From shore crabs and seabirds to a young conger eel hiding among the rocks, Reaseheath College and University Centre students discovered a remarkable coastal ecosystem during a recent field trip to Anglesey.
Animal Science and Environmental Conservation undergraduates travelled to Church Island in the Menai Strait with lecturers Donovan Lewis and Susie Phillips, where they explored the shoreline as the tide receded, revealing a rich variety of marine life.
Church Island, sitting within the Menai Strait and overlooked by the iconic Menai Suspension Bridge, is known for its biodiversity and provided a striking natural setting for field-based learning.
As the group followed the falling tide, they encountered a wide range of wildlife including egrets, sandwich terns and shore crabs. One of the highlights of the day was spotting a young conger eel among the rocks, giving students a rare close-up encounter with a species they would usually only study in theory.
For many students, the experience left a lasting impression, with several describing it as an ‘unreal insight into a hidden world’ and others saying it had sparked a stronger interest in marine ecology and conservation.
Donovan, Lecturer in Animal Science, said: “Trips like this are invaluable for our students. They give them the chance to step outside the classroom and experience ecosystems first-hand, building confidence in fieldwork skills while deepening their understanding of the natural world.
“They found a wide variety of wildlife, from Egrets and Sandwich Terns to Shore Crabs and even a young Conger Eel. Some of our students have said that they’ve had a real passion for the marine world ignited thanks to this trip.”
Fieldwork forms an important part of degree study at Reaseheath, with students regularly taking part in a range of off-site learning experiences. In the past year, this has included visits to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and the Dogs Trust headquarters, alongside a variety of UK-based conservation and animal science field trips.
Donovan added: “What makes trips like this so valuable is the way they bring everything together for students. They’re not just seeing wildlife, they’re developing confidence, building practical skills and starting to understand how these environments are studied and managed in the real world.”
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