Press release: Skomer Island turns high tech to beam wildlife into classrooms and across the world

Skomer Island turns high tech to beam wildlife into classrooms and across the world

Schoolchildren can now get a close up experience of the wildlife on Skomer Island without leaving the school, thanks to remote cameras, which beam pictures of island activity onto the mainland, into classrooms and around the world.

Bad weather sometimes prevents visitors from going to the island, and those with mobility issues can find the boat access difficult, but everyone wants the opportunity to experience one of the world’s most important conservation sites. Now as part of the Skomer Island Heritage Experience Project, supported by a £1.6million Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant, Lockley Lodge, the gateway to Skomer Island on the mainland, has been transformed into an interactive interpretation centre, enabling everyone to fully access the Skomer experience whatever the weather or their physical ability.

The new multi-media centre includes interactive screens showing real time images of Puffins, Seals and Manx Shearwaters in their burrows from cameras placed in areas beyond public access. There are also photographic wildlife displays, historical information about the island, and the chance to hear about how it inspires people from all walks of life. Knowledgeable staff guide visitors through the vast range of wildlife activity on Skomer throughout the year. The images are also accessible via the web, enabling school children, and others, to monitor the wildlife and activity on the island all year round. 

The Skomer webcam has received thousands of hits since it was trialed in late July 2007, with visitors from as across the world logging on to view activity. And popularity is spreading, with over 1200 people viewing the nocturnal Manx Shearwaters in their natual habitat on YouTube over the last 12 months.

Dan Clayton Jones, Chairman of the HLF Committee for Wales, said: “Skomer is a vital part of Wales’ natural heritage and an internationally important conservation site which serves as an excellent resource for schoolchildren and university students alike from the UK and Europe. The remote cameras are a fantastic way of opening up Skomer Island for everyone to enjoy, enabling people of all ages and abilities to get closer to and appreciate nature without disturbing or distressing the birds or animals being observed.

“We’re delighted lottery money has helped improve interpretation and education facilities both on and off the island to enhance their learning and help them leave with a real enthusiasm for our natural heritage.”

The Island and its wildlife is used as a case study as part of the national curriculum for key stages 2 – 4, higher education, degree, post graduate and life long learning schemes. In 2007, 701 school children and teachers, and 727 students (with ages ranging from 16 to 60 plus) as well as almost 14,000 members of the general public, visited Skomer to learn about the rich natural heritage of the Island. As well as wildlife and living things in their environment, study topics include the Iron Age, the Victorians, environmental change and response, sustainable development and global citizenship.

Hubberston Primary School from Milford Haven visited Skomer on the last day of term this July. The school, which usually visits the island once a year, used Lockely Lodge as part of their trip for the first time.

 Cheryl McNally, a teacher at Hubberston Primary School, said: “We visited Skomer for Year 4 and 5’s summer term school trip to give children the opportunity to see the natural wildlife that Skomer Island offers. Access to Skomer is so important as it enables the children to see the wildlife first hand and to make them more aware of our local area.  The remote cameras are a great addition to the experience and a resource we will be making a lot more use of. We’ll be using all the information online to follow up on the children’s findings and maintain interest.”

With the improved educational and interpretation material now available, the Wildlife Trust of South and West  Wales is expecting to attract more students than ever before, aiming for 2000 in 2009, from schools and universities across the UK and Europe. Local education centres including Pendine Outdoor Education Centre, Stackpole for Schools and the Field Studies Council Dale Fort centre already visit on a weekly basis.

Jo Milborrow, Skomer Island Warden said: “It’s fantastic to be able to provide visitors, students and researchers with access to the wildlife, even when off the island, with the real time images. Being able to zoom in on a Puffin at close range and count the number of sand eels in its beak is amazing and the infrared burrow cameras provide a unique opportunity to see into the lives of the nocturnal Manx Shearwaters, particularly the feeding of their chicks. Visitors to Lockley lodge have been amazed by the quality of the images and sound coming back from the island and having the facility online has sparked interest about Skomer around the world.”

To view acitivity from Skomer log onto www.outersight.co.uk and to download educational resources visit www.welshwildlife.org   To view Manx Shearwaters on YouTube video visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMFk1mvPoOs

The Skomer Island Heritage Experience Project was administered by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, supported by the Countryside Council for Wales and part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Tubney Charitable Trust and the Crown Estate Marine Stewardship Fund.

 To book an educational trip to Skomer log onto www.welshwildlife.org or call 01239 621600