The landscapes of the River Tweed catchment are set to become a living classroom for schoolchildren across the Scottish Borders and north Northumberland with the launch of an important new outdoor learning resource celebrating the river environment.
Unveiled this week by Borders charity, Tweed Forum, the new TweedWATCH Education Pack has been created for pupils aged 7-11 (Key Stage 2/Second-Level learners). It uses the landscapes, wildlife and heritage of the River Tweed to connect children with nature, build their confidence and teach them about a range of curriculum-linked topics through a mix of outdoor exploration and classroom work.
Through a series of engaging, hands-on activities the children will learn about river wildlife, riverside trees and plants, water pollution, flooding, climate resilience and the rich archaeology of the Tweed catchment. They will explore rivers, woodlands and greenspaces, helping them understand how rivers work, why freshwater matters and how people have depended on, and shaped the Tweed for thousands of years. Pupils will also be introduced to environmental issues such as water pollution, invasive non-native species and flooding along with nature inspired solutions such as tree-planting and natural flood management. The topics covered in the pack support learning across numerous subjects including science, geography, history, literacy, art and health and well-being.
Although firmly rooted in the Tweed catchment, the TweedWATCH Education Pack has been designed to be flexible and adaptable, meaning schools can use it in their grounds or alongside other rivers and green spaces.
The TweedWATCH Education Pack has been developed as part of the Destination Tweed and EU LIFE WADER projects.
Tweed Forum Education Officer, Jenny Holmes believes it reflects a growing recognition of the value of outdoor, place-based learning.
She said; “Our TweedWATCH Education pack supports teachers to take learning beyond school buildings and into the blue and green spaces that are right on their doorstep. Outdoor learning can be one of the most powerful ways for children to understand complex ideas and the environment surrounding the Tweed is the perfect classroom. As well as covering topics linked to the curriculum and UN Sustainable Development Goals the pack will help build skills in observation, teamwork and problem-solving and encourage the children to see their local river as a shared wild place worth caring for. We’re looking forward to working with teachers to help them make the most of this important new resource.”
Tweed Forum’s Destination Tweed Project Director, Luke Fisher, said the pack would help to create a lasting legacy for the initiative.
He said: “Destination Tweed is about restoring and celebrating the River Tweed and its surroundings for the benefit of nature and communities and education is central to that vision. The TweedWATCH Education Pack allows young people to explore the river at first hand, gaining an understanding of how it works, why it matters and how their actions can make a difference. By helping children build a genuine personal connection to the Tweed and its many waterways, we are investing in the future custodians of this remarkable river.”
LIFE WADER Project Manager, Liz Humphreys said; “The LIFE WADER project is working to improve river, intertidal and marine habitats across the Tweed catchment and Northumberland coast for the species that depend on them. Increasing understanding of this special environment is a hugely important element of our work and we hope that by encouraging learning beyond the classroom through this new Education Pack, young people will be inspired to take an interest in the habitats and species that surround them. We also hope that this fantastic new tool will be adopted locally and nationally as an exemplar of best practice.”
The TweedWATCH Education Pack is available to download free of charge from the Destination Tweed website. Printed packs are also being offered to eligible schools in the Scottish Borders and to those within 2km of the River Tweed in north Northumberland, helping to ensure the resource reaches classrooms right across the catchment. It is linked to both the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland (Second level) and the National Curriculum in England (Key Stage 2).
To support teachers, Tweed Forum will also host an online webinar on Wednesday 3 June from 4pm-5pm outlining how the pack can be used by schools and explaining the in-person support available within the Tweed catchment. Places can be booked via EventBrite.
The TweedWATCH Education pack has been funded by the EU LIFE WADER Project with additional support through the Destination Tweed project from the Fallago Environment Fund, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Northumbrian Water.