Young canoeists meet the ecologist

Ecologists working on the River Thames Scheme (RTS) recently met with a group of young canoeists from Elmbridge Canoe Club to explore the banks of the River Thames and discover the wealth of wildlife around them.

The group of 12–15-year-old paddlers teamed up with ecologist Jenny Stephenson and scheme sponsor David Bedlington to hear about the wildlife on both the banks of the Thames, and in the water, learning how to spot signs of otters in the area and that bats can roost in the bark of trees by shrinking their skeleton down to the size of your little finger (around 5mm)!

Jenny explained to the children that one of the most important elements of the RTS design work is understanding what wildlife lives around the River Thames so that habitats can be protected. Speaking to the children Jenny said: "Each year we undertake a huge number of surveys, looking at what lives in and around the water. Surveys include studies of otters, badgers, fish and amphibians, as well as non native species such as crayfish and the Chinese mitten crab.

"We use this information to understand the current environment along the route of the scheme and assess what impact construction and operation of the scheme will have."

During the walk, which took place along the river bank near Desborough Island David explained that with climate change the risk of heavy rain in winters leading to flooding, and droughts in summer months will increasingly become more common. An interactive game the children played highlighted the damage flooding can cause when they learnt that during normal flow on the River Thames it would between six and seven minutes to fill an Olympic sized swimming pool, whereas in a time of flooding it can take as little as six seconds.

David and Jenny explained that the RTS will reduce the risk of flooding to thousands of homes, businesses and vital infrastructure; creating new areas of green open spaces with recreational facilities and connections to wildlife and provide sustainable travel connections to link it all together and create an improved resource for communities to enjoy.

The children were encouraged to attend some of the public information events taking place this autumn to learn more about the scheme and the benefits to the local community.