Field Studies At Kippure

At One With Nature

Kippure Education Centre is Ireland’s top provider of Leaving Cert Geography school trips offering a range of on-site field studies. Since 2005 hundreds of schools from the four provinces have attended education trips at Kippure Estate and we have seen over 100,000 students since we began this important project. Thankfully, field work is becoming an integral part of the school curricula. As well as being thoroughly enjoyable, it instils a range a vital skills such as surveying, group work, data collection, analysis and report writing.

All our field studies are carried out on-site and have been carefully designed to facilitate the relevant Department of Education Curricula. A team of highly experienced instructors with a range of Environmental qualifications deliver our geography field trips. We provide all the necessary worksheets and field equipment, along with a selection of rain-gear, Wellington boots & waders.

Leaving Certificate Geography

This course has been designed to encourage students to develop their skills in measuring and recording. It is great practice for the Leaving Cert geographical investigation if they choose to take up Geography at senior level. They practice the following:

Measuring River Velocity

Measuring Cross Section

Calculating Discharge

Measuring River Gradient

Measuring Valley Profile

Sketching the river site

Bedload Analysis

We regularly receive excellent feedback from the schools who partake in this study and are delighted to hear that many students go on to receive 100% in their reports. The study is amended each year to suit the different Geographical Investigation Field Study topics.

Itinerary

09.45am School Arrives At Kippure Estate

10.00am Students are divided into smaller groups (max 15) and kitted out

10.15am Each Instructor delivers a detailed presentation to the group – what the activities will be, equipment use and safety, how it relates to their report, Q and A session

10.40am Geographical investigation begins at the River Liffey or the Athdown Brook. Our experienced instructors guide the students through the experiments safely and accurately

12.45pm After the study we perform an analysis of the results and how it relates to the report. Students can reflect on their experience and clarify any outstanding questions they might have

1.45pm Students return to base for lunch which is prepared fresh by our award-winning chef

2.15 – 2.30pm Students depart

Pricing: 5 hour programme for €35 per student

Add Soup + Sandwich + Drink + Crisps for €12

Add a Hot Lunch: Lasagne, Curry, Burger (choice of one)

+ Drink + Bar for €15

TY Field Studies – Geography & Ecology Studies

This study is a fun way to provide the experience and a vareity of skills that fieldwork involves.

+ Adventure

TY Studies can be combined with a half day of Adventure Activities to combine academia with fun adventure on our beautiful estate.

There is a Healthy tuck shop with hot and cold snacks available on the estate to you. The tuck shop contains: protein bars, cereal bars, pot noodles, drinks, water, tea, coffee etc.

Pricing

Wanderer’s Package

€35

Geographical Investigation Field study

Adventurer’s Package

€47

Geographical Investigation Field study

+ Soup + Sandwich + Drink + Crisps

Explorer’s Package

€50

Geographical Investigation Field study

+ Hot lunch: lasagne, curry, burger (choice of one) + drink + bar

Junior Cycle Field Study

Junior Cert geography forms a path to the Leaving Cert course, and we offer an opportunity for the younger students to try their hand at the practical work involved at Leaving Cert without any focus on report writing. This is all about learning how to work with the equipment to take measurements as part of a team, and then to record the results. We look at the results and help the students to see what the river is telling them.

Leaving Cert Ecology Field Trip

Fun and Experiential Field Studies for Science and Environmental Education Programmes. Here at Kippure we can facilitate the ecology element of the biology syllabus. This study includes some of the following activities:

Using different surveying techniques to carry out a vegetation, invertebrate & vertebrate field study

Mapping the study area

Identifying a Food Web

Looking at Edaphic factors

Investigating the different factors affecting the ecosystem

Itinerary

09.45am School Arrives At Kippure Estate. Students are divided into smaller groups (max 15)

10.00am Each Instructor delivers a detailed presentation to their individual groups, demonstrating the methods and equipment used

10.20am Ecological investigation begins in our grassland. Our experienced instructors guide the students through the experiments safely and accurately. All students are encouraged to participate individually

1.15pm After the study we discuss food chains and conservation issues. Students can reflect on their experience and clarify any outstanding questions they might have

1.45pm Students return to base for lunch for their own packed lunch or one which is prepared fresh by our award-winning chef.

2.15 – 2:30pm Students depart.