Education

As an environmental charity, one of the principal objects is to advance the education of the public. For ART, this involves both education in the management of water and environmental protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement, and in the understanding of rivers, their basins, fauna and flora.

ART’s own main education activities are structured towards a seminar programme. Since 2002, ART has run biannual national Seminars and Field Visits in the regions, based on applying best practice and science. These have attracted a wide range of organisations with interests in the sector, as well as existing and emerging rivers and fisheries trusts. The mix of delegates has been particularly satisfying, because of the opportunity for communication, discussion and understanding between the various agencies and others, in a non-confrontational and non-political setting. Seminar proceedings are too bulky to reproduce on the website. However they are available free of charge on CD in Power Point format generally on request to info@associationofriverstrusts.org.uk.

Virtually all of our work contains an element of education. However, our participation in the U.TdR Project, part funded under the Interreg IIIC programme, gave us the opportunity to promote and make available two important directly connected contributions initiated by Eden Rivers Trust and adapted for wider EU use: Freshwater Life Animations and a Primary School River Education Pack.