River Wear Needs Your Help!
River Wear Needs Your Help!
Volunteers from all along the length and breadth of the River Wear are needed to help carry out a survey of the river.
Wears River Trust, along with Groundwork North East, Durham Wildlife Trust and Durham University have received pilot funding from the Environment Agency to secure local volunteers to become actively involved in river management. The volunteers will walk along stretches of the river near their homes and provide their findings to build a more complete understanding of the river. They would record the channel characteristics, as well as any issues they think might be affecting the fish and other river wildlife.
Established in November 2008, the Wear Rivers Trust aims to conserve, protect, rehabilitate and improve the landscape and watercourses of the whole River Wear catchment. So far the Trust has been successful in delivering 12 habitat improvement and educational projects. They have completed three fish large pass projects, and are currently working on further fish passes, water quality education and community engagement projects.
Volunteers will take part in a survey and submit their findings and photographs that will then help build up a picture of what is happening on the river and then work together to seek funding to make improvements. The aim is to collect data not only from the main river but also the tributaries leading into it.
Lizzie Willows, Education and Community Engagement Officer, giving further background to this initiative “We cannot rely completely on government agencies; it is vital for local people to be involved and fill the gaps in river records”. Obstructions to fish migration are of particular interest given that Wear Rivers Trust is delivering projects to help all species of fish to access the varied habitats they need at different stages of their life cycles”.
A key volunteer, Ferry Hill District Angling Club Trustee, Jim Wood is keen to encourage other volunteers “As an angler it is important to recognise the importance of keeping the tributaries of our rivers free from potential issues. It’s in the interest of all of us, land owners and local people, to ensure our waterways are monitored and issues reported so our stream and river ecosystems are improved for future generations to enjoy.”
Even those volunteers who are not directly involved with the river, such as Sue Zissler, are keen to reiterate the personal benefits of taking part, “It is an ideal opportunity for my husband and I, who have an interest in the River Wear and its tributaries, to get involved. With the kind permission of the landowners, during our walkover surveys we enjoy the exercise and hopefully contribute to the overall data map, which will determine where funds and resources may need to be concentrated in the future.”
Anyone interested in taking part in this work by surveying a stretch of river then please contact Lizzie Willows of the Wear Rivers Trust on 01388 488867. The pilot project is now complete and volunteers are needed for a further walkover project in the summer.
We are always keen to meet new volunteers and we also offer Riverfly training and the chance to help with electro-fishing in the summer, as well as running other practical volunteer events to help us with our work.
For anyone unable to commit time to actively volunteer perhaps you could support the Wear Rivers Trust objectives and activities through a donation (see website: http://www.wear-rivers-trust.org.uk/content/support). A financially efficient way of donating is through Local Giving (http://localgiving.com/charity/wear-rivers-trust) where registered monthly donations of up to £10 will be matched for free, doubling the funds we receive for 12 months.
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Media Contact – Barbara Huddart
T: 01668 283044
