Waterways Ireland | Learning Zone

Lock Visits 2019!

Waterways Irelands annual Lock Visits along the Grand and Royal canals in Dublin took place on 11^th June 2019. Three groups from St. Patrick's NS Diswellstown visited the 12^th Lock Castleknock on the Royal Canal. Each group met our Lock Keeper PJ Massey who provided students with the opportunity to see first-hand how the canals lock systems work! He also spoke to each group about the importance of water safety and told them a little bit about the history of the canal.

Meanwhile students from Catherine Mc Auley NS on Baggot Street and St. Peters Special School in Rathgar were visiting the Grand Canal. Our lock Keeper Stephen Brierly met both groups at Lock No. 4 on Mespil Road. Not only did the children see how the locks worked from the canal bank but they were also given the opportunity to go through the lock aboard the Riasc barge!

Each year Waterways Ireland Engineers and Lock Keepers share their expertise by hosting site visits with local school groups which always prove extremely popular, booking up well in advance. If you would be interested in taking part in one of Waterways Irelands Lock Visits please let us know by contacting: learning@waterwaysireland.org

Biodiversity Week 2019!!

National Biodiversity Week took place from 18^th- 26^th May 2019. The aim of the programme is to connect people with nature and show the fun and wonder that can be found outside. To celebrate the event this year, Waterways Ireland hosted a series of Biodiversity Week workshops through our Education Programme. We were delighted to welcome 590 primary level students across Ireland and Northern Ireland to take part in our workshops.

Students from 14 schools participated in the workshops which took place along the waterway corridor as follows:

-Naas on the Grand Canal, Naas branch

-Drumshanbo on the Lough Allen Canal

-Toomebridge on the Lower Bann

-Mosstown on the Royal Canal

-Ballyconnell on the Shannon-Erne Waterway

-Robertstown on the Grand Canal

-Killaloe on the River Shannon

-Enniskillen on the Erne

Tailored to each individual area, the workshops aimed to showcase the important biodiversity value their local waterway has to offer and motivate participants to play their part in protecting it. Each group were introduced to the vast array of wildlife that call the waterways their home. They learned how to identify some of the plants and trees along the waterway and they even came face to face with some mini beasts living there!

We were delighted to work with environmental experts from organisations including RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), Source to Tap and Irish Peatland Conservation Council to deliver the workshops in conjunction with Waterways Ireland Education and Environment teams. Feedback from schools who took part in the workshops has been very positive. Both students and teachers were full of questions and eager to impart their local knowledge about their local waterway.

"It was really inclusive and informative. The students really enjoyed getting hands on with the creatures and they were given lots of opportunity to ask questions. The students enjoyed learning about the relevant local history too. It was very well planned and age appropriate! Thank you very much!" St. Dominic’s N.S, Kenagh Co. Longford.

River Explorers Programme 2019

Waterways Ireland and Leave No Trace Ireland successfully worked in partnership again this year to deliver the 'River Explorers' programme. This exciting one day programme aimed to enable participants to become aware of the geographical location, leisure potential and biodiversity value of their local river, lake or canal. It introduced participants to Leave no Trace and provided opportunities to explore their own behaviour in the outdoors in an interactive, fun and educational manner.

A series of one day workshops took place along the Royal Canal, Shannon, Shannon-Erne and the Barrow waterway. Each school group took part in classroom based sessions in the morning followed by outdoor sessions in the afternoon at their local waterway. Both sessions were packed with interactive and hands on activities which keep everybody enthralled!

Environmental expert, Amanda Egan, delivered the programme to 22 primary school groups with over 600 pupils getting involved during the months of February to April. Participants discovered the vast array of wildlife that call the inland waterways their home! Each group learned how to identify some of the plants and trees along canal and river banks and even came face to face with some mini beasts living in these ecosystems!

Feedback from schools has been extremely positive with many expressing a keen interest in our future educational programmes on the waterways.

Engineers Week 2019

Engineers Week 2019 took place at Waterways Ireland from the 5th-8th March! Over the four day period we had twelve different schools and over 300 students take part in our workshops across four different waterways.

Events and activities were led by our Engineering teams across the Barrow, Erne, North Shannon and Lower Bann waterways. Providing students with opportunities to see first-hand some of the engineering projects undertaken by Waterways Ireland. From automated lock systems to lifting bridges to hands on engineering based workshops to aqueducts.... there was something for everybody!

Engineers Week is coordinated by Engineers Ireland and is a platform to highlight engineering as a career and recognize the importance of the continually evolving engineering profession. Each year Waterways Ireland Engineers share their expertise by leading hands on workshops, giving presentations and hosting site visits with local school groups which always prove extremely popular, booking up well in advance.

Waterways Wildlife Wonders- NI Science Week February 2019

Our very popular Waterways Wildlife Wonders event took place in Enniskillen on the 14^th, 15^th and 22^nd of February. The event was part of Northern Ireland Science Festival 2019. The festival offered a stimulating and wide range of events focusing on the wonders of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We were delighted to welcome groups from Fivemiletown Primary School, St. Marys P.S. Killesher, St Ninnidhs P.S. Derrylin, Jones Memorial P.S, Brookeborough P.S, Tummery P.S, Ballinamallard P.S, Moat P.S, Clogher Valley Christian School and St. Pauls P.S. Irvinestown to HQ. Educational ecologists Billy Flynn and Morag Donald introduced participants to some of the living things found within the meadow at Waterways Ireland HQ in Enniskillen.

RTE Junior ‘Hidden Worlds’ Radio Show - Tuesday 19th March 7pm

Waterways Ireland was delighted to work with RTE Junior Radio on the delivery of a children's radio show through our Education Programme recently. 'Hidden Worlds' is a series of six short programmes one of which will focus on rivers and lakes of Ireland. The series is due to broadcast on Tuesday the 12th of February at 7pm and every Tuesday for six weeks on RTE Radio Junior!

The show, which will be narrated by children, will feature an interview with a one of our very own Lock Keepers, Stephen McGarry who is based at Victoria Lock on the Shannon. The programme also looks at the vast array of wildlife found along the inland waterways with our Environment Officer, Eamonn Horgan introducing the children to some of the plants and animals living in the river. The Lakes and rivers episode airs on Tuesday 19^th March at 7pm, be sure to tune in!!

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