Welcome to the sixth week of our online education resources, we hope that you are continuing to enjoy learning all about rivers and the wildlife around them. This week follows on from last week, with the topic being all about how rivers help us to tackle the climate crisis. Did you know that rivers and freshwater habitats are the silent heroes in our battle against climate change? Your Wildlife Fact file this week is all about the damselfly.

We have introduced these online learning opportunities in response to Covid-19, which has prevented us from going into schools in the Ribble Catchment as we normally would. This is our way of bringing our educational topics to you at home so you can continue to learn all about rivers and wildlife. Each week we will be providing a new main topic, a Wildlife Fact file and a quiz.

The Prezi below tells you all about how rivers and freshwater habitats can help us in our battle against climate change, as well as what Ribble Rivers Trust is doing to help them.

 

This week’s Wildlife Fact file covers the damselfly, read all about it below or click on the image to open as a pdf.

QUIZ

1. What is amazing about peatlands?
   1. They make good footpaths
   2. They take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere
   3. They are a good source of compost
   4. They burn well

2. What is the most common species of damselfly in the UK?
   1. Common blue damselfly
   2. Common green damselfly
   3. Regular blue damselfly
   4. Common purple damselfly

3. What can be used to slow the rate of water flowing downriver, so reduce flood risk?
   1. Adding weirs
   2. Building fish passes
   3. Meanders in the river
   4. Building concrete walls in the river

4. When can common blue damselflies be seen in the UK?
   1. All year round
   2. January – March
   3. October – December
   4. April – September

5. Why are trees and amazing addition to river habitats?
   1. They stabilise the bank and help stop erosion by the river
   2. They provide habitats to wildlife that live in river habitats
   3. They slow down the speed water runs off land into the river
   4. All of the above

6. Damselflies have smaller eyes than dragonflies
   1. True
   2. False

7. What ecosystem services to wetlands provide?
   1. They control flooding by holding floodwater
   2. They filter out pollutants in the water
   3. They help to stop and slow the effects of climate change
   4. All of the above

8. When at rest, damselflies hold their wings perpendicular to their body
   1. True
   2. False

9. What is Ribble Rivers Trust doing to improve river habitats and help tackle climate change?
   1. Restoring peat
   2. Planting trees
   3. Educating people
   4. All of the above

10. Dragonflies are longer and more slender than damselflies
    1. True
    2. False

Click here to see the answers