It’s fishy going-ons
Classes take care of eggs
Three West Lothian primary schools have been entrusted with caring for hundreds of trout eggs in their classrooms as part of a £6.7 million project.
St Mary’s and Simpson Primary in Bathgate and Livingston Village Primary will care for the eggs before releasing them into the river as part of the RiverLife: Almond and Avon project run by the River Forth Fisheries Trust.
Over the next four years the Trust will take on multiple projects under the RiverLife banner to improve urban rivers and engage local communities in their area’s natural resources and wildlife.
One project under the RiverLife banner is the Fish in the Classroom initiative .
Ja m i e O r m i s t o n , community engagement officer at River Forth Fisheries Trust, said: “During this time the classes will take part in some practical ecology and sample the river for invertebrates to discover just how important the little beasties are compared to the bigger, more charismatic animals such as fish and otters.
“The whole session is designed to give the pupils the basic tools and experience to discover more about the natural world and make their own conclusions about the preservation of the river environment.”
Part of the £ 6.7 million RiverLife project includes the Bathgate Water Restoration Project which will restore 1.2km of river through the heart of Bathgate, improving path networks, viewing platforms, natural play area and community facilities.
Alison Baker, catchment manager for the River Forth Fisheries Trust, said: “We’re delighted to be able to deliver all the exciting projects which form part of RiverLife: Almond and Avon which have been planned over the past year.
“This project is the first of its kind in central Scotland and potentially the whole of Scotland.”