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POSITIVE PRINTS INITIATIVE

We believe our children need rivers and our rivers need a new generation of conservationist! Our Conservation Initiative is designed to provide an opportunity for our youth to be involved in caring for the river ecosystems they are privileged to enjoy, which creates a cycle of healing in not only the youth participating but in the rivers we cherish.

During each project outing the children we mentor participate in efforts to restore local fisheries and their ecosystems. Our mentees learn that they can make a difference by leaving ‘positive prints’ whether it be properly fish handling, collecting rubbish or by teaching others about the importance of good stewardship!

the 3 C's of our conservation initiative

Catch and Release, Clean Rivers and Contamination.

Our mentees join in a cycle of healing by taking care of the waters we are privileged to experience and the fish we are honoured to catch and release.

catch and release

Mentees are taught proper fish handling techniques, fish anatomy and are educated on the science and value behind the practice of catch and release.

clean rivers

An overwhelming percentage of our rivers in the UK are too polluted for fishing or swimming. Fish need clean water to survive; therefore we strive to leave the river better than we found it. Teaming up with Fishpond, all mentees are provided with micro trash receptacles to keep our rubbish contained!

contamination

Invasive non-native species are a threat to our freshwater environments and our native fish population. We educate mentees about this expanding threat and develop appropriate gear-hygiene—following the CHECK, CLEAN, DRY code, so that we do not contribute to the problem.

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CONSERVATION MENTORING

Each project has a designated ‘Conservation Mentor’ who implements the conservation piece of The Mayfly Project UK’s programme throughout the project.

The Conservation Mentor is in charge of educating the group on the principles outlined above and in our curriculum workbook—that encourage mentors and participants to use conservation techniques and proper fish-handling techniques.

Our goal of having a conservation mentor is to educate the children on the challenges faced by our natural environments and then teaching them how to care for them and for the fish they get to experience. Not only will the mentees form a deeper connection with the outdoors, but our aim is that they will be more curious about their environment and also begin to understand why it is essential to protect it.

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mentee badges to earn

As part of our Conservation Initiative, project participants will be able to earn achievement badges throughout the programme. We use our mentee curriculum in parallel with the badge initiative as tools to encourage this unique connection to the outdoors.