The Salmon School brings to life the interconnectedness of our relationship with rivers. This international project is now live in the Thames catchment and ARK is thrilled to be delivering it for the first time in the Kennet catchment.


The John Rankin Primary School Eco-Committee during the first of three Thames Salmon School workshops with ARK.

The Salmon School is a rich hands on educational programme, blending natural history, geography, art and science to engage and connect students with their local rivers whilst raising awareness and knowledge of the iconic Atlantic salmon. Although salmon are not present in the Kennet catchment, brown trout are and are from the salmonidae family. They share the salmon's need for cold, clean water and healthy habitats, which are also vital for many other species.


Students in the Kennet during the second of three workshops with us. The children were shown how to collect invertebrates and identify them, see which were good water quality indicators before safely returning them to the river.

Atlantic Salmon, used to be found within the Thames catchment, they are a keystone species meaning they are critical to the healthy functioning of ecosystems. These fish undertake an extraordinary lifecycle and cold, clean water is vital to their survival; including when they are in our rivers.  Water quality, salmon farming and barriers to migration are just some of the factors that have contributed to this fish now being classified as Endangered.


Students collecting eDNA from the Kennet.

The project supports students to become citizen scientists. In addition to invertebrate identification to assess for pollution the children learn to take environmental DNA samples. This contributes to an international database and brings to life what lives in the river that the children did not observe.

Students creating art inspired by the freshwater river life they have found and observed that day; using natural paint they have made from soil and river water.

The Salmon School is the brainchild of international environmental artist Joseph Rossano. Thames Salmon School is a partnership project led in the Thames by Thames Rivers Trust and working with The Salmon School, The Missing Salmon Alliance, The Atlantic Salmon Trust and fellow Rivers Trusts -  South East Rivers Trust, Thames 21, River Thame Conservation Trust, Cotswolds Rivers Trust and The Rivers Trust to run the project for 5 primary schools between September 2024 – February 2025.

Thames Salmon School is a pilot project, with the goal to expand the project and invite more schools to participate and join The Salmon School, to create further collaboration, high quality learning and river experiences; whilst making sure this generation of children feel connected to the Atlantic salmon and empowered to let others know its survival is vital.


On the riverbank after a wildlife walk along the Kennet.


The eDNA Reveal.

Excitingly the students were joined online by artist Joseph Roassano and his assistant Alex, for the eDNA reveal session; where everyone discovered which species had been detected in their samples collected from the Kennet. The Eco Committee children gained access to their very own online eDNA map and received an extremely special gift, a glass blown salmon from children in America who have also taken part in this international project.