A group of year 12 students from Ripon Grammar School will be comparing fish and other creatures, such as shrimps and stoneflies, that live in the rivers Laver and Skell on Monday 5 July.

The students will work alongside members of the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust using river sampling techniques to identify river creatures. The sampling will help to monitor the health of these two rivers as they pass through Ripon and will also provide the students with valuable knowledge about river ecology, and about what life might be like as a professional biologist!

Ralph Williams, Head of Biology at Ripon Grammar School said, “With increasing demands upon the riverine environment, Ripon Grammar School has taken a lead in providing our students with a hands on opportunity to catalogue the decline in species richness of this unique habitat. As part of their syllabus students are required to undertake and analyse kick sample data and we are delighted to have the opportunity to work with stakeholders in the local community so that our students can contribute to this worthwhile ecological project."

The day has been organised by Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) and the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust as part of the Ripon Multi Objective Project (MOP), which aims to reduce the risk of flooding in Ripon.