A former Myerscough College student has set up a scheme to teach marine education to primary school children after her studies lead her to work closely with sharks.
Sarah Roberts graduated from Myerscough in 2012 with a Honours Degree in Animal Behaviour & Welfare. During her course she studied shark behaviour closely and won a prize for her dissertation on the subject. Since graduating, she has been involved in a number of field research projects in both the UK and abroad.
The 24-year-old from Great Eccleston says: ‘’I spent a considerable amount of time in the Bahamas last year, at the world renowned Bimini Biological Field Station, known as the ‘Shark Lab, where I worked up close and personal, tagging, tracking and assisting in behavioural studies on a number of different species of Sharks, including the three metre long Tiger Shark and the juvenile Lemon Shark.’’
Since her return to the UK, Sarah has used her experience and the skills she learned at Myerscough College and has founded The BITE Project, with the aim of visiting primary schools to teach the children about British marine life and exotic creatures from around the world, by using fun and exciting, interactive methods to tackle tricky subjects such as conservation and water pollution.
Sarah says: ‘’All of our lessons are based on the UK governments National Curriculum and we provide a list of optional modules available for any age.’’
‘’Our mission is to get as many people enthused by the marine world as possible, hopefully motivating some to support and get actively involved in the field in years to come. Our collective experiences, particularly our work with sharks in the UK and abroad, dolphins in the UK and coral reefs in Tanzania, mean that we have a huge database of photos, videos, and authentic learning materials (including real shark bite scars!) to show when we go into schools.’’
In addition to The BITE Project, Sarah is also undertaking work as an animal behaviourist, as well as being a professional Scuba Diver and an aspiring wildlife presenter.
You can find out more by going to www.thebiteproject.com or www.facebook.com/thebiteproject, or for details on Animal Studies courses available at Myerscough College, click here: http://www.myerscough.ac.uk/?page=subjects-animal-studies-HE