News

Our minature model of the Tyne catchment has proved a success in showing schoolchildren and community groups how the river system reacts to changes in climate.

Thanks to funding from the Reece Foundation, we’ll be taking the interactive model to groups across the catchment.

Simone Saville, My Tyne project officer who co-designed the model says: “It’s a fantastic resource to bring our catchment to life. It shows the main rivers as well as major landmarks like the Tyne Bridge and the Angel of the North so people can really see how it fits together.”

The model is interactive with water flowing in the rivers and interchangeable parts to show how we can slow the flow of water using better land management practices and natural flood management. The interchangeable sections include leaky dams, straightened vs meandering river, woodland, riparian tree planting and restored peatland, which all help the river to adapt to a changing climate.

Simone continues: “Using the model we can create and compare a ‘climate unfriendly catchment’ with a ‘climate friendly’ catchment, holding water back for longer to prevent flooding downstream. This also creates habitat for people and wildlife to enjoy.

“The feedback has been fantastic from both adults and young people. Everyone who has seen the model in action has gone away with a better understanding of how we can improve our catchment to cope with a changing climate.”