The aim of this page is to recognise, celebrate and encourage the self-empowerment of UK community agency networks (CANs) and community groups activism to restore and enhance the health of our rivers.
A new flow: pioneering UK river restoration declared a success, positive.news (Oct 21, 2024) - How restoring rivers' natural curves can prevent flooding, BBC Future (Sep 19, 2024)
- As effluent from sewage works and agricultural pollution flow freely into rivers, researchers and local citizens are urgently seeking to clean up the UK's waterways. New wildlife-rich wetlands could be an answer, bbc.co.uk (Jul 05, 2024)
Events[edit | edit source]
Sep 22 - 24, 2023 (Fri-Sun) — Big River Watch, theriverstrust.org
Networks, river groups and support organisations[edit | edit source]
- Friends of the Upper Wye, "Our long-term goal is to restore the ecological health of the river for local communities, for visitors to the region and for all the invertebrates, fish, mammals and birds that also call it home. We will pursue all means to make the Wye a clean river, properly protected, so that it can be enjoyed for generations to come."
- Citizen Science Groups, Wye Catchment Partnership, wyeuskfoundation.org
- Windrush Against Sewage Pollution
- Eden Rivers Trust, environmental charity dedicated to improving and protecting the River Eden, its tributaries and lakes in the Eden Valley, Cumbria making it a better place for people and wildlife.
- Ilkley Clean River Group, campaigning to protect the River Wharfe from pollution
Organisations working with communities
The Rivers Trust (RT) is an environmental charity No. 1107144, and an umbrella organisation for 60 member trusts concerned with rivers in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland. The Trust's headquarters are in Callington, Cornwall. The Rivers Trust along with its members work to protect, promote and enhance freshwater ecosystems for both people and wildlife.
- The Rivers Trust, "The Rivers Trust bring together the people, knowledge, data and intelligence to empower communities to take action and be part of the solution; ensuring rivers thrive."...Our core values at The Rivers Trust, theriverstrust.org.
- State of Our Rivers, theriverstrust.org
Visions[edit | edit source]
- "France has 1,300 bathing lakes and rivers, proving that clean, swimmable rivers is an achievable goal."...positive.news, August 23, 2022
Community Action Projects[edit | edit source]
- River clean ups
- River Keepers, information from bioregion.org.uk (South Devon / Plymouth)
- Citizen Science
Citizen science refers to the involvement, participation and engagement of citizens in local or online (global) scientific work relevant to the citizens' interests, usually as a hobby, often as a passion.
Citizen science can include such activities as:
- Reviewing photographs or data online and spotting patterns, anomalies, things of interest etc.
- Taking field samples in local areas such as water from creeks/rivers, monitoring air quality
- Taking note of and listing species spotted, to help scientists assess decline or increase in species in certain areas; for example, see Big Garden Birdwatch as one example of such an activity
- Going through old scientific records and finding relevant data from the past and/or digitizing data for future use
- Taking measurements, keeping specific records, noting changes, etc. related to the local environment
- Sharing scientific information with other citizens in layperson's terms to spread understanding and engagement
Campaigns[edit | edit source]
- River Action UK, campaigning body committed to addressing the severe problem of river pollution, added 12:40, 18 February 2021 (UTC),
- Nature Based Solutions from riveractionuk.com
- River Action newsroom, riveractionuk.com
- Video: River Action UK on youtube.com
See also[edit | edit source]
- Environment quality UK
- Biodiversity UK
- Climate action UK
- Open spaces UK
- Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle UK
- Rural sustainability UK
- Trees, woodland and forest UK
- Urban sustainability UK
local information can be found, or shared, via our many UK location pages
External links
- River Restoration Centre, "national expert advice centre for best practice river restoration, habitat enhancement and catchment management."
Information from gov.uk
