See how the students from St. John the Baptist Primary School in Colwick, Nottinghamshire display their creativity

For inclusion in two banners that will be erected on the site of the Colwick (Holme Sluices) fish pass, which is currently under construction, students from St. John the Baptist Primary School in Colwick, Nottinghamshire, created posters with the theme of “healthy rivers.”

As one of the goals of the nearby Colwick (Holme Sluices) fish pass is to help create a healthy watercourse, the year 4 and year 5 students were asked to design a poster to depict what “healthy rivers” means to them.

The Environment Agency Project Manager and the hired contractors, Jackson Civil Engineering, decided which posters should take first place.

The fish pass in Nottingham’s Colwick Country Park will be the biggest in the nation when it is finished in 2023. It will improve the biodiversity of the area, provide better wildlife habitats, and allow migratory fish to access spawning grounds upstream.

Environmental Agency Fisheries Technical Specialist Simon Ward said:

Our goal is to establish a healthy watercourse that educates the community about the natural and social history of the river while also lowering the risk of flooding and improving habitat for wildlife.

The schoolchildren’s poster competition sponsored by our contractors is a great idea that has been successful in introducing the local population to our ambitious plans for the River Trent, beginning with the building of the Colwick (Holme Sluices) fish pass, at a young age.

The banners are very appealing, and when they are up, they will make our goal for the fish pass to contribute to the river becoming a healthy watercourse clear to the many visitors to Colwick Country Park.

The River Trent catchment contains a number of obstructions to fish migration, including Holme Sluices, the biggest obstruction to fish migration in the Midlands. Salmon and other fish will find it simpler to get to their spawning and feeding places by establishing fish passage.

Jackson Civil Engineering’s public liaison officer, Kathryn Battelle, stated:

Working with St. John the Baptist Primary School and admiring all the lovely artwork the students produced has been a pleasure. The caliber of entries was so high that it was very challenging to choose winners. We appreciate the efforts of the entire staff and the kids for making us feel so welcome.

The fish pass will continue to be built until 2023. It is the flagship project of the expansive Trent Gateway Partnership, whose ambitious goal is to destroy every obstacle to fish movement along the River Trent.