A Day in the Life of the River:
mark sankey
Mark certainly has a full schedule. Between
him and Johnny (the Assistant River Keeper),
they are responsible for conserving and
protecting, and making sure that flooding
is managed. ‘Here, it isn’t just the river; we
have the river, the meadows, the boys’ fishing
club and the hatchery. We also manage the
navigation for the rowers, keeping the weeds at
bay,’ says Mark. ‘But the most important thing
is that we don’t flood the school, or Winchester.
It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it’s
a huge challenge.’ On top of that, there is a
lot going on with the wider conservation and
education agenda.
On the day we meet, there is a group of
around 20 primary school children learning about
life in and around the river. Mark does a lot of
open engagement with the wider community.
Given the clarity of the water, its rich
mineral content, spawning gravels and emerald-
green water crowfoot, the river is a haven for
wildlife, and thus for outdoor education. As
part of its Outreach Programme the College
has a successful partnership with the Wessex
Chalk Streams Rivers Trust and each year
over 500 local pupils participate in its ‘Primary
Schools Chalk Streams Project’ to learn about
Alopecurus pratensis.
Meadow Foxtail-Grass.
Flora Londinensis Vol. I
by William Curtis
its distinctive ecology and hydrology. ‘Classes
undertake invertebrate sampling on the banks
of the Itchen, enjoy a nature walk through
the College Nature Reserve and participate in
a hydrology exercise,’ says Clare Talks, Win
Coll’s Director of Outreach. ‘They come here
to get in amongst some of the tiny critters that
thrive amongst it,’ adds Mark. Local Scout
groups also have the opportunity to study
nature on the river bank, and Mark has given
a tour of the College Nature Reserve to local
youngsters from the College’s ‘Roots and
Shoots’ Club which runs in Cloister Time.
The peace of the place is incredible. Gin-
clear water, duckweed glinting below sedge
grass, kingfishers darting away. It’s magical.
‘It’s the beauty of it — if it was a commercial
river we would have to strip and cut everything’,
says Mark, ‘but here we have the wild flowers,
the wonderful river banks with the diversity
we enjoy. The boys benefit from the fishery
but the wildlife has a great time too.’
The Wykeham Journal 2019 27