FlussFloß Forschen

Since September 2025, school children in Graz have the chance to explore the Mur River from different perspectives. They become young researchers, who observe biodiversity, measure water parameters and learn about the complexity of the river system from mountains to ocean. Each semester, five school classes are invited to the Flößerei, to participate in hands-on workshops while taking cruises on the big wooden raft. To compare their findings, they are taken on an excursion to a small tributary of the Mur, where they can see natural meanders and catch a higher diversity of macroinvertebrates.

Science Raft on the Mur

The series of workshops are designed by the River Collective and combines outdoor education with classroom learning. Each workshop follows a theme and combines creative methods to playfully spark interest in rivers and river-related careers. On the wooden raft, activities include measurements of the depth and velocity of the water, microscopocypcan, painting the water color, while in the classroom, the children are taken along a satellite journey through their watershed and prepare little plays of historic events of the Mur. Finally, they get a chance to brainstorm ideas on how the Mur River can improve. The teachers are given materials for indoor workshops and work with the collected data.

This project is a collaboration between the River Collective, the Flößerei, the Pädagogische Hochschule Steiermark, the University of Innsbruck and Magnetberg, financed by a Talente Regional 2024 grant from the FFG (Research Promotion Society, Austria).

Citizen Science

While the children have a chance to step into the shoes of river researchers, the project is simultaneously the kick-off of a citizen science hub. Data are gathered consistently, building a database that will help indicate the health status of the Mur River. In collaboration with the University of Innsbruck, an Aquatroll sensor is installed, measuring basic parameters (oxygen, temperature, pH and chlorophyll), and every month a water sample is sent to the laboratory to get a more detailed picture. Additionally, the Drinkable Rivers Testkit is used to do regular measurements.

Soon you will be able to visit the dataplatform to explore the results yourself!

Join the team

We are currently looking for workshop leaders for the spring semester. Check out the description below (online soon!) and join the Graz team to transfer your river love to five school classes at the Flößerei.

Cooperation grant

Through the FFG funding, we share the opportunity for teachers around Austria to also focus on rivers with their classes. Ten cooperation grants of € 1000,- can be requested to organise river-related activities, think of a home river bioblitz or an excursion, but also purchasing research materials or a flow simulator. It is a chance to go outdoors and learn about our river ecosystems and what they mean.