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Headquarters
22 Victoria Road,
Londonderry
BT47 2AB, Northern Ireland

Tel: +44 (0) 28 71 342100
Fax: +44 (0) 28 71 342720

e: riverwatch@­loughs-agency.org

Hatchery in the Classroom project

[22 February 2010]


Hatchery in the Classroom is one of the educational outreach programmes offered through Riverwatch.  This year we have been working with 9 schools in Foyle and Carlingford such as Londonderry Model, St Eithnes Primary School, Holy Child Primary School, Lumin Christie, Strabane Primary School, St Joseph's Primary School (Drumquin).  The school children have been busy parenting the little eggs and watching them develop into tiny fish.  The survival rates in the schools have been fantastic with St Patrick's Primary School in Donemana achieving 98%. 

Over the last 2 weeks the pupils have been visiting many of the small rivers in the Foyle catchment to release their baby brown trout. 

We have been running this programme for 5 years and over 50 schools have completed the project and released tiny freshwater fish into the rivers of the Foyle and Carlingford catchments.   The project involves a small hatchery system being placed in a cold dark area in the classroom/school.  The pupils must look after the precious eggs by maintaining the temperature and keeping the tank clean.  Accompanying the tank is an information pack which is full of information and activities to enable the pupils to get the most out of the project.  Loughs Agency and Riverwatch staff visit the school on several occasions to deliver the hatchery, eggs, check up’s and during the release as well as providing advice and support over the phone and via e-mail. 

The project provides an opportunity for children to study life cycles up close and in their own classroom.  It also raises their environmental awareness in a very local sense and hopefully develops a respect and ownership of the waterways.  

As you can imagine the project books up well in advance.  If your school would be interested in taking part please contact Riverwatch to register interest.