The best protection that our rivers and lakes can get in the long term is if we have a local population, and local business that understand them and value them. The Trust is planning a local education programme aimed at giving the local population and visitors an appreciation of our waters and an environmental awareness. The programme is likely to consist of:

·	School visits

·	‘Experience the River' days, when children from local schools have a chance to visit their local rivers and study and draw the river life that they find there, and can be given some instruction to improve their environmental awareness.

·	Guided river walks

We have had an early success in this area with the “Experience the River” project. (This was initiated by KRIG but transferred to SCRT for Insurance reasons.) The project was run by Fiona Clucas and Annie Kent who are now the Trusts Schools Education Team.

Fiona Clucas (left) is a fine artist whose paintings and drawings are inspired by the natural world around her. Her website is www. Fiona-Clucas.co.uk. She is very keen on using art in an educational context to help children and adults develop an appreciation of the natural environment,

Annie Kent (right) is a teacher specialising in environmental education. She works in primary schools as a freelance environmental education teacher, supply teacher and forest school leader.

The Experience the River project in 2006 consisted of the following 5 days

·	Staveley C of E School (on the Kent)

·	Crosthwaite C of E School (on the Gilpin)

·	Beetham Primary School C of E (on the Bela)

·	St Patricks C of E School, Endmoor (on Peasy Beck)

·	Stramongate County Primary School, (at Busher Walk on the Kent)

For more information about the ‘Experience the River’ project, the programme for these days and some pictures together with plans for the 2007 programme please click here.

Education and diffuse pollution

Another area where education will play a major role is in addressing the issue of diffuse pollution. Multiple low-level sources of pollution can have a significant cumulative effect on our rivers and lakes. While legislation and enforcement can be used against major and persistent polluters, education should be the first approach to addressing this problem. SCRT will work in support of DEFRA's Catchment Sensitive Farming initiative, and the organisations running it in South Cumbria.

Factors such as fertiliser optimisation, soil management, yard water handling and raising awareness of pollution pathways to watercourses are some of the main issues we would like to progress.