Local children from Ysgol Dolafon and Ysgol Dyffryn Irfon have been discovering wildlife in the River Irfon, which stretches from Abergwesyn to Builth Wells.
National wildlife conservation charity Freshwater Habitats Trust took the school children, aged seven to 11, to the river to investigate the plants and animals living there. They took part in activities including kick sampling – which dislodges creatures on the riverbed – using nets and trays so the children could take a closer look and identify them.
The children saw several fish species, such as minnows and small trout, along with invertebrates, including mayflies and caddisflies.
With the support of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Management Scheme, Freshwater Habitats Trust is working with local communities to protect the freshwater and wetland habitats of the River Irfon catchment.
The school visits were part of the charity’s Irfon Catchment Resilient Freshwater Habitats project, which focuses on rare and threatened freshwater plant and animal species. These include the Freshwater Pearl Mussel, which is critically endangered due to the poor state of most rivers.
Rhoanne Clark, Executive Headteacher at both schools believes in getting all the children out into their local environment as much as possible.
“They were so inspired and engaged at both Pwll Golchi and Pwll Bo that getting them back to school was tricky,” she said, adding that these activities indicate the power of learning outside.
“I am a firm believer in getting your hands dirty and finding out for yourself what connects us to nature, which makes us much more curious about our world.
“The Irfon is on our doorstep and getting to know it means we can understand it and take better care of it,” she added.
Hosting the activities was River Man Dewi Roberts, who is hugely passionate about rivers and regularly works with schools across Powys and has appeared on Springwatch and Wales: Land of the Wild.
He commented: “The children spent quality time collecting, observing and identifying various fauna. It is always a delight to see pupils’ faces when they see the various organisms that call the river their home. It all created a lot of curiosity.”
Freshwater Habitats Trust project officer Catherine Hughes said:
“There’s nothing quite like putting on wellies and collecting water samples to see what’s in and around our rivers.
“The Irfon flows next to both Ysgol Dolafon in Llanwrtyd Wells and Ysgol Dyffryn Irfon at Garth and is still inhabited by the internationally endangered Freshwater Pearl Mussel, making in a very important river that needs our attention. Our project is about connecting with everyone who has an interest in the catchment. And, of course, this is not just about the river. The Irfon catchment also includes streams, ponds, wetlands, lakes, and ditches, which together create a network that supports freshwater wildlife and our own health and wellbeing.
“From farmers to volunteers, schools and businesses, our project is engaging local people in surveys and sampling. This data will then help us to understand how the health of the catchment changes over time.”
The River Irfon project is funded through the Sustainable Management Scheme (SMS) grant as part of Welsh Government Rural Communities under the Rural Development Programme for Wales (2014-2020), which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Union.
