Japanese brewer brings water wisdom to UK
An outdoor school of forests and water has launched in the UK and is designed to provide participants with interactive, hands-on experiences that highlight the importance of water.
The Water Wisdom Days will be run by Severn Rivers Trust - the only charitable trust to cover the whole of the UK’s longest river - and will highlight the critical link between the River Severn and the nature surrounding it.
The project is part of Japanese multinational brewing and distilling company Suntory’s official Mizuiku programme. Launched 20 years ago, the international scheme aims to help families understand how they can change the way they use, consume and manage water in their everyday lives.
The UK sessions will highlight why the lifecycle of water is so important and encourage participants to reflect and act to preserve and protect our water, rivers and wildlife.
"As part of our mission to empower people to take action for their rivers, we are increasing the number of workshops and adding more locations so that even more families can take part this year."
Many people are unaware of where their water comes from. In Japanese, mizu means water, and iku means education. Suntory launched the Mizuiku programme in 2004, to teach the younger generation where water comes from. The programme also focuses on the importance of water, and the forests that nurture it.
Starting in Japan, the programme has expanded to Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, France, China, Spain and now the UK, with tailored initiatives for each country. To date, 458,700 people across the world have taken part.
Launching at the end of May and running until October, families will be able to book onto free sessions at five different riverside locations: Lydney, Diglis, Warwick, Shrewsbury and Newtown. Activities will take place outdoors to connect them to their natural surroundings but materials will also be provided to families so they can continue their learning at home.
"We are delighted to be continuing our successful partnership and to be part of the official global programme this year," said Joe Pimblett, chief executive of Severn Rivers Trust. "As part of our mission to empower people to take action for their rivers, we are increasing the number of workshops and adding more locations so that even more families can take part this year."
Educational resources will also be free to download here and families can also sign up to the events once registration opens in May.