Moldgreen Primary school pupils with Jon Lee, Sentini Marine, teacher Joel McKay, Gilly Dukes, EPIKS, Beckie Earnshaw, Grow to School

By KLTV Newsdesk –

Moldgreen Primary pupils join forces with EPIKS and Grow to School for a hands-on river adventure, with support from local sponsor Sentini Marine

Local pupils from Moldgreen Primary School were treated to a hands-on environmental education experience at Huddersfield Riverside Nature Park, discovering the diverse river life flowing just minutes from their homes.

The river visit field trip, led by environmental charity EPIKS and education specialists Grow to School, saw two classes explore a stretch of the River Colne in Aspley.

The event was generously sponsored by yacht engineering experts Sentini Marine, based at Aspley Wharf.

The site, one of several cared for by EPIKS’ team of dedicated Volunteer Environmental Rangers, is a key part of the Huddersfield Riverside Nature Park.

EPIKS celebrated the opportunity to collaborate with Grow to School and introduce local children to the hidden natural world around them.

Nature on the Doorstep

During the field trip, children learned what makes a river healthy and discovered the incredible range of wildlife living in the water through activities like kick sampling.

Beckie Earnshaw, Outdoor Learning and Food Growing Practitioner at Grow to School, said: “Today the children have been looking at what is here in our local stretch of river.

“We’ve done a bit of kick sampling and in our samples the children have identified caddis fly larvae, mayfly nymphs, leeches, beetle larvae, freshwater snails and a freshwater crayfish.

“Half of the children who came here today said they didn’t know about this place. It’s fabulous that they’ve been introduced to it now, so they can come back with their family for many years to come.”

Moldgreen Primary School pupils identifying river wildlife

Building a Connection with Nature

Gilly Dukes, EPIKS Volunteer Co-ordinator and Environmental Ranger, emphasised the importance of fostering a relationship with local nature: “What we’re trying to encourage in all our work in nature is a relationship with the spaces that we live in.

“Bringing young people from their own neighbourhood to somewhere that is walkable from home to explore the things that live in these spaces and have a greater understanding means you build a connection. With that connection, you build responsibility and stewardship.

“If you have seen what lives in the water and you’ve examined it and you can identify it, then you have a greater ability to care for it.

“It’s the same for adults. You’ve got to be able to think about what you’re doing in your own home and how it affects what happens downstream.”

A Lasting Impression

The visit left a strong impression on both pupils and teachers.

Joel McKay, Year 4 teacher at Moldgreen Primary School, said: “It’s been brilliant. It’s been a true sense of awe and wonder for the children. They’ve been engaged with the activity, and they’re learning loads by the second.

“You can truly see that this is something they would love to do more of in the future, and that’s what we try to inspire in them, spending more time in nature.”

Beckie Earnshaw, outdoor learning and food growing practitioner at Grow to School

Support from Local Businesses

Jon Lee, Director at Sentini Marine, joined the group on the day and shared his thoughts on supporting the initiative: “It’s really great to see the kids going on an adventure and finding out what’s in the river, it reminded me what it’s like to have been a child on a field trip. To have been able to help facilitate it, it’s been a real privilege for us.

“Sentini Marine supply operations manuals for superyachts worldwide and believe in protecting the seas and waterways.

“We believe in teaching and encouraging the next generation to take an interest in the waterways; some of these kids will remember this field trip for the rest of their lives. We hope events like this will inspire the next generation.”

Get Involved

EPIKS are always keen to partner with local businesses to support environmental education and activities in the Huddersfield Riverside Nature Park.

For more information, email office@epiks.org.uk or visit their Corporate Environmental Stewardship page.