Fisheries scientists from the University of Southampton and the National Trust staff at Mottisfont celebrate the World Fish Migration Day launching the Barrier Tracker app

Fisheries scientists from the University of Southampton ran a day long interactive stall to promote World Fish Migration Day and the launch of the AMBER Citizen Science portal at the Mottisfont House and Gardens National Trust site, UK on the 21st April 2018.

Two exhibits were set up in the stables cafe with examples of fish passes, beaver skull and pelt, videos of work undertaken by AMBER and ICER and leaflets and information on fish migration and the work that ICER and AMBER have done linked to Fish migration.

One of the huge successes with adults and children alike was the marble run which is a three stage run designed to show the impact of manmade infrastructure and natural factors on migratory fish. The marble run is a great way to illustrate fish passage to different demographics and through the movable parts which represent the different hazards, it is easy for children and adults to soon learn the impact on fish and how we can mitigate this.

Another of the other highlights of the day was the map designed by Dr. Jim Kerry to get the children thinking about barriers in rivers. The map showed the river and the children were tasked with following the river and drawing anything they thought maybe a barrier. Visitors were able to visit river barriers at the site and log them on their newly downloaded barrier tracker app and learn some fun facts about fish migration along the way. The children then brought back there drawings and were rewarded with a certificate signed by Jim and an Easter Egg!

More than 1400 came visited the Mottisfont House and Gardens and over 350 people stopped in the stand to enjoy and have a great time interacting with the staff and our activities. The staff at Mottisfont were also extremely helpful and accommodating and set up a rivers display in the bookshop and the staff in the cafe were letting people know about World Fish Migration Day and why we were on site.

The National Trust staff at Mottisfont were extremely helpful in also notifying each attendee that it was World Fish Migration Day and in setting up displays and exhibits related to the Water and Environment theme in the cafe and in the bookshop.
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