Education Matters
In the UK, youngsters have joined forces with ALFA, Eden Rivers Trust (ERT) and the Environment Agency to learn about flooding and how it affects people in both rural and urban parts of the River Eden catchment area.
The initial education day was open to one school in the upper and one in the lower regions of the Eden catchment area. The day gave participants the opportunity to learn how the Environment Agency warns people about the risk of flooding and manages flood incidents and how real flood defences work and included a visit to a farm to discuss how flooding affects farming. The students have come up with some fantastic, collective project ideas to illustrate flooding problems and solutions through art, film and IT. We all look forward to seeing how their projects progress.
ALFA partners have also been learning about ERT’s excellent Wetland Discovery Trail, which gives people an experience of the outdoors and illustrates what wetlands can offer in terms of wildlife, exercise, relaxation and most importantly water storage.
Schools, holiday clubs, community groups and families have all visited the wetland, where they can enjoy pond dipping, the brass rubbing trail, or a nature walk. A ‘water storage’ demonstration shows how water is stored, when it rains, and then slowly released back into the river, buffering both flood and drought conditions.
Becky Helm, ERT Education Officer, explains: “We all belong to a catchment community and must work together to ensure that community’s sustainability. At ERT we promote outdoor learning, which involves working with others, developing new skills, undertaking practical conservation activities and influencing society. This provides a range of benefits to children and adults, community groups and socially responsible businesses, helping to increase solidarity in the Eden catchment area.”
The Emschergenossenschaft is also developing educational material which will focus on climate change. Kirsten Adamczak from the Emschergenossenschaft says: “We look forward to exchanging ideas about education tools with ERT and hope it will help us both develop our education programmes further.”
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Picture 1: School children visit the Wetland Discovery Trail – source Eden Rivers Trust
Picture 2: ALFA Partners visit the Wetland Discovery Trail – source Eden Rivers Trust
In the UK, youngsters have joined forces with ALFA, Eden Rivers Trust (ERT) and the Environment Agency to learn about flooding and how it affects people in both rural and urban parts of the River Eden catchment area.
The initial education day was open to one school in the upper and one in the lower regions of the Eden catchment area. The day gave participants the opportunity to learn how the Environment Agency warns people about the risk of flooding and manages flood incidents and how real flood defences work and included a visit to a farm to discuss how flooding affects farming. The students have come up with some fantastic, collective project ideas to illustrate flooding problems and solutions through art, film and IT. We all look forward to seeing how their projects progress.
ALFA partners have also been learning about ERT’s excellent Wetland Discovery Trail, which gives people an experience of the outdoors and illustrates what wetlands can offer in terms of wildlife, exercise, relaxation and most importantly water storage.
Schools, holiday clubs, community groups and families have all visited the wetland, where they can enjoy pond dipping, the brass rubbing trail, or a nature walk. A ‘water storage’ demonstration shows how water is stored, when it rains, and then slowly released back into the river, buffering both flood and drought conditions.
Becky Helm, ERT Education Officer, explains: “We all belong to a catchment community and must work together to ensure that community’s sustainability. At ERT we promote outdoor learning, which involves working with others, developing new skills, undertaking practical conservation activities and influencing society. This provides a range of benefits to children and adults, community groups and socially responsible businesses, helping to increase solidarity in the Eden catchment area.”
The Emschergenossenschaft is also developing educational material which will focus on climate change. Kirsten Adamczak from the Emschergenossenschaft says: “We look forward to exchanging ideas about education tools with ERT and hope it will help us both develop our education programmes further.”
Read more...
Picture 1: School children visit the Wetland Discovery Trail – source Eden Rivers Trust
Picture 2: ALFA Partners visit the Wetland Discovery Trail – source Eden Rivers Trust
