Education
Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust supports education from primary school to post-doctoral research
Inspiring the Next Generation
Engaging learners through hands-on river education.
The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust is actively involved with education from the primary level right through to post-doctoral work. Local pupils are often engaged in our river conservation projects and PhD candidates work with us on research projects.
We offer a range of educational activities to schools, including our educational river table, freshwater invertebrate identification and river field trips.
Our Exciting Education Project
Our award-winning education project, Rivers2U, began in 2018 and was made possible with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund www.heritagefund.org.uk. Thanks to National Lottery players we have been able to work with schools and communities along the Rivers Wharfe, Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse, and their tributaries. The project enables us to engage with, and educate children and communities about everything to do with Rivers, from understanding the geography of rivers, the water cycle, wildlife and habitats, to how rivers work, flooding, sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) and natural flood management (NFM).
The Rivers2U project was continued in 2022 with funding from Postcode Local Trust, www.postcodelocaltrust.org.uk and until March 2023 with funding from Yorkshire Water‘s Working with Others Community Benefit Fund.
Thanks to everyone who helped us raise money through our Christmas Online Auction and the Big Give Christmas Challenge in December 2024!
We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, for our new education project Rivers4Life! Thanks to National Lottery players, this 3-year project will help us to engage with our local schools and communities, delivering an exciting programme combining the arts and science, to inspire everyone to get involved with caring for our rivers and wildlife.
If your school is in the catchment of one of the rivers of the eastern Yorkshire Dales, please email education@ydrt.co.uk to enquire about Rivers4Life workshops or booking the mobile classroom to visit your school in 2025 or 2026.
We come to you, no costs!
Our fully fitted, wheelchair accessible mobile classroom, allows us to bring hands-on education about rivers, to everyone.
If your school is in our catchment area, and you have any questions about working with us on an educational project or you would like to make a booking for the mobile classroom, please email education@ydrt.co.uk
Our mobile classroom Rivers2U van is fitted with:
A Rivers Table – hands-on learning which shows how rivers form, from source to sea.
Microscopes – which allow us to show and identify the minibeasts and riverflies that live in our rivers and streams
Displays - showing different aspects of rivers, wildlife and habitats; the water cycle; techniques used to slow the flow of water and reduce flooding.
Visits are linked to the National Curriculum and can be adapted for different key stages, offering:
A unique educational resource with sessions linked to a wide range of cross-curricular activities for all ages
Experienced DBS checked activity leaders
Having fun, learning about river wildlife and the natural world, connecting with current environmental issues
Watery Wildlife
A resource pack created through our partnership with the Skell Valley Project
What schools think of Rivers2U
Clifton Green Primary School, York
”The introduction was great and the children were really engaged and learned a vast amount in a short space of time. It was great how the leader had a vast amount of knowledge about wildlife and could talk about it really well to the children.”
Upper Wharfedale School, Geography Department
”Thank you for an outstanding outdoor learning experience for our students. We covered a range of topics perfect for their AQA GCSE course.”
Geography department
Kirby Hill Primary School
” We really enjoyed the river table – the children were so enthusiastic about it!”
Ms. Gardener (Y3/4 teacher)
Grewelthorpe Church of England Primary School
“The day was extremely well organised, interesting and full of engaging activities which kept the children’s attention throughout. The water table was a fantastic experience for the children to see some of the geographical processes taking place and how these processes can be altered or stopped. The activities linked well to our science and physical geography learning.”
Mr. Breckon (Y5/6 teacher)
