Have you been down to your local river recently?
Perhaps you like to take a walk by the Wye or cycle along the Severn. Maybe you’re spending your summer boating on the Broads or angling on the Aire.
Rivers are all around us and it’s easy to take them for granted, but a new campaign is aiming to highlight the worrying decline of our waterways and the flora and fauna that rely on them.
You may have heard this week about Our Rivers, a campaign which the RSPB has launched along with the WWF, the Anglers Trust and the Association of Rivers Trusts. The idea is that you the public – yes, that’s you – can use your voice to speak up for your local river and its wildlife.
The Environment Agency is putting together its blueprint for the way it will care for the waterways of England and Wales in the future. Getting your voice heard about the issues facing your local river may seem like a daunting challenge – but that’s where Our Rivers comes in.
If you take a look at the website – www.ourrivers.org.uk - you’ll see an interactive map of the country’s rivers with lots of coloured pins in it. Clicking onto each pin will tell you the problems facing that river – from agricultural pollution on the Conwy to sediment deposits on the Itchen. And there’s a nice big space for you to get in touch and tell the Environment Agency the story from the banks of your local river.