Trout and About project has got Bristol schools going wild
Thursday 26th March 2015
CHILDREN are releasing young trout into the wild at Blagdon Lake this week after caring for them in their classrooms since early January, as part of a joint project from Avon Wildlife Trust and Bristol Water.
The releases mark the end of the award-winning 'Trout & About' project, a three year programme that has inspired schoolchildren to learn about the natural environment. The project has attracted many awards and recognition for best practise, including the Green Apple Environment Award in 2013,the International CRS Excellent Awards (Bronze) 2013 and the Corporate Social Responsibility World Leader 2014.
Avon Wildlife Trust's Learning Development Manager, Kate Marsh commented, "It's fantastic to see the children releasing the young trout that they have cared for. This project has involved 500 children - bringing nature into their classrooms and through the trout’s story teaching them the value of natural systems in providing essential services such as our drinking water. We are very proud of the success of our Trout and About project, which has been supported by Bristol Water since 2013."
The children have been learning about river ecology, sustainability and about where the water in their taps come from after rearing the trout, before releasing them into the wild this week. The schools involved in the project are:
• Hannah More Primary School, St Philips
• Fair Furlong Primary School, Withywood
• St Peter's C of E Primary School, Bishopsworth
• Christchurch Primary School, Clifton
Bristol Water's Environment Manager Patric Bulmer said, "It was been fantastic to work with Avon Wildlife Trust to deliver Trout and About. These final releases are the culmination of three years of a highly successful project, in which school children have learnt the link between the natural environment and water".
The children have been documenting their progress through diaries and blogs, available here.