• Random and opportunistic sampling of invertebrates using ecological techniques (e.g. insect pooters)
• Measurement of abiotic factors
• Calculation of species population
• Calculation of biodiversity - A level only
• Classroom based data analysis, presentation and evaluation - full day workshops only

Which curriculum topics do we cater for?

Wildlife Workshop

Your students walk around their school grounds every day, but do they ever stop to notice the variety of plants and invertebrates all around them? Probably not! Our fieldwork workshops encourage your students to stop and notice, to explore the relationship between these species and their environment.

Biology Workshop

Plants Living things and habitats Minibeasts Habitats Life Sciences Relationships in an ecosystem (KS3/4)

Bring your ecology topic to life, as your students discover the diverse range of plants and invertebrates found in their own school grounds. Students will design and conduct investigations to measure species distribution and abundance, meeting practical requirements for all major exam boards.

Fieldstudies Workshop

Sampling and Statistics Ecology Ecosystems Sustainability

Introduce your students to ecological sampling techniques and the species found in their school grounds. Meeting practical requirements for all major exam boards, our fieldwork workshops bring your ecology topic to life through practical investigations in nature. Practical work without the planning!

What size groups do we cater for?

Up to 35 students per workshop. Discounts are available for multiple workshops booked by the same school or college.

Anything else?

Our workshops are designed to complement curriculum learning and meet practical requirements for all major exam boards.

At GCSE, they meet requirements for:
• AQA Biology (required practical 9)
• AQA combined science (required practical 7)
• Edexcel Biology (core practical 9.5)
• Edexcel combined science (biology core practical 9.5)
• Equqas Biology (SP 6.3)
• Eduqas combined science (BSP 6.5)
• OCR Biology (PAG 3)
• OCR combined science (PAG B2)

At A level, they meet requirements for:
• AQA Biology (required practical 12)
• Edexcel Biology A (core practical 10)
• Edexcel Biology B (core practical 15)
• Equqas Biology (continuity of life 1)
• OCR Biology (PAG 3)

Who are NatureLab?

We offer GCSE & A level biology fieldwork workshops and trips, meeting practical requirements for all major exam boards and exploring real world applications of ecology. Please see our other listings for more details.

Shannon Raponi:
I am the founder of NatureLab, working with schools to impart my passion for the natural world and its protection.
I am a qualified primary school teacher with experience in KS1 and KS2. I have also worked as a field studies instructor and group leader, teaching biology and geography fieldwork to school groups in every year group from KS2 to A level, in addition to a number of volunteer roles with children.
I have a degree in animal behaviour and training, and wildlife conservation and research experience in South Africa. Throughout my career so far I have worked to give children experiences they would not otherwise have, and inspire a love for nature and the outdoors.