drilling holes into wooden blocks, which invite bugs to set up nests. A group of solitary bees, the mason bees( genus Osmia), use mud to create‘ rooms’ for their young within these structures.
The talk was concluded with a Q & A, followed by a book signing. Goulson’ s books were available for purchase, and included Insectarium, a collection of insect fauna illustrated by Emily Carter, A Buzz in the Meadow, the chronicles of nature in Goulson’ s land in France( featuring not only insects, but other creatures such as amphibians too), and Silent Earth, which explores some areas he covered in the talk.
Professor Goulson’ s love for insects was infectious; it was clear that much of the audience was touched, younger and older alike.‘ Saving Our Insects’ raised awareness of the one million known insects( and estimated nine million to be discovered). His work is vital in the face of our current biodiversity crisis – the Anthropocene extinction.
DR EMMA ROSS Gender Gaps in Sport
Rajnandhini Kenisha, Lower Sixth
On Wednesday 14 May, Dr Emma Ross, a sports scientist and co-founder of The Well HQ, visited the school to give an inspiring talk on women’ s health in sport. She started by explaining her job as Head of Physiology at the English Institute of Sport and how she helped create The Well HQ. She emphasised how important it is to understand the unique needs of female athletes.
She covered a wide range of topics, such as how sports clothing and the menstrual cycle can affect performance. For example, Dr Ross spoke about how in some sports like hockey, female players are expected to wear skirts. She mentioned a real-life situation where a player wore shorts for comfort but wasn’ t allowed to play by the referee, showing how outdated some rules still are.
Dr Ross also addressed the lack of research focused on female athletes, pointing out that most sports science
has been focused on male bodies. This gap has led to misunderstandings and poor management of women’ s health in sports.
The atmosphere during the talk was both engaging and thought-provoking. Dr Ross spoke about common beliefs, like how some people think women aren’ t skilled in sports or that periods don’ t matter when training. She encouraged us to challenge these ideas and speak up when something doesn’ t seem right.
During the Q & A, questions ranged from how schools can better support female students in PE, to what kinds of training are best during different phases of the menstrual cycle. These questions were answered with clarity and passion, providing useful advice. One teacher asked,‘ Do you think the gym should be regulated in a way where females and males have different time slots?’ Dr Emma Ross said this was a controversial topic, explaining that while some people feel safer in spaces just for females, others believe separation could create more division.
Overall, Dr Ross’ s talk was a reminder that sport should be fair and supportive of everyone. It made many of us think differently about women’ s health and how we can make sports equal for all.
Matilde Thrane, Year 10
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2024-2025 15