DOZENS of fish have been introduced into a south Bucks river as part of a project to improve habitats in the area.

66 baby brown trout reared in a classroom tank made the short journey from St Paul's School Wooburn to their new home in the natural chalk stream habitats of the nearby River Wye.

The scheme is part of the 'Revive the Wye' project to boost habitats around the river.

The young fish, grown from eggs over the last four months in a specially designed aquarium, had been looked after by the St Paul’s school children, under the supervision of teachers and staff.

Pupils Libby Armstrong and Jack Baker carefully transferred the baby fish from a large plastic bucket into plastic cups and then into the stream.

This new project for the school was initiated by Allen Beechey, the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project Officer, as part of the Chilterns ‘Trout in the Classroom’ programme.

Six schools took part this year, most releasing their fish into the River Chess, but St Paul’s is the first school to breed trout destined for the River Wye.

The specialised equipment and training necessary to carry out the project was funded by the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project and the Open Spaces Committee of Wooburn and Bourne End Parish Council.

An objective of ‘Trout in the Classroom’ is to teach schoolchildren about brown trout, their life-cycle and the special importance of the Chiltern chalk streams in which they live.

The Revive the Wye Steering Group hopes to arrange for other schools close to the River Wye to participate in the Trout in the Classroom programme.

Revive the Wye is a Partnership of environmental charities and other bodies formed in 2007 to improve the habitats of the River Wye and its other waterways

Its goal is to make the River Wye corridor a better place for wildlife to live, as well as for people to visit and enjoy.

To learn more about the Revive the Wye community partnership initiative visit - http://www.revivethewye.org.uk