Eels in the classroom! St. John’s pupils make new slippery friends

CHILDREN at St. John’s School have been selected to take part in a project called ‘Eels in the Classroom’, looking after eels for a three-week period.

The project has been running since 2016, organised by Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART), a charity that delivers education, land and river management advice and practical river restoration work throughout the Bristol Avon catchment.

It is funded with the help of Friends of the Somerset River Frome, through the Rotary Club, and provides children the chance to engage with their local rivers and learn about the critically endangered European eel.

The project links with the school curriculum, covering a range of subjects including food webs, water pollution, hydrology, climate change and habitats, helping the children to develop their knowledge and skills in ways that add value to their everyday experiences in the classroom.

A spokesperson for the school said, “Before Easter, a tank was set up in Year 4, then today the BART team delivered the elvers (young eels). They introduced them to their new home, and made sure Year 4 teachers and children are fully equipped with everything they need to clean and feed the eels for the duration of their stay.

“Year 4 will be responsible for regularly monitoring and checking the eels are in good health for the next three weeks. During this time, BART will deliver a series of lessons and interactive activities about eels and their river habitats, so the children can learn about their lifecycle, threats, and benefits to our watercourses.

“At the end of the three weeks, the children will join BART at a local river for a release event where they will get to say goodbye to their new friends and release the eels into the wild.”