Many people may not be aware but there is a native Water Rat that lives locally in the Macquarie River system and even in the Zoo’s waterways.  The Water Rat is just one of many fish, animals and birds which rely on the river to survive.This year the Zoo’s Education team has started Project Water Rat on the back of the success of Project Platypus, to raise awareness for the species.Students have recently taken part in an outdoor classroom session at Sandy Beach along the Macquarie River, doing habitat assessments, water quality testing, Aboriginal education workshops and fisheries information sessions.They learned about habitat requirements for the Water Rat, threats to the species and river health issues and the importance of protecting our waterways.  Over 600 students have gone through the program over the past three years and at the end of the program they become ambassadors for native Australian animals and their local waterways.