School children got hands-on to learn about river wildlife when an environmental charity's mobile classroom paid a visit.

The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust (YDRT) provided bespoke river education classes at Crakehall CE Primary School, near Bedale, through its Rivers2U education programme thanks to sponsorship from Exelby Services.

Children in Reception found out about river wildlife and discovered freshwater invertebrates living in Crakehall Beck, while class two got involved with hands-on science through kick sampling in the river and identifying creatures from mayfly to crayfish. Classes three and four explored the journey of the river with the working river model in the mobile Rivers2U classroom using microscopes and charts to classify the animals from the beck, before finding out about the pollution sources impacting rivers, along with the actions to help improve water quality.

(Image: Contributor)

A spokesperson for the school said: "Class four had a great morning with the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust and it worked brilliantly with our geography unit on rivers as it supported and extended children's understanding. The children were very enthusiastic about helping keep our rivers clean and protecting them in the future."

YDRT's mobile classroom, Rivers2U, is actively involved with education from primary through to post-doctoral in the Yorkshire Dales river catchment.

(Image: Contributor)

Catherine Mason, education and engagement officer for YDRT, said: “It’s so important to connect children with nature at an early age, inspiring a life-long interest in caring for wildlife. We’re incredibly grateful to Exelby Services for their support in making it possible for us to offer these special sessions enabling the children at Crakehall to learn about the science and geography of rivers through hands-on experience of the natural world.”