Children from St John the Baptist Primary School in Colwick, have designed posters under the theme of ‘healthy rivers’ for inclusion in two banners that will be erected on the site of the Holme Sluices fish pass, which is currently under construction.
The children in year 4 and year 5 were asked to design a poster to depict what ‘healthy rivers’ means to them as one of the aims of the nearby fish pass is to help to create a healthy watercourse.
The winners of the poster competition were chosen by the Environment Agency Project Manager, and the appointed contractors, Jackson Civil Engineering.
Once complete in 2023, the fish pass in Colwick Country Park, will be the largest in the country. It will allow migratory fish to access spawning grounds upstream, provide better wildlife habitats, and improve the biodiversity of the area.
Simon Ward, fisheries technical specialist at the Environment Agency, said: “Our aim is to create a healthy watercourse that not only reduces flood risk and provides better wildlife habitats but also engages local communities about the natural and social history of the river.
“The school children’s poster competition run by our contractors is an excellent initiative which has succeeded in engaging the local community at an early age in our ambitions plans for the River Trent, starting with the construction of the Colwick (Holme Sluices) fish pass.
“The banners are extremely eye-catching and once on display will highlight to the many visitors to Colwick Country Park our aim for the fish pass to help make the river a healthy watercourse.
“There are a number of barriers to fish migration within the River Trent catchment, including Holme Sluices, which is the largest barrier to the natural migration of fish in the Midlands. By installing fish passage, it will become easier for salmon and other fish to reach their spawning and feeding grounds.”
Kathryn Battelle, public liaison officer at Jackson Civil Engineering, said: “It has been a pleasure working with St John the Baptist Primary School and seeing all the beautiful artwork the children created. It was extremely difficult to select winners, the standard of entry was so high. We would like to thank all the staff and children for their hard work and making us feel so welcome.”
Construction of the fish pass will run until 2023.
It is the first scheme of the ambitious Trent Gateway Partnership which aims to remove all barriers to fish migration along the River Trent.
