County Derry school took part in Loughs Agency’s popular Salmon Ambassador Programme

Pupils from County Derry school, Drumahoe Primary School, took part in Loughs Agency’s popular Salmon Ambassador Programme, recently. They celebrated their achievements with a one-day ‘Salmon Ambassadors Conference’ held in the newly opened New Gate Arts Culture Centre.

The aim of the programme, which takes place annually, is to create an informed generation who value the importance of salmon and our shared environment. Each pupil that took part in the programme learned about the Atlantic salmon found in our local waterways and rivers, specifically Lough Foyle, through a mixture of classroom, practical and field learning. Fish were brought directly into the classroom, allowing pupils to study the daily development of the eggs and development of the fish.

The programme culminated in the Salmon Ambassadors Conference, in which participants from all schools came together and were rewarded for their efforts. Both schools were also given the opportunity to showcase exhibitions, developed by the students themselves and drawing from their experiences in the programme, before taking part in ‘Juanita’s Big Problem’, an interactive show highlighting the dangers of plastic pollution.

The conference finished up with games, following a graduation ceremony in which pupils were presented with a certificate to mark their achievement.
Speaking on the Salmon Ambassadors Conference, Loughs Agency Education Officer, Michael Cosgrove, commented: “It has been a pleasure to host the annual Salmon Ambassadors Programme in Derry-Londonderry. This year, we are more impressed than ever with the knowledge that the local children already had regarding our local rivers and everything that goes on in them. On behalf of Loughs Agency, I want to congratulate each pupil that graduated from the programme, and I look forward to them helping us to protect our local rivers as an official Salmon Ambassador.”

As well as the 98 local students, a further 54 school pupils also took part in the Salmon Ambassadors Programme in Carlingford focusing on Carlingford Lough.

To learn more about the work of Loughs Agency, visit www.loughs-agency.org