Living Seas Centre 2026
On Wednesday 3rd June, Classes 1 and 2 went on a trip to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Living Seas Centre in Flamborough. We spent the day taking part in two exciting workshops: Changing Coastlines and Seashore Safari.
During the morning, we learned about the different types of rocks found on the beach and tested their strength using copper and silver coins. We also carried out a fun experiment to demonstrate coastal erosion. We built three sandcastles to represent cliffs: one was covered in seaweed, one had holes in it to represent a softer rock, and one was left untouched. We then poured water over them to see how erosion affected each one. We discovered that the sandcastle protected by seaweed lasted the longest.
We discussed what might happen if homes or businesses were built on cliffs affected by erosion and considered the impact this could have on their future. We also looked at an erosion map of the East Yorkshire coast and learned that parts of the coastline near Flamborough are eroding at a rate of around 1 metre per year, with some such as Skipsea eroding at 5 meters a year! Using a trundle wheel, we walked to the lifeboat station and calculated that, at this rate, it could be in the sea in around 30 years. We talked about what this could mean for local residents and visitors, as there would no longer be a lifeboat station to help people in emergencies. There is also a shop attached to the station which provides jobs and helps raise money for the upkeep of the lifeboats, which would also disappear. We learnt that it is important to consider these things now so that there is time to put alternative plans into place.
After lunch, we went rock pooling and found all sorts of fascinating creatures, including crabs, small fish and sea snails. We all got very soggy, but we had the best time and learned so much about our coastline and the wildlife that lives there. It was wonderful to allow the children the freedom to explore the pools and see them work as a team to find different creatures. It was a fantastic day that we will all remember for a long time!
