Celebrating 25 Years of Clyde in the Classroom: Inspiring the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards

Celebrating 25 Years of Clyde in the Classroom: Inspiring the Next Generation of Environmental Stewards

(IN BRIEF) The “Clyde in the Classroom” project is celebrating its 25th anniversary, marking its success in educating over 50,000 children in the West of Scotland about local biodiversity and the River Clyde’s ecology. Founded by the Clyde River Foundation at the University of Glasgow, the program has expanded from five schools to nearly 100 annually. It involves students learning about sustainability, pollution, and wildlife by maintaining brown trout egg hatcheries in classrooms. This year, the project will engage 3,000 pupils from 112 classes. The initiative continues to receive support from partners like Glasgow Science Centre and Crown Estate Scotland.

(PRESS RELEASE) GLASGOW, 15-Jan-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The “Clyde in the Classroom” initiative, a groundbreaking freshwater biology project, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, marking a significant milestone in its mission to educate young people about local biodiversity. The program, led by the Clyde River Foundation at the University of Glasgow’s School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, has transformed 2,000 classrooms into fish hatcheries, impacting over 50,000 children across the West of Scotland. The project encourages students to become “future stewards” of the River Clyde by learning about its ecology, wildlife, and sustainability issues, such as the threats posed by pollution.

Since its inception in 2001, the Clyde in the Classroom project has expanded dramatically, now reaching around 100 schools annually, with approximately 3,000 children participating each year. The program includes the introduction of brown trout egg hatcheries into schools, where students maintain water quality and care for the hatching fish before releasing them into local rivers. This year, the project will engage nearly 3,000 pupils from 112 classes across eight local authorities, including Glasgow and surrounding areas.

The project will kick off in January 2025 at the Glasgow Science Centre, which has been a partner since the project’s start. Dr. Willie Yeomans, Clyde River Foundation Catchment Manager, emphasized the long-term impact of the initiative, with former students now pursuing degrees in Marine and Freshwater Biology at the University of Glasgow. The project is financially supported by organizations including Crown Estate Scotland, which has been a key sponsor for over a decade.

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SOURCE: University of Glasgow