The 18 students, who are all members of the college’s Eco Committee, were put through their paces at Walltown, which is on the western side of the national park, near Greenhead.
They helped to cut back bushes and clear paths, were involved in building new bird feeds, and took part in a GPS treasure hunt.
However, one of the highlights of the day was working alongside community archaeologist Gemma Stewart in helping to survey sections of Hadrian’s Wall and Thirlwell Castle.
Rachael Little, Project Co-ordinator of SCENE (Sustainable Communities and Environments North East), a community engagement project at the sixth form to help students get involved in volunteering, said the visit was arranged as part of a course they were completing on environmental awareness.
“We organise an environmental volunteer day every year and each time students have an amazing time,” said Rachael.
“The day is very much about them helping out with conservation activities, such as cutting down branches and clearing walkways, but it’s also an opportunity for them to learn about the environment, national parks and wildlife and what is required to protect them.
“It was an incredibly cold day this year, but everyone had a lot of fun.”
Student Niki Wong, 17, from Chester-le-Street, said: "We had a really fun day. Having learnt in the classroom about environment issues, it was great to go out and do something about it. I particularly liked that we had such a variety of activities to help out with through the day."
Margaret Anderson, a Ranger at the national park, thanked the students for their help.
“It’s great to have young, enthusiastic people come into the park with a willingness to really get involved,” she said.
“They did some work on tree identification and helped us with general conservation work, as well as learning about the different aspects of working in the national park. They were all amazing – they got really stuck in. It was a very full, but good day.”
