A few weeks back our volunteer team held a session clearing brambles and nettles from the bank at the bridge in Cornmill Gardens. Not only will this allow a wider variety of plants to grow in that space but also means that you can see more of the river from the path to the bridge.
A task that will carry over to November is de-silting and restoring the viewpoint to the backwater in Ladywell Fields (middle field- nr Malyons Road). After 2 hours of digging and clearing vegetation you can now see water once again in the backwater. The volunteer team will return again next week where the channel will be completely opened up and water will flow once again!
Last month, the Rivers & People volunteers took part in The Thames and Tributaries ‘Plasticblitz’ week. This week of events was organised by Thames21, the Environment Agency and Rotary in the Valley (through their international End Plastic Soup campaign) to collate details on the amount and differing types of plastic pollution groups find across The Thames and it’s tributaries.
The Rivers & People group held a session at Brookmill Park where we cleared 6 bags of rubbish from the Ravensbourne River and it’s banks. A wide variety of litter was collected from plastic bottles to curtains. Our team collected 6 full bags of rubbish over a few hours and covered a stretch of river over 250 metres.
After a great first month of Rivers & People being back, the volunteer session programme has now been released. Check out the programme HERE. If you would like to get involved in volunteering on Lewisham’s rivers please read through the the River Volunteering web page, and if you have any questions or queries please get in touch with Emily.
Hello everyone! This is just a short blog post introducing myself as the new nature conservation officer for Glendale Lewisham. With my appointment I can also share the good news that we will be restarting the Tuesday Rivers & People sessions from Tuesday 20th September at Brookmill Park. Booking for this session is essential- especially as we will need to bring you waders that fit!
Over the next few weeks I will be updating the webpages on this website, including adding the programme of sessions for the next quarter, and an updated volunteer form. If you have not volunteered with Rivers & People before and would like to join in the coming weeks, please do not hesitate to email me at Emily.Millhouse@glendale-services.co.uk and I will email you a volunteer form.
The Rivers Trust Conference: Springing into Action 15th – 16th March 2022
Our Conference agenda is now ready to view!
We’ll be looking at the biggest topics in the water sector right now, examining key pollution and river management issues. River recreation is also on the agenda, with vibrant panel discussions on rights and access. We’re even bringing some culture to proceedings with poetic recordings kindly provided by Poets for the Planet – so there really is something for everyone.
Registration is Free so please share widely with your networks – we look forward to your participation and questions! Follow the links below to view the agenda in full, and to register via Eventbrite.
It is five years since we ran our first Outfall Safari along the Ravensbourne river catchment and it’s time to run another health check on our rivers. This is an opportunity for volunteers from Keston to Deptford, from Eltham to Sydenham, to join us and help identify pollution hotspots and raise public awareness around drainage misconnections that can harm our rivers.
The waterways of the Ravensbourne, Quaggy and Pool join the Thames at Deptford and, like all London’s rivers, they can be polluted by chemicals found in detergents, building material, paint etc and by sewage due to misconnected plumbing. Pipes that lead into surface water drains, rather than into sewers, bring these pollutants into our rivers and impact the species that live in them.
While Thames Water and the Environment Agency monitor the river catchment and respond to pollution incidents, it is very hard to create a detailed map of all the troublesome outfalls that have, so far, remained under the radar. An Outfall Safari is the answer.
Designed to be undertaken by local volunteers, an Outfall Safari requires no expertise beyond simple data collection, which is covered by our bespoke training in March, and keenness to take walks alongside our rivers.
This is a short-term commitment: it will be run over a period of around one month (April 2022) and relies on lots of small teams of volunteers each doing as much or as little as they want. One team member will record the observations of the group using a simple mobile App, and the uploaded data collected by all the teams will create a detailed picture of the current state of the catchment.
Outfall Safari training will be on Wednesday, March 30th from 10.30am to 12.30pm at the Althletics Hub meeting room in Sutcliffe Park Sports Centre, London SE7 5LW. Our trainer is Phoebe Shaw Stewart of the Zoological Society of London. Poster attached – training is of course free.
An Outfall Safari gathers valuable information. Data from the App is mapped and passed on the Environment Agency and Thames Water. And any severe pollution revealed can be investigated immediately by these agencies. It is a proven method of checking on London’s rivers, already tested on the rivers Crane, Wandle, Hogsmill, Dollis Brook and many more. It relies fully on Citizen Scientists! Which could be you. Please contact us you’d like to take part.
Local councillors have voted to endorse the plan, the ‘Natural Renaissance’ for Lewisham, which will aim to do the following….
Supporting the installation of more green roofs in Lewisham, which are roofs where vegetation has been planted to boost biodiversity.
Working with landlords and other landowners to help them transform urban areas to provide habitats for local wildlife.
Reconnecting people with rivers and highlighting how safe access to rivers and an improved river corridor can provide a range of health, safety and environmental benefits.
Delivering at least 60 nature conservation volunteer sessions and 30 guided walks per year
Delivering 500 educational events for 8,000 local children every year.
Working with community art groups to enhance urban locations, such as tunnels, with biodiversity inspired art murals.
Providing practical advice to local residents on how they can enhance their private gardens and local areas to boost biodiversity.
The CPRE London photo competition returns for 2021, with cash prizes and tickets to top London attractions on offer to the photographer who best captures this year’s theme of ‘Picture Blue London’.
We are launching our annual photography competition in celebration of London Rivers Week which ran from 23-31 October 2021. CPRE London is delighted to be working with Thames21, the Environment Agency, ZSL London Zoo, the London Aquarium and others to celebrate London’s rivers and waterways.
Capture London’s waterscapes
Judges will be looking for uplifting images that capture the beauty and variety of the London’s waterscapes – whether that be landscape, wildlife, rivers, canals, a piece of history, places that heal or replenish or people enjoying London’s wet outdoor spaces. We challenge you to grab your camera or phone, explore the watery side of the capital and capture London’s countryside at its very best. We want to see it all!
This year we welcome your interpretation of three categories that represent the city’s key environmental challenges and opportunities: climate change, access to nature, and health and wellbeing. All entries should fall within one category and a winner will be chosen from each.
The photographs will be judged by an impressive line-up of key figures in London’s photography and environmental community including Shirley Rodrigues (Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Greater London Authority), Dave Webb (Environment Agency) and Peter Coles (professional photographer and urban ecologist).
All our winners and finalists will be showcased on our website, featured in the next edition of our Green London newsletter and on our social media channels.
Enter the competition
Competition entry is free, and entrants can enter up to three photographs, one in each category – climate change, access to nature, and health and wellbeing.
The winning entries will receive a cash prize of £100, free membership to CPRE London for a year and tickets to the London Aquarium, plus a cuddly toy! One overall winner will also receive a free family ticket to ZSL London Zoo.
London Rivers Week is a partnership campaign run through London Rivers Restoration Group, a sub-group of the Catchment Partnerships in London. It is sponsored by Thames Water.
Rivers and People 