Expeditions
River Tay expedition
In April 2024 the Wild Rivers Project set out to build 3 skin-on-frame canoes to paddle the length of the River Tay, Scotland, stopping off at primary schools to engage children in discussion and activities about rewilding and river health. We engaged the kids in games about topics such as the benefits of reintroducing Lynx and wolves to Scotland and preserving salmon populations. We built the canoes over the course of 3 weeks at Drumduan school with help from the students. The school children were part of the whole process, from steaming the ribs to calculating the exact amount of wood we would need to order. Over the course of the two week expedition, we visited 7 schools and reached 260 school children, on average visiting one school every other day.
Drum Duan Currach Project
In September 2024 the Wild Rivers team was invited back to Drumduan school to lead a three day field trip with the upper school. The trip thread social history within the tapestry of rewilding and restoring landscapes. Over the course of the three days we visited locations of special ecological importance including the ancient Caledonian pine forest, Loch Tay, and Glenfeshie, as well as touring the Crannog centres old Iron age village. Through activities and discussions we opened a portal for the students to experience some of Scotland's pristine nature, explore topics of rewilding, and a chance to spot and identify the local wildlife. Prior to the expedition, we also built two currach's with the students. A currach is a traditional small oval Scottish boat made from woven willow or hazel and traditionally covered in animal skins or hides. The two currach's built by the students were made from locally collected hazel covered with a cotton canvas in replacement to an animal hide. The construction of the currach's provided a hands on experience into the social history and craftmanship of the local area, providing a vector into our activity and lesson topics.
What's next?
We are currently looking to expand our projects and service to reach more children and spread a sense of excitement and environmental stewardship to the next generation. The Wild Rivers Project is looking to build its volunteer network with an intention to create more frequent annual river expeditions similar to that conducted on the River Tay. Additionally, we intend to conduct more ecologically related projects with youth and students, intertwining the concepts of social history, natural crafts, and rewilding. The projects aim is to make these services as inclusive as possible, collaborating with more education services to reach those in underprivileged or disadvantaged backgrounds.