Over the past two months, students in four Donegal schools have been donning their wellies for an exciting project on the River Lennon.
The Nature North West project involved pupils from Rathdonnel NS, Trentagh NS, Stramore NS and Gartan NS.
The students first had in-school lessons learning about their local waters, how we impact them and how they can serve as a wonderful corridor for our nature.
The project of exploration of the local river catchment extended into day trips to three sites along the river where the students measured riparian habitat and tested water quality under the watchful eye of scientists from Local Authority Waters Programme, who also funded the project.
Upstream from Gartan lake, the first site on the bullaba is one of a very small number of Q5 sites in Donegal, the highest water quality of all, which makes the area even more special.
When field trips were completed, all 4 schools came together for a day of kayaking under the care of the wonderful staff at Gartan ETB and presented their findings in the cost and spacious boathouse facility at the side of Gartan lake.
Nature North West would like to issue thanks to An Taisce Donegal who applied for and administered the funding as well as helped with the activities, landowners for permission to access the sites and for all that helped make this possible.
A special thanks to all the teachers and students who took part which such enthusiasm and brought so much fun to the days.
