Making Rivers Better

Start Date: 08/09/2022 End Date: 08/09/2022

Making Rivers Better network

Making Rivers Better is a free network for river-loving volunteers and citizen scientists, coordinated by Blackdown Hills National Landscape on behalf of East Devon Catchment Partnership, with significant support from some very committed volunteers.

The first Making Rivers Better event was held at Broadhembury Memorial Hall (near Honiton) on Thursday 8 September 2022, with subsequent get-togethers at Pippins Community Centre in April and November 2023, and at Chardstock Village Hall in December 2024.

Making Rivers Better events provide an opportunity for members of the public interested in or already involved with river citizen science to:

Meet with community groups, technical specialists, local experts and organisations to explore how to work together to benefit our local rivers.
Find out about the work community groups and organisations are doing to support the health of our rivers.
Learn how the results of citizen science surveys inform action on the ground.
Discover how to get involved in river-related volunteer activities.

This graphic was created at the first Making Rivers Better event to capture the essence of the talks and discussions that took place.

Making Rivers Better illustrated summary

Download Making Rivers Better illustrated summary [pdf]

Proposed actions

Following the initial Making Rivers Better event, we pulled together a list of proposed actions.

If you are able to help deliver any of these actions, please download and complete the proposed actions form and email your response to tim.youngs@devon.gov.uk.

We are also interested in hearing from you if you would like to challenge or add to any of the proposed actions.

1. Continue to support citizen science groups

Continue to support citizen science groups with obtaining the kit they need for monitoring and help provide training (budget permitting). What do groups need?

2. Engage South West Water

Engage South West Water at all levels, in water quality related impacts.

3. Liaise with the Environment Agency in relation to citizen science data

Liaise with the Environment Agency (EA) citizen scientist lead and senior staff to further develop the use of citizen science data in EA monitoring and reporting. Potentially use the East Devon Catchment Partnership (EDCP) area as a pilot for this.

4. Form a citizen scientists’ discussion group

Form an East Devon Catchment Partnership citizen scientists’ discussion group that feeds back actions needed. Some possible topics could include:

Working with the Environment Agency and other organisations to help volunteers set objectives for their monitoring: What do they want to achieve? Why are they doing it? What do they expect to do with the data they collect? What do volunteers need from organisations, to help them achieve their aims with the monitoring they undertake?
Workshop-style events to work through specific questions – for example: What does my data mean? When is something bad? – and site-based focus sessions. This could involve bringing in experts. This could also be a place to decide together how to move forward to tackle issues highlighted by citizen science data.
Tackling issues and problems affecting East Devon Catchment Partnership (EDCP) catchments at source and build catchment resilience, rather than ‘sticking plaster’ approaches. What does this look like?
Creating a citizens science toolkit. Building on the Making Rivers Better case study to better explain,
- What citizen science water-quality readings mean
- Biological monitoring including beavers
- Nature-based solutions
- Flood risk and invasive species.

We need to be aware of local variation due to geology, soils, land use, etc.

What already exists?

5. Look to fill gaps in CSI and riverfly monitoring in the EDCP area

6. Explore options for nature recovery

Explore options for nature recovery at all scales including:
River (and stream) restoration projects
Wetland and other habitat creation/restoration
Restore natural processes at reach, holding, catchment and landscape scale, including rewilding approaches and linked networks of habitats
Use all of the above to restore functioning ecosystems.
Are there volunteer opportunities in this?

7. Liaise with Environment Agency and local authority flood risk teams

Liaise with Environment Agency and local authority flood risk teams to incorporate flood monitoring into citizen science activity. How do we link to flood wardens?

8. Support Local Catchment Plan activity

Support Local Catchment Plan activity, piloting innovative and integrated nature-based solution approaches. Which roles suit volunteers and which are better suited to organisations? Where does the risk/liability lie?

9. Engage and involve the farming community

Engage and involve the farming community at all stages, in terms of explaining what citizen science activity is being carried out and why, plus gaining a better understanding their farm businesses. What support tools are needed? Farmer champions? What land-use change is possible/needed (alongside other measures) in order to get the water environment into recovery?

10. Aim to have an annual Making Rivers Better event

Aim to have an annual citizen science Making Rivers Better gathering/ celebration/skill-sharing event in the East Devon Catchment Partnership area (resources permitting). These would be hosted locally and held at different locations on rotation.

11. Match volunteers with volunteer opportunities

Create a match-maker service between keen volunteers and volunteer opportunities. Create a live list which signposts the main contacts.