Freshwater  Detective Course - One evening and one half (field) day / Adults. 
 Based on the content of the very successful Freshwater Detective series of lectures and field trips run over many years in University College Dublin, Ireland and the more recent AST Small Streams Characterisation Programme (SSCS), this one day introductory course will give participants an understanding of the role which rivers, streams and loughs play in the functioning of Ireland’s freshwater ecosystems. Participants will gain a basic knowledge of life in a range of aquatic water bodies.
   They will discover how to identify the more common plants and animals, which may act as indicators of the health of the stream. The course will also introduce participants to the threats faced by these water courses, not alone from the more common impacts of land drainage and pollution but also the impacts which invasive fish, invertebrate and plant species can have on the functioning of Wicklow’s rivers streams and loughs.
This introductory course will consist of an evening on-line (18.30 to 21.00 + Q&A) and a half day field session 10.00 to 13.00 or 14.00 to 17.00. The field component of the course will include training on how to carry out a river survey, the collection and identification of key indicator invertebrate and plant species, ensuring connectivity within catchments and the importance of removing barriers to fish migration.
​More Information and Registration @
​​wicklowrivers.ie/aquatic-biology-training-programme/

​St. Mark's SNS Dublin 24 has been selected by the Department
of Education and Skills, Ireland to
lead a Digital Learning Project: 'Integrating Virtual Reality into 21st Century Teaching, Learning and Assessment'.
We are delighted to be the lead school working alongside Sacred Heart SNS, St. Annes NS and St. Thomas's SNS in collaboration with Dublin West Education Centre with Dr. Dáithí Ó Murchú, and the PDST. We are looking forward to utilising VR to go beyond STEm to STREAMS with DWEC.
www.vrdub24.ie/Each school received a VRX1 mobile virtual reality kit which contains VR headsets whereby children can access over 200 VR learning environments. This is a wonderful, innovative and fun way to learn and children from 3rd - 6th class have been having a wonderful time exploring their VR kits thus far, getting to visit the International Space Station, the Amazon and Machu Picchu to name but a few! Keep an eye out on our school website and Twitter page over the coming year to see our VR kits in action and hear all about how the children are getting on! See more about our project on ​https://www.vrdub24.ie/