1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Reading
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Trout in Schools project
Short description of the intervention
The River Kennet and its tributaries make an excellent topic for introducing subjects to the curriculum at pre-school, primary and secondary levels. The ARK (Action for the River Kennet) project helps protecting the river and educate youngsters about the importance of water by providing educational projects for schools. The 'Trout in Schools' project as a partnership with Thames Water (funding and support), aims to hatch trout eggs and raise them until the trouts are grown enough to be released into the River Kennet (Ref.1, 2). The project has celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2018 and has engaged thousands of children (7).
Address

Reading
United Kingdom

Location
The NBS is a city-wide initiative, the GIS point marks the centre of the city
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Other
Please specify “other type of area” before implementation of the NBS
The first stage in Schools and the end-stage is at the Kennet river.
Website of the intervention
http://www.riverkennet.org/education/educationintroduction
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2008
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2008
End date of the intervention
2018
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
“The project begins at early in January and the trout usually stay in the classroom until around Easter. Schools in the Kennet Catchment from Hungerford upstream are eligible to participate, and the project can be tailored for pre-school, primary and secondary students.” (Ref. 1, 3). The trout project runs each year (7).
Goals of the intervention
The overall aim is trout hatching and releasing the trout in the River Kennet; the project works with schools in the Kennet catchment area between Marlborough and Reading. This because the River Kennet is one of the world’s finest chalk streams, with its abundance of trout directly linked to the quality and quantity of water. (Ref. 2)
The Action for the River Kennet (ARK) project provides learning opportunities for children in Reading, who care for the trouts and observe their growth in their classes. Also, ARK helps to educate children about environmental protection and water efficiency and understanding that the wildlife living in the Kennet catchment is sensitive and should be protected. (Ref. 7)
Quantitative targets
Around 50 fish were released in the River Kennet. (Ref. 2)
Monitoring indicators defined
Number of fish released into the River Kennet (Ref 2)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Effective management
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Environmental education
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
Means for conservation governance
Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
Raise public awareness
Public engagement
Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation
What types of restoration goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
What activities are implemented to realize the restoration goals and targets?
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore valued species
Public engagement
Implementation activities
The long-running Trout in School project was introduced to three schools in Reading in January 2015. Each school incorporated the different stages of the trout lifecycle to their classroom learning. (Ref. 3) In April 2015 trout were released into the River Kennet. (Ref. 2, 3) Since 2015, the trout project is implemented in each year. In the celebratory 10th anniversary of the project (2018) an event took place in the Osier Bed Stream, attended by primary school children representatives from ARK and Thames Water, where the trouts were released into the river after having been taken care by the schoolchildren (Ref. 7).
Type of NBS project
Creation of semi-natural blue areas
Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Blue infrastructure
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
Amenities offered by the NBS
Educational and research amenities (nature protection centre, monitoring stations)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Provisioning services
Water (surface and ground water for drinking and non-drinking purposes)
Habitat and supporting services
Maintenance of genetic diversity
Cultural services
Intellectual interactions (scientific and / or educational)
Scale
Spatial scale
Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
Young people and children
Other
Please specify "other primary beneficiary"
Students (pre-school, primary and secondary levels). (Ref. 1-3)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
Action for the River Kennet (ARK) worked in partnership with Thames Water; which has funded the project and developed classroom materials, to encourage pupils and residents to use water more efficiently. (Ref. 1, 2)
Key actors - initiating organization
Public sector institution
Non-government organisation/civil society
Land owners
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Public sector institution
Non-government organisation/civil society
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Citizens or community group
Land owners
Educational actor (schools or universities)
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Dissemination of information and education
Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Reading Council’s Biodiversity action plan from 2006 which include the chalk river Kennet and its condition which support rich diversity of e.g. brown trout (Salmo trutta). (Ref. 5)
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
If there is a relevant strategy or plan, please specify the theme / type of the plan.
Biodiversity strategy or plan
Municipal / city level environmental plan or programme
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Action for the River Kennet is a group of people who care about the River Kennet and is a registered Charity. The ARK is member of 'The Rivers Trust'. (Ref. 6)
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
Funding (and support) through Thames Water; which has funded the project and developed classroom materials, to encourage pupils and residents to use water more efficiently. (Ref. 1, 2)
Co-finance for NBS
No
Co-financing governance arrangements
No
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
No
Financing
Total cost
€50,000 - €100,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Part of ARK's total cost for projects in 2015 was 89 389 GBP (around 99 000 EUR). The project received funding from Thames Water (unknown amount). (Ref. 1, 2, 3)
Source(s) of funding
Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Private Foundation/Trust
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Yes
Type of non-financial contribution
Provision of goods
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)
Other
Business models
Urban offsetting model (biodiversity or water)
Green education model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Public actor (e.g. municipality)
Private non-for-profit actor (e.g. NGO, foundation)
Type of innovation
Social
Cultural innovation
Please specify social innovation
Educational: to teach students about where the fish comes from, how it grows and how important it is to preserve the chalk stream environment. (Ref. 2, 3)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is copied/derived from previous initiative(s) with substantial adaptation
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
The project is organised by Action for the River Kennet (ARK), which runs trout hatching and releasing project with schools in the Kennet catchment area between Marlborough and Reading. (Ref. 2, 4)
Replicability/Transferability
The innovation is transferred to new initiative(s) without substantial adaptation
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Trout in Schools (and its sister project 'Eels in Schools') projects was delivered to five different schools in 2016, and Reading has signed up for 2017's Trout in Schools project. (Ref. 4)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Water management and blue areas
Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Green space and habitat
Increase in protected green space areas
Reduced biodiversity loss
Description of environmental benefits
Many trouts have been bred in the schools and released to the river successfully. Brown trouts have already seen swimming upstream in the River Kennet. Brown trouts have already been recorded using the newly restored reach for spawning. River Kennet and the surrounding area are under protection to restore the ecosystem for trouts and other fishes. (Ref. 1, 4, 6)
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown
Social and cultural impacts
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Increased awareness of flora and fauna as culturally and historically meaningful
Increased appreciation for natural spaces
Increased support for education and scientific research
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Description of social and cultural benefits
The school children have been taught sustainable fishing, how to bred and hatch fish eggs and how to release the baby fishes to the river successfully. They have also been taught the importance of river and riverbank ecosystem and fishes can thrive in their natural freshwater ecosystem. (Ref. 2, 4, 7)
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
Number of schools participated, number of students got engaged, number of trout successfully bred and released in the river. (Ref. 3, 4)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Inclusive and effective governance (SDG 16)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Voluntary work opportunities
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of September, 2020.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Collection of monitoring data continuously throughout the project to aid evaluation
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Focus groups
Measurements of biophysical aspects of the NBS (e.g. temperature, water flow)
Observation (including virtual surveillance methods)
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
Yes
Link to monitoring/evaluation reports
http://www.riverkennet.org/uploads/files/files/ARKannualReport2015(web).pdf
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
Web links relevant to the intervention
Ref. 1
Ref. 2
Ref. 3
Ref. 4
Ref. 5
Ref. 6
List of references
Ref. 1. ARK (n.d.) Ark in Schools. Education. The River Kennet, Action for the River Kennet. Available at: http://www.riverkennet.org/education/educationintroduction. Accessed on 13th September, 2020.
Ref. 2. Get Reading (2015) Pupils release trout into the River Kennet in Reading. Local news. Available at: https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/pupils-release-trout-river-kennet-8878095. Accessed on 13th September, 2020.
Ref. 3. ARK (2015) Action for the River Kennet Annual Report 2015. A partnership of people who care about the River Kennet. Available at: http://www.riverkennet.org/uploads/files/files/ARKannualReport2015(web).pdf. Accessed on 13th September, 2020.
Ref. 4. ARK (2016) Action for the River Kennet Annual Report 2016. A partnership of people who care about the River Kennet. Available at: http://www.riverkennet.org/uploads/files/files/ARKannualReport2016-finalpreview.pdf. Accessed on 13th September, 2020.
Ref. 5. Reading Council (2006) The Reading Biodiversity Action Plan. 2005-2015. Available at: http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/5972/Reading-Biodiversity-Action-Plan/pdf/Reading_BAP_February_062.pdf%20page%2056. Accessed on 13th September, 2020.
Ref. 6. ARK (n.d.) About ARK. About us. The River Kennet, Action for the River Kennet. Available at: http://www.riverkennet.org/aboutus/aboutusmain. Accessed on 13th September, 2020.
Ref. 7. Thames Water (2018) Fishing success for river education project. Available at: https://www.thameswater.co.uk/media-library/home/about-us/responsibility/smarter-water-catchments/smarter-water-catchments.pdf. Accessed on 13th September 2020.
Comments and notes
Pictures of the NBS
/sites/default/files/nbs/images/river_kennet_ref_1.jpg
Public Images
Action for the River Kennet (ARK) with Emmer Green Trout Release (2018)
Action for the River Kennet (ARK) with Emmer Green Trout Release (2018)
Linda Nemeth, retrieved 08/22/2018
River Kennet
River Kennet
Source: Ref. 1
Please specify other source of non-financial contribution
Schools