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Water news with Pop'Science

Since 2023, students on the « Integrated Watershed Sciences » Master's programme have been collaborating with Pop'Science and DECODER magazine to produce popular science articles on current issues relating to freshwater. To this end, they work with secondary school classes in the Lyon metropolitan area: the secondary school pupils proofread the articles, offer advice to the students and help refine the wording. These exchanges benefit both the university students and the secondary school pupils, who have the opportunity to discuss university courses and further education. A short version of the articles is then published on the Pop'Science website and a longer version in DECODER magazine. 

Discover their work on water in all its forms, and the latest research news on this vital subject.

 

Mediation workshops


Students on the "Integrated Watershed Sciences" Master's programme carry out a science project every year in partnership with organisations in this sector, such as the Musée des Confluences, the Ebulliscience association, Pop'Science, etc. 

These projects have resulted in workshops and games that are used throughout the year for educational outreach activities aimed at schoolchildren and the wider public:

  • "Abondante rareté": a workshop to explore the water cycle and the impact humans have on this resource and aquatic ecosystems. Through a series of challenges, we will explore our impact on this resource and the solutions available to preserve freshwater. 
  • Fresco "Vivre au bord du fleuve": In the heart of many cities, the river serves as a means of transport, a resource, a living space and a natural feature. This workshop invites us to explore our imaginations as they relate to rivers and to share them with others.
  • "Lyon et ses rivières": Like many other cities, Lyon was built around rivers. The city’s development has altered the waterways, but how and why? A workshop that takes you on a journey through history by exploring maps.
  • "Rivières en renaissance": Human activity has altered watercourses to such an extent that some have disappeared altogether. But bringing rivers back to life can bring us many benefits. Through a board game, explore the impact of human activity on rivers and the measures taken to restore and renature them. 
  • "La biodiversité et la santé des cours d'eau": This workshop offers an introduction to two tools used by scientists to study the biodiversity of watercourses and the health of rivers: benthic macroinvertebrates and environmental DNA.

Art & Science

Eaux-Vives



"Eaux-Vives" is a film and dance project led by Ellena Henry-Ostermann and Hugo Witczak, two dancers from the CNSMD Lyon and recipients of the City of Lyon’s Jeunes Lyon 2030 grant. Conceived as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration, this project draws on personal accounts, recordings, photographs and choreography.

Set against the backdrop of the Upper Rhône, this project explores how the river reconnects us with the land. It examines human use of fresh water, the landscapes, the states of matter, the minerals and living organisms carried by the water, as well as the dangers and uncertainties. It comprises three parts: a documentary highlighting local stakeholders and their activities through testimonies interspersed with dance sequences, outreach workshops to raise awareness of issues surrounding freshwater, and a dance performance addressing the themes of the documentary.

This project is being carried out in collaboration with Hugo Bourbier for the choreography and Louis Delisle and Jee Young Lee for the musical composition, all of whom are also students at the CNSMD Lyon.. 

Members of the H2O’Lyon community (students, PhD students and researchers) are contributing to this project through scientific input and personal accounts. As part of their creative process, the Eaux-Vives team took part in the annual H2O’Lyon 2026 event and gave a performance.. 

Learn more

Récits des Eaux et des Rives


"Récits des Eaux et des Rives" is a research-creation project led by La bande sonore, with contributions from scientists at INRAE and the University of Lyon 3. Against the backdrop of the climate and ecological crisis, it explores the myriad connections between water, the local area and its inhabitants, focusing on the Diois region. The findings of the research are presented in the form of an illustrated, sound-enhanced and interactive map.

This research-creation project aims to demonstrate – through the sensory dimension – different ways of interacting with water, understanding it, using it and connecting with it, beyond technical, economic and political considerations. It draws on a collection of accounts of knowledge and practices from local residents and stakeholders, often rendered invisible by public policy mechanisms. The action research unfolds through a dialogue between scientists, a documentary filmmaker and artists..

The project is being carried out in collaboration with a sound documentary maker (Caroline Fontana, who is directing and producing the work), an illustrator (Yann Degruel), and the geographers Samuel Pinjon (University of Lyon 3) and Sabine Girard (INRAE). The findings of the research are presented in the form of an illustrated, audio-enhanced and interactive map (35 short audio clips and 24 longer audio stories). The project has benefited from contributions by Emilie Belmont (Water Project Manager at the Diois Community of Communes), Nicolas Guichard (multimedia artist and developer) and Bernard Fort (audio naturalist and composer of acousmatic music).

This project received support from EUR H2O'Lyon through the contribution of Adrien Mollaret (postdoc) . 

Explore the sound map