Bucks Earth Heritage Group

Observation sheet - landscape and soils

This is an example of one of our educational worksheets - for Whiteleaf Hill Nature Reserve.

1. As you walk from the car park towards the Whiteleaf Hill viewpoint you can often see uprooted trees beside the path. Find one.

  Question: What rocks can you see in the muddy roots?

2. On the grassy area at the viewpoint get down on your hands and knees and look closely at the soil seen between the grass.

  Question: What colour is it?

(for instance black, dark brown, red-brown, light brown)

  Question: Take a soil pH reading as your teacher has shown you. What is your pH reading?

3. Walk to the interpretation board and down to the Whiteleaf Cross.

  Question: What rock can you see exposed by the cutting of the cross into the hill?

  Question: What colour is this rock?

  Question: So, using your observations of the tree roots, the soil type and the Cross what rock makes up Whiteleaf Hill?

4. Looking at the view from the interpretation board, let your eyes follow the hill round from your feet as far as you can in both directions onto the far horizons. It forms a steep edge both ways.

Question: do you know what this kind of steep edge is called?

Question: do you think that the rock beneath the surface in the valley in front of you is the same as the hill (yes or no)?

  Question: why?

5. In the woods take a look at the soil.

Question: What colour is the soil (is it lighter or darker than the grassy soil)?

Question: what is the pH?