Love Our Ouse’s River Ecology 101 training is underway!

Over 40 local people have already undertaken Love Our Ouse’s new free River Ecology 101 training course. Love Our Ouse’s Natasha Padbury explains how the training will be put into action to assess the health of the River Ouse – and how you can join in too.

We’re delighted that 43 local people undertook Love Our Ouse’s new free River Ecology 101 training course in April at Bluebell Railway and the Railway Land in Lewes.

The one-day intensive course is packed with Ouse education! So much knowledge is handed down from our super-duper ecologist Sandra Manning-Jones, with lots of local knowledge and observations shared in the room. 

Learning is to be put into practice with attendees completing a baseline survey for a section of the Ouse, using a suite of resources, and then monitoring that stretch of river over time. This will help build a community of knowledge and eco-forensic evidence to uphold the river’s right to be healthy. 

Feedback so far
We’ve already had lots of positive feedback to the River Ecology 101 training. One attendee commented: “Really interesting and inspiring. Have learned so much. Has made me feel quite sad but want to do something. Feel like this is just the starter. So much more we could learn.”

It’s been really incredible to spend quality time with so many people keen to learn and act for their local river. We have been bowled over by the number of people wanting to take up the free training – more than double the amount we could fit in!

What’s happening next
So we’re putting on an additional date to cater for the extra demand. We are also planning our Newhaven course to take place in June and are developing more science offerings to build on the enthusiasm and desperate need to take positive action to improve the river’s health. River people power!

Thank you to Ouse Valley Climate Action and the National Lottery for funding this project.

Find out more and see dates for further training sessions at: https://loveourouse.org/projects/citizen-science/