Education Workstreams

WATER is committed to helping future generations and all communities to enjoy the river both for recreation and its wildlife. We also want to foster a better understanding of the interdependence of the flora and fauna in the river, along the riverbank and across the surrounding catchment, as well as how human activity impacts that interdependence.

The diversity of habitat and landscape, from the Erme’s source on Dartmoor to its popular and beautifulestuary beaches, offer endless opportunities for engagement in thoughtful discussion with young and old alike.

WATER links nature and science

Our schools’ engagement embraces primary and secondary education levels. For the latter, there are a number of projects that provide the opportunity to link our mission to restore water quality and habitat directly to academic subjects. The Flete Field Labs Mycelium Filter Trials are a good example. This project is supported by the University of Plymouth’s Faculty of Science and Engineering. PhD students have worked at Flete Field Labs for their thesis and assisted with microbial water testing.

For primary aged children, as well as direct engagement with primary teachers and schools, WATER has supported a Devon Libraries 2025 summer holiday ‘Book Quest’. Our local Ivybridge library adopted an ‘Under Water’ theme. Children aged 5-11 were encouraged into libraries to explore new books to read for pleasure or for learning.

Library Treasure Hunt – searching for wildlife treasures

Part of WATER’s involvement in the library ‘Book Quest’ included creating a library treasure hunt to engage children’s curiosity about the river and its wildlife. The trail involved children searching the library for photographs of different species of wildlife to be seen on the Erme, and to find out their names and more about them.

A storytelling and conversation session was run in Ivybridge Library by our Education Lead, Pat Hannam. This gave an opportunity for WATER to engage directly with children, their parents and carers and other interested members of the community.