200 Farmers Newly Trained For Working With Waters of LIFE
Over 200 farmers have been welcomed to the Waters of LIFE Agri-Environmental Programme pilot with introductory training across five sub-catchments.
Eight training events were held in June 2026 to help farmers learn about opportunities to restore and protect water quality with Waters of LIFE. The key learning outcomes for the training were:
- Introduction to water quality, river health and the importance of high status water bodies.
- Overview of results based payments for habitat quality and funded actions available.
- Farmers and project staff getting to know each other and how they can work together in a three-year cycle.
“Farmers sign-up with good intentions, but there are a lot of water quality initiatives out there now and people aren’t always 100% sure what they’re signing up for,” said Waters of LIFE Stakeholder Manager Ross O’Donoghue.
“So it’s massively important to meet farmers where they are at as soon as the contract is signed. The training offers a simple overview of how to work with the programme. We also get to make it clear that the farmer is in full control of their involvement and the management of their land throughout.”
The training format is highly interactive. Presentations are limited to 20 minutes followed by group discussions and exercises facilitated in small groups by Waters of LIFE staff.
“It can be a challenging format for everyone involved,” admits O’Donoghue, “but we can’t learn together if we’re not a bit outside our comfort zone. Our time is limited so we have to make the most of it.”
“We ask participants about previous experience as part of the process, so we know farmers have limited opportunities to talk stream health. What’s most valuable is to be able to sit down and have honest conversations about where we’re at.”
Introductory training is focused on the farmers’ practical involvement in the programme. There are four modules to cover in a three-hour block that includes breaks and plenty of tea and sandwiches.
Module 01: Introduction to High Status Rivers and the Waters of LIFE Programme
Presentation: The basics of water quality, river health and the aims and actions of Waters of LIFE
Exercise: Table discussion based on three questions:
- How have you seen rivers and the land around them change in your life time?
- How would you like your local rivers to be left for future generations?
- How do we work towards that vision and what are the challenges?
Module 02: Habitats and Habitat Assessment
Presentations: Examples of riverside habitats and an overview of the types of habitat scorecards used by the project.
Exercises: Farmers work together at the table to score a relevant habitat plot using a printed scorecard. The table discusses ecological features, hydrological features and threats and pressures before agreeing management recommendations.
Module 03: General Actions
Presentation: Looks at the various general actions available in each sub-catchment with a focus on ‘win-win’ scenarios for water quality and the farmer.
Exercise: The table discussion asks farmers to share their own experiences with nutrient management and discuss opportunities and challenges around greater uptake.
Module 04: Supporting Actions
Presentation The Source-Pathway-Receptor model from the perspective of the ‘right action in the right place.’
Exercise: Farmers work together at the table to apply supporting actions on a model farm to address source control, breaking pathways and improving nature quality. Each action is discussed in terms of environmental benefits and available funding. The model farm is an illustration used with kind permission by the West Rivers Trust.
Following introductory training, newly inducted participants will join up with existing participants for more field-based training opportunities. Examples to date have included:
- Run-Off Risk Assessment (Classroom and Field training)
- Woodland Creation (Field training)
- Introduction to Nutrient Training (Classroom)
The project are currently developing a field-training programme to highlight the importance of in-stream and riverside habitats. Farmers are paid €156 for active participation in training.