BART believes that engaging young people with rivers is the key to inspiring the next generation of conservationists. To do this, BART work with primary schools to develop both indoor and outdoor educational activities, ranging from practical river dipping sessions to bringing the river to the classroom, with various curriculum related activities. For example, our award winning ‘Spawn to be Wild’ Project in partnership with Bristol Water gives children a chance to connect with the story of the critically endangered eel in a unique way. The children rear the eels for a term in their classroom and learn all about their fascinating lifecycle and the threats to their survival, before releasing them into their local river.

BART is a small team with a very large ambition and although we cannot reach every school in the Bristol Avon catchment, please do get in touch to see whether we are working in your area or ask to be added to our list for future opportunities.

BART offers primary school lessons, teaching young people about the issues of pollution, habitats and the river food chain. The lessons provide pupils to learn about their local river as well as learning about ways to look after it, helping students to connect with the river in their local area through fun, captivating activities linked to the curriculum.

To find out more information about the educational programmes that we offer, please get in touch with BART’s Education and Engagement Officer, Amy Wade.

Play!

Have a go at playing Tilly the Trout; an educational game that illustrates the multiple challenges Tilly faces as she migrates her way up the Bristol Avon river towards her spawning ground. Along her journey, there are a multitude of threats facing the fish that inhabit the river. Tilly has to negotiate everything from water pollution to discarded nets to reach her destination. During the game, each obstacle Tilly faces takes up vital energy. If she doesn’t get to her spawning area fast, it’s game over!

This game was created by Bristol Avon Rivers Trust and one of its super volunteers. You can play the game by clicking the “Play” button below – good luck and happy learning!

To learn more about rivers, people and wildlife, you can access learning resources from the Rivers Trust Schools Hub here

The Rivers Trust Schools Hub will take you on a journey down the river. Learn about exciting wildlife that call these habitats home, investigate the reasons why and where our rivers are not clean and healthy, explore how rivers are created and their effects on our landscape.