Drumahoe Pupils Study the River Faughan

Loughs Agency’s Education Team was delighted to be invited to Drumahoe Primary School to facilitate a freshwater habitat study of the River Faughan.

Over 50 year seven pupils participated in the activity against the backdrop of the historic Drumahoe Bridge. The session started with an introduction to Loughs Agency and what the organisation does across the Foyle and Carlingford catchments.

The young pupils were challenged with several river study tasks, including:

• Assessing the weather – particularly precipitation
• River width and depth
• Riverbed type
• Surrounding land use
• Litter survey and a litter pick

A highlight of the trip was discovering the macroinvertebrates found in the river after pupils collected bug samples. Education Engagement Officer Jack Porter explained: “Through this activity, pupils learned that each river bug, or macroinvertebrate, is an indicator of how healthy or polluted the water is. The activity developed their understanding of the importance of water quality and the role of macroinvertebrates within the river’s ecosystem”.

To conclude the trip, pupils participated in bird and fish identification, further expanding their impressive knowledge of the wildlife in and around their nearby rivers.

The Drumahoe pupils left with a greater understanding of the local environment and a new role as citizen scientists. Some even showed an interest in becoming freshwater scientists in the future!

Loughs Agency’s Education Team are keen to work with primary and post-primary schools within the Foyle and Carlingford catchments. Please get in touch by emailing education@loughs-agency.org for more information.