This time, Ed and the volunteers installed "dead hedges" along the riverbank. These branches, woven between wooden stakes, will provide wildlife habitat while protecting the eroding bank from foot traffic, dogs, and bicycles.

Our Conservation Officer Ed Noyes visited Alcester this week, to join forces with volunteers from River Arrow & Alne Revival 💧 Since last autumn, Ed has been working with this fantastic community group to improve the health of their local rivers.

But what is the story behind this brilliant film? The very talented director, Charley, is a Film Production student at the University of Staffordshire. Much like us, she is also truly fascinated by fish!

Wow - almost 55,000 people have watched Charley Yates' fantastic short film 'There Will Be Fish', starring our very own Jonny Grey 🐟 The film explores how Jonny boosted fish numbers in two Yorkshire becks, and how stone loaches can now access more important habitat via a new rock ramp.

George Seligman, one of our Trustees, has been awarded an MBE for his services to the environment! Before retiring in 2012, George enjoyed a 38-year career as a corporate lawyer with Slaughter and May. He has since devoted his time to farming and supporting many charitable and environmental causes.

A big "thank you" to Jacob for all his hard work - we wish him the very best as he completes his degree!

“I now have a better understanding of how a river’s state affects the flooding of local areas. I also got a sense of how the Trust is returning rivers to more natural courses and conditions, for the benefit of wild trout and other species. It was very enjoyable and informative.”

“During my time with Jonny, I learnt a lot about the importance of rivers, and about how brown trout can be used as indicators of river health,” Jacob told us afterwards. “I developed practical skills like electrofishing and assessing the physical condition of a river using MoRPh surveys.”

Last month, we welcomed another brilliant student for a week of work experience 🪏 Jacob Dixon (BSc Ecology and Conservation at Nottingham Trent University) joined our Research & Conservation Officer, Jonny Grey, for hands-on learning in the Yorkshire Dales.

It's Sportfish Rivers Month! 🐟 Everyone can play a part in protecting our rivers - check out the Sportfish website for lots of handy tips on... 💪 Volunteering with charities 💧 Saving water at home 🌿 Supporting biosecurity 🏆 Winning exciting prizes ...and more! www.sportfish.co.uk/blog/sportfi...

We recently met up with some of our wonderful Trustees, for a planning session in Hungerford. While there, we saw a fascinating habitat enhancement project that has been undertaken by our friends at @riverkennet.bsky.social 💧🐟

This delicate pink wildflower is called ragged-robin 🌸 It loves damp and boggy ground, so it can sometimes be seen growing on riverbanks. Adding fencing to this stretch of Hampshire's Bourne Rivulet has allowed native plants like this to flourish. All sorts of insects will be enjoying its nectar!

Our Conservation Officer Ed Noyes has been collaborating with the Guardians of the River Chelt, a community group that does brilliant work to support their local river. Together, they have been exploring ways to boost the health of this watercourse.

The lovely River Chelt winds through the middle of Cheltenham, offering a peaceful view from many points across the town 💧 As an urban river, it has the potential to provide invaluable habitat for fish, birds, insects, and a whole host of other wildlife.

With all the wet weather we've had recently, it's an ideal time to check on a previous project 💧 Our Conservation Officer Jonny Grey took his drone out, to get this bird's-eye view of the River Skirfare in North Yorkshire 🧵 1/4

Wonderful news: we’re delighted to welcome three new Trustees to our charity's Board. Nick Heasman, Penny Gane, and Nick Sandall bring immense passion and a wealth of valuable experience 🎉

We offer these Advisory Visits across the UK and Ireland. Free for England, and subsidised elsewhere, they provide practical guidance on improving your river for wildlife. If you could benefit from our help, we'd love to hear from you: www.wildtrout.org/content/advi...

Gareth was in the area to visit a landowner who is keen to enhance the wild trout habitat in his river. Heading off the beaten track, he was treated to some spectacular sights, including a loch and a well-timed rainbow.

Our work can take us to some far flung places! These gorgeous scenes were captured by our Conservation Officer Gareth Pedley, on a recent trip to Lochaber in the Scottish Highlands 🐟

Afterwards, some of the group enjoyed an afternoon of peak mayfly fishing on the Piddle (the proceeds from which helped to fund the bench and the event). While the cool and blustery weather presented a challenge, we all had great fun and left with plenty of stories to tell at the pub thereafter.

This month, we joined Richard's family and friends to honour his memory. We celebrated him with the unveiling of a carved limestone bench in Affpuddle, on the banks of the River Piddle. This beautifully wild chalk stream was especially beloved by Richard, who was often called its "guardian".

Back in 2024, we shared the sad news of Richard Slocock's passing. Richard was a pioneer of catch-and-release wild trout fishing, and a tireless champion of chalk streams. He was also one of our charity's founders, a dear friend, and a tremendous supporter of our work for many years.

It’s World Fish Migration Day! 🐟 This celebration of free-flowing rivers is a great time to ponder the impact of barriers like weirs, dams, and culverts – common sights across the UK and Ireland. Brown trout aren’t always thought of as migratory fish, but they roam throughout their lives 🧵 1/4

Visit Hertford this Thursday for a celebration of rivers with: 📢 Environmental writer & campaigner @tonyjuniper.bsky.social 🎨 Wildlife illustrator Clay Thompson 🎵 Award-winning folk artist Craig Joiner There will also be a raffle in aid of our charity! www.hertfordstandrews.co.uk/Groups/46011...

Like many of our rivers, the Chelt has been modified through urban development and historic flood risk management. Today, the town centre section flows through several major culverts and weirs. All of this has degraded and fragmented its habitats.

Urban rivers are often overlooked as potential brown trout habitats, but these tenacious fish can be found in all sorts of places! We were delighted to see this in Cheltenham, during a recent Advisory Visit for the Guardians of the River Chelt.

For the past three years, we've been trialling a new process for returning wild brown trout to the upper part of the River Mel, a beautiful chalk stream in Cambridgeshire 🐟 The trout population had gradually vanished, due to pressures like abstraction, siltation, and habitat loss.

We were shortlisted for our work on the River Ecclesbourne in Derbyshire, with our project partners @derbyswildlife.bsky.social, Nestlé Waters & Premium Beverages, the Chatsworth Estate, and the Environment Agency. This work opened 28km of river by addressing two weirs that obstructed fish movement.

We’re passionate about partnership working, and we collaborate with many organisations and groups to make an even greater difference for nature. So we’re delighted that one of our joint projects was shortlisted for this year's @therrc.bsky.social UK River Prize!

Natural tree fall is an important contributor to river ecosystem health. The presence of this large woody material improves flow diversity and floodplain connectivity, while providing complex habitat for fish, invertebrates, and other wildlife 🧵 3/5