The Little Ripples Project
Funded by Catchment Care, the Little Ripples Project is all about education, water quality, rivers, lakes and wildlife.
The Little Ripples Project
This project aims to build on an NI Water supported project called “Little Ripples Project” and includes access to the river, education, interpretation, community involvement (including a cross community focus), knowledge exchange, capacity building and legacy actions.
1.Access to river site - it was decided to invest in a school pond instead of building access to a river site.
2.Educational Resources & Training
-The teachers will get some training and mentoring on the methodology and use of ID charts to deliver a river fly monitoring. There will be equipment and resources – e.g. pond trays, nets, microscopes, ID charts / cards, measuring poles, tape measures, water testing kits etc. Display boards and charts that will allow children to develop a river display. Materials will include large wall maps and aerial photos
3.Information Panels -We will create and erect a river catchment display. The display will be a fantastic resource to help inform and educate people on the role of our local rivers.
4.Water Quality - Volunteers will attend the training for invasive species organised by the RBCT. The group will then identify and map himalyan balsam and giant hogweed upstream from the school. The group will organise members to promote soil sampling and actually take soil samples for the Blackwater Catchment Officer. The volunteers will also take regular water quality samples to record nitrate, phosphate, dissolved oxygen and water temperature. This will build up to a citizen science project with data collected every month that can be used in future school projects.
5.Community Activity Day/s
The group will help organise two environmental activity days at the Blackwater Learning Centre to engage the local community. This will demonstrate the importance of the looking after the river system and improving the water quality, while encouraging local people to connect to the history, heritage, wildlife and environment of the River Blackwater. (these actions have been impacted by Covid)
Connecting People to the River
It is envisaged that up to 30 school children learn about their local river and the wildlife habitats it supports
10 volunteers will give their time to address problem of invasive species and actively monitor nutrification of the river.
6 farmers recruited and involved to take soil samples and investigate risk of excess nitrates and phosphate getting into local streams. 40 participants at the community activity days will be better informed on the issues affecting water quality and have literature to take home with them
Contribution to Water Quality
The project will aim to educate local young people about the river. The education work will include looking at wildlife, water quality and connecting local schools with the river as an educational resource. The project will link up with our partner school in Castlecaulfield to share experience and learning across the catchment and cross border.
This project will help us build capacity within this new River watch group in order to: --
The Little Ripples Project
This project aims to build on an NI Water supported project called “Little Ripples Project” and includes access to the river, education, interpretation, community involvement (including a cross community focus), knowledge exchange, capacity building and legacy actions.
1.Access to river site - it was decided to invest in a school pond instead of building access to a river site.
2.Educational Resources & Training
-The teachers will get some training and mentoring on the methodology and use of ID charts to deliver a river fly monitoring. There will be equipment and resources – e.g. pond trays, nets, microscopes, ID charts / cards, measuring poles, tape measures, water testing kits etc. Display boards and charts that will allow children to develop a river display. Materials will include large wall maps and aerial photos
3.Information Panels -We will create and erect a river catchment display. The display will be a fantastic resource to help inform and educate people on the role of our local rivers.
4.Water Quality - Volunteers will attend the training for invasive species organised by the RBCT. The group will then identify and map himalyan balsam and giant hogweed upstream from the school. The group will organise members to promote soil sampling and actually take soil samples for the Blackwater Catchment Officer. The volunteers will also take regular water quality samples to record nitrate, phosphate, dissolved oxygen and water temperature. This will build up to a citizen science project with data collected every month that can be used in future school projects.
5.Community Activity Day/s
The group will help organise two environmental activity days at the Blackwater Learning Centre to engage the local community. This will demonstrate the importance of the looking after the river system and improving the water quality, while encouraging local people to connect to the history, heritage, wildlife and environment of the River Blackwater. (these actions have been impacted by Covid)
Connecting People to the River
It is envisaged that up to 30 school children learn about their local river and the wildlife habitats it supports
10 volunteers will give their time to address problem of invasive species and actively monitor nutrification of the river.
6 farmers recruited and involved to take soil samples and investigate risk of excess nitrates and phosphate getting into local streams. 40 participants at the community activity days will be better informed on the issues affecting water quality and have literature to take home with them
Contribution to Water Quality
The project will aim to educate local young people about the river. The education work will include looking at wildlife, water quality and connecting local schools with the river as an educational resource. The project will link up with our partner school in Castlecaulfield to share experience and learning across the catchment and cross border.
This project will help us build capacity within this new River watch group in order to: --
- Building links with our local school
- Citizen science projects and gathering robust data on our stream
- Management of funding applications
- Building links with local farmers