Eden Rivers Magazine - produced by Title Media www.titlemedia.co.uk

Inside

THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY MAGAZINE...

3 Letter from the CEO

Elizabeth Radford, CEO of Eden Rivers Trust, has an important message for everyone who loves this special region.

4 Welcome

An introduction to the trust.

5 Behind the Scenes

Meet Jenny Garbe, the Natural Flood management project manager.

6 Back to Nature

The trust’s many and varied projects and the experts who make them happen.

13 Eden Benchmarks

Special seats with special meaning in the Eden.

14 Access All Areas

Debbie North talks about the importance of making the wonderful attractions of the Eden Catchment available to everyone.

16 Friends of Eden

Meet the Catchment’s amazing wildlife on the ground, in the water and in the air.

21 Training Our Future Conservationists

Meet the apprentices who will make a difference.

22 Past, Present and Future

A history of how Eden Rivers Trust started, where it is today and exciting plans for the years ahead.

26 Poetry Path

A unique walk for literary lovers.

27 Hidden Heroes

The volunteers, local residents and local schools that are the backbone of the trust.

30 Behind the Scenes

Our Learning Coordinator talks about why there’s no such thing as a typical day at work.

31 Tales of the Valley Creative children tell their stories.

32 Banks for the Memories

The many wonderful activities you can enjoy in the Eden Catchment, from the active to the sedate!

38 Caldew Glass

Stunning glass art that pays homage to the rivers.

39 Inspiring the Next Generation of River Defenders

The motivated young people who demonstrate that the future is looking bright for river and land conservation.

42 After the Flood

How communities healed through art and craft.

43 How You Can Help

Great ways to get involved, whether you’re enjoying nature, at home or getting online.

With special thanks to ERT staff 1997–2021

Alasdair Brock

Janet Arnison

Anne Griffiths

Rob Coleman

Alistair Maltby

Simon Henderson

Lucy Butler (nee Dugdale)

Sara Townsend-Cartwright

Ruth Dalton

Judith Brown (nee Dickson)

Will Cleasby

Vicky Knowles

Kate Turner

Becky Helm

Ian Gregg

Giles Rickard

Jodie Ferguson

Rachel Purdon

Jenny Holden

Lizzie Fenton

Maggie Robinson

Joanne Backshall

Karen Parr

Kim Byers

Jennie Pollard

Rebbecca Chaffer

Simon Johnson

Alison Strong (nee Reed)

Tom Dawson

Gareth Pedley

Chris West

Paul Greaves

Joanne Spencer

Susie Grainger

Jane Davies

Anthony Bailey

Kirsty Jacques

Joe Foster

Andy Bates

Toby Hadley

Dave Greaves

Daniel Brazier

Sam Mason

Ged Acton

Rory Cummings

Danielle Calderbank

James Feddon

Catherine McIIwraith

Matthew Jenkinson

Alice Robinson

Tania Crockett

Nathan Addis

Oliver Burbury

Courteney Johnstone

James Palmer

Danny Teasdale

Elizabeth Radford

Chris Braithwaite

Caroline Robinson

Claire Chapman

Lev Dahl

Andy Dyer

Jenny Garbe

Sarah Kidd

Julie Lawrence

Jenni Payne

Hilary Clarke

Megan Cox

Michael Rogers

FROM EDEN RIVERS TRUST

Chief Executive Officer: Elizabeth Radford

Marketing and Communications Manager: Sam Mason

EDITORIAL: TITLE MEDIA

Managing Director: Sam Harrington-Lowe

Editor: Georgia Lewis

Staff Writer: Carly Pepperell

Proofreader: Vivienne Button

Interns: Bella Currie, Genevieve Ng

DESIGN: REAM CREATIVE

Managing Director: Martin Ashby

Art Director: Lyssandra Rutherford

Printed by Gemini Print Group

All material is strictly copyright and rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without permission of Eden Rivers Trust. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Eden Rivers Trust or Title Media.

Tel: 01768 866788

www.edenriverstrust.org.uk

EDEN RIVERS TRUST Rethinking rivers for good I

have only been with Eden Rivers Trust (ERT) for four years but I’m proud to have been one of the team who, over the past 25, have built such a strong track record of enhancing and protecting Eden’s rivers. It’s clear that hundreds of Eden’s farmers are grateful for our advice and delighted with the fences/hedges/rewiggled rivers/ponds that ERT has made possible. Thousands can recall that school day with us when they first discovered incredible mini beasts in Eden’s rivers. The numerous partners, government agencies and organisations we’ve worked with over the years continue to value ERT’s ability to negotiate, coordinate and ‘get things done for the river’ and, most importantly, Eden’s rivers and wildlife are in a much better shape than they would have been without the existence of ERT.

I see three key elements leading to success: people, partnership, and the way we work. Without the passion, leadership and drive of early trustees and staff members, the Trust would not have made it through the first five years. North West Water (now United Utilities) and the EC Graham Charitable Settlement and Olgesby Charitable Trust saw ERT’s potential early on, and have supported

us for many years. Likewise, the Environment Agency, Natural England, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund brought the trust into larger partnerships and enabled us to take on more complex projects. They helped us mature and grow into a capable independent charity – one that now leads the 20-organisation -strong Eden Catchment Partnership and is committed to working with natural processes at a landscape scale for the benefit of the river.

The way we work is, I believe, what truly sets us apart: we are inbetweeners and we are interdisciplinary. The team brings a huge range of skills to bear on each project, from farm business and soil structure to fish biology and communication. We often work with those with opposing views, looking to balance the perspectives and needs of all who have a stake in our landscape, while always seeking the best possible outcome for the rivers, the people and the wildlife of Eden.

Locally we have been successful in changing the conversation about how we should be securing clean water, protecting communities from flooding, increasing biodiversity and storing carbon, but there are plenty of Eden’s communities we

need to work harder to involve and engage in these conversations. We must involve more people from diverse backgrounds, with different experiences and perspectives on rivers and water management, if we are to see widespread positive change on the ground across Eden.

Increasing our reach and diversifying our voice is our challenge for the next 25 years, and we hope you will help us. Do give a copy of this magazine to those who don’t know us and, to all the firsttimers reading this, I say hello and welcome – we’re Eden Rivers Trust and we’re rethinking rivers for good.

Please join in.

Elizabeth Radford Chief Executive Officer

Welcome to our special anniversary magazine celebrating 25 years of Eden Rivers Trust (ERT). It has been a treat to trawl our archives and look back at what the trust has achieved over that time. No trip down memory lane would be complete without another look at some of our favourite projects, including the never-knowingly camera-shy Eden Apprentices.

There’s a sneak peek behind the scenes at ERT with our staff and the hidden heroes who are passionate about making Eden’s rivers better places. In Back to Nature (page 6) we explain the ERT approach to conservation work.

We love the Eden – it’s our home as well as the place where we work, so this magazine is also

a celebration of what inspires us too; the river (naturally), but also the landscape, wildlife, and people who share our values and who are doing great things in this corner of Cumbria.

We hope that you enjoy reading this magazine and that it inspires you to discover more of Eden’s rivers, places and wildlife, and to support us as we enter our second 25 years.

Sam Mason

Eden Rivers Trust Marketing and Communications Manager

The River is Finally Tamed WELCOME

Ley, Lyge, Leye, Lyzan, Lee.

My name changes from scribe to scribe.

Men try to capture me by words. I am a shape-shifter.

Before the Romans came I watered this land in season flooded thirsty meadows to make silt-rich grasses grow green.

Long forgotten are the water-gods. The sword sacrifices, rusted darts lie deep, dark-hidden from human eye.

Introducing the Eden Catchment

The catchment covers a massive 2,400 km2.

The River Eden:

• Rises 670m above sea level at its source near Mallerstang Common,

• Is around 80 miles long, and

• Unusually for English rivers, flows from south to north, reaching the sea at the Solway Firth.

Aptly named, the Eden Catchment features stunning landscapes and is a haven for rare wildlife:

• The River Eden and its tributaries is a large and significant Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its populations of white-clawed crayfish, Atlantic salmon, lamprey, bullhead, and otter.

• Two National Parks and two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty can be found within the boundaries, and

• Two Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and 16 Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), sites of European importance for birds, habitats and other species.

Did you know?

Water from Haweswater reservoir supplies homes from Penrith southwards... as well as much of Greater Manchester!

For their puny trade men cut through my banks. I am trammelled by stone, funnelled in new courses not of my own choosing.

My waters are shackled in locks and navigations, my flood confined and made safe for a two-day playground.

The river is finally tamed. Do not believe it.

Taken from the poetry anthology Not Past, but Through, published by Grey Hen Press. Diane Jackman was brought up on a Midlands farm, beside a river flooding the cellar in bad years, so has always felt close to water and the animals and plants which call it home.

Grey Hen Press showcases the work of older women poets by publishing themed anthologies, several of which have been concerned with some aspect of the natural world.

Buy Not Past, But Through for £5 from www.greyhenpress.com/books and ERT will receive a donation of 50p from every sale.

BEHIND THE SCENES with Jenny Garbe

Q: Tell us about your role at the Eden Rivers Trust.

A: I am the Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project Manager. This involves delivering and overseeing the trust’s NFM programme of work. At the moment, my main areas of work are the Fellfoot Forward project with the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) partnership, the Water Environment Grant in the Trout Beck catchment and some NFM appraisal work at Greystoke with Cumbria County Council.

Q: What does a typical day at work involve?

A: Like many people working in the conservation sector, there isn’t really such a thing as a typical day. On average, I’ll be out in the field two or three days a week, with the rest being office-based.

Fieldwork can range widely from checking on projects, meeting new landowners, doing walkovers to identify conservation opportunities, or helping with volunteering events or fish and crayfish rescues.

Back in the office, I’m busy with desk-based scoping using geographic information systems, project management tasks such as budget tracking, bid writing and submitting claims, meetings with stakeholders, project partners and contractors, as well as internal project planning meetings.

Q: Why is conservation important to you?

A: There are so many pressures on our natural environment, from climate change to plastic pollution. Working in conservation feels like I am doing my bit to help by both implementing projects and spreading the word about the importance of conservation and our natural environment. I first became interested in NFM when learning about

>> Jenny tells us about her ever-changing role in natural flood management and recommends her favourite spots to enjoy nature in the Eden area

sustainable flood management at university. Every NFM measure implemented is helping reduce the downstream flood risk for communities, but also providing many other benefits like improving biodiversity, water quality and connecting wildlife habitats; it’s a win-win situation.

Q: What is the best part about working for the trust and why?

A: The team at the trust is definitely the best part of working here. Everyone has their individual roles, but we work so well together and all help each other when needed. I think this strong team effort makes the project work so great as everyone’s skills can be used to achieve such good outcomes for our rivers.

Q: What is the most challenging part of your role and why?

A: With NFM being a relatively new concept, bringing people on board with what we are trying to achieve can be quite tricky. But I am increasingly finding people are more interested and the people who 10 years ago wouldn’t have been interested in trees or hedges are now coming to us for advice. So while it can be a challenge, it feels like the conversation is changing.

Q: What are you looking forward to in the future?

A: I think the horizon for conservation work in the UK is changing for the better and is therefore very exciting. More and more people are getting involved. I think the Covid lockdowns have given people a greater interest in the outdoor world and a wider understanding of the need to protect it. At the same time, the new

government schemes coming into place have a huge potential for landscape-wide environmental improvements, and with numerous species reintroductions on the cards, thanks to the increased interest in rewilding projects, it is certainly a very exciting time of change.

Q: What would you recommend to a firsttime visitor to the Eden Rivers region?

A: I have lived in the area for almost three years now and couldn’t pick just one place to recommend to people to visit! My personal favourite area is the Fellside of the North Pennines AONB – the landscape is so beautiful with amazing views out towards the Lake District. I am big into road cycling and the mixture of quiet roads, stunning views and challenging hills is the perfect combination. The area has lots to offer. Lacy’s Caves are such a hidden gem and you can’t beat a brisk walk in the Pennines followed by a country pub lunch.

BACK TO NATURE

ERT IN NUMBERS

675 conservation projects completed

248 km of fencing installed (1997 – 2021)

133,158 trees planted (1997 – 2021)

More than 77 km of river improved (1997 – 2009 / 2018 – 2021)

37 woodlands coppiced (1997 – 2018)

15 km of water pipe laid (1997 – 2018)

10 fish passes installed (1997 – 2009)

EDEN’S LANDSCAPE: SHAPED BY NATURE… AND PEOPLE

From the warm, tropical seas and deserts that covered the region between 250 and 360 million years ago to the relatively more recent glaciers that cut a swathe through the land creating the rugged fells and deep valleys that can be seen today, these things have provided the geology, fertile soils, and landscape that make Eden special.

Since people first settled in Eden, they have changed the course of rivers to build towns and power factories, or for farming use. Barriers have been built across the river to power mills and other industry… or just for aesthetic reasons. Floodplains have been disconnected from their rivers by deepening and straightening channels; without access to this natural safety valve, water hurtles downstream during heavy rainfall, leading to flooding that devastates low-lying communities.

Rivers are dynamic; to function naturally they need space to move across the landscape. Rivers will always work to find their natural course and break free of the constraints placed upon them.

WORKING WITH NATURE; NOT AGAINST IT

Eden Rivers Trust (ERT) works to reinstate natural processes that will solve river and water management problems at a catchment scale, mimicking processes that are found in natural ecosystems. Where this isn’t possible, we try ‘soft-engineered’ solutions that use natural materials, such as leaky dams; although sometimes ‘hardengineered’ solutions, such as concrete flood defences, can be the only option in a heavily modified landscape.

However, having naturally functioning rivers is only one piece of a complex jigsaw that makes up a healthy ecosystem.

Our approach to conservation encompasses a broad range of techniques, such as river restoration, habitat creation, protection of native species, increasing storage of carbon, wetland regeneration, natural flood management measures, waterfriendly farming, increasing people’s understanding of healthy rivers through sharing knowledge and by hands-on learning and improving access to Eden’s blue and green spaces.

We have a strong track record of taking a holistic, catchment-wide approach to managing rivers. This means considering processes on land as well as in the water and how the two interact, as well as recognising the role natural ecosystems have in providing services for people and regulating our environment. We devise and implement projects that mix and match the most appropriate methods and measures to improve the local situation and contribute positively

>> When it comes to improving and protecting Eden’s rivers and the landscape, the trust’s philosophy has always been that it’s better to work with nature, but how does this work in practice?

Discover the secrets behind Eden Rivers Trust’s conservation work

to catchment-wide environmental and societal challenges.

ERT’S HEALTHY RIVERS (AND SOILS!) TOOLKIT

Over the years, the trust has developed a tried-and-tested toolkit of methods we can use to enhance and protect rivers, the ecosystem and communities around them, and we continue to trial new ones to meet the climate challenges of the future. Here are just a few:

Putting the wriggle back in rivers

Since the early 2010s, we have worked with landowners and farmers to give rivers space to move by taking historically straightened rivers and putting the meanders back in (re-wriggling). This lengthens the river so it can hold more water, and the meanders slow the flow of water, taking some of the erosive energy out during high water flow.

A river with meanders also provides the natural river features such as pools, riffles and gravel beds that are essential in sustaining a wide variety of wildlife. It is also connected with its floodplain.

At our 2014 river restoration project at Barnskew on the River Lyvennet, LiDAR imaging was used to uncover the original paleo-channel of the river. The straightened channel was then filled in and a new meandering river channel cut where the paleo-channel used to be, which gives the river plenty of space to move in years to come. The project included the creation of a permissive trail and we worked with Crosby Ravensworth Primary School throughout the project on crayfish rescues, classroom learning, and the creation of a family ‘Tale Trail’ called Elma and the Giant.

In recent years, this approach to river

Natural ways to manage water more effectively and reduce flood risk

Flooding is a natural process that can be beneficial; it deposits nutrients and sediments on the soil, enriching the soil. It replenishes groundwater sources, which are essential for our drinking water. However, the human cost of flooding in Eden’s communities has been clear to see – for example in the winter of 2015/16.

restoration has been simplified and ‘naturalised’ using a technique known as stage zero restoration. We used this at Bessy Gill on the Lowther Estate. Instead

of cutting a new meandering river channel, a section of the old river channel was filled in and the water left to find its own path across the valley floor, creating a series of braided channels and a wetter, wilder wetland area. Where the space is available, and there are no threats to infrastructure or business, this is a very cost-effective river restoration technique with multiple benefits for wildlife and people.

Natural flood management (NFM) is an umbrella term that describes a host of interventions, made using natural materials, that can be introduced across the landscape to slow, store, or filter water to reduce the risk of flooding in downstream communities at risk. An added benefit is that many of these interventions will improve habitat and/or improve water quality.

REDUCING RISK > Cairn Beck NFM project, supported by The Environment Agency, February 2021

STORY TIME > Crosby Ravensworth Primary School Nursery at the launch of the Elma and the Giant Tale Trail on the River Lyvennet

WRIGGLE IT > LiDAR image showing the River Lyvennet in dark blue before the restoration took place, plus the relic ‘wriggling’ channels that the river took many years ago before human intervention to straighten it © Environment Agency

CHANNEL CHANGE > Map from ERT presentation in 2014 showing the old and new meandering channels and the permissive footpath

TEAM WORK > Bessy Gill stage zero restoration, Cumbria River Restoration Strategy partnership project with the Environment Agency, February 2021

ERT was an early adopter of NFM. For some years now, we have worked with academics and students at the University of Lancaster and Durham University to trial a variety of NFM features. Our approach is to determine which measures are appropriate for different locations and water management problems, and to ensure these measures will have the most impact on communities at risk of flooding. To date, we have been working on smaller-scale projects, but we recognise that to make a significant difference to flooding, a lot more NFM interventions are needed across the landscape of the catchment.

Bridge, a downstream community at risk of flooding.

Our recent Cairn Beck improvement project combined the best techniques in our toolkit in one place to help reduce the risk of flooding to Warwick

FOCUS ON HEDGEROWS

The humble hedgerow is one of the hardest working natural pieces of equipment we have in the toolkit.

Planted across a slope it helps to slow down torrents of water racing down the hillside. As it grows it helps in the fight against climate change by storing carbon and catching rainfall before it hits the ground. Many a soggy sheep has sought shelter against it in the harsh Cumbrian winter. For wildlife it provides a home and a connected corridor, allowing an array of species to move around without encountering predators. Hedgerows also harbour insects that devour crop-eating pests.

ERT has been trialling kested hedges at Croglin and Cairn Beck as an NFM measure. These are traditional hedges that are planted on a mound of earth to help slow the flow of water down hillsides during heavy rainfall – in this case, from a stream that only appears during heavy rainfall (also known as an ephemeral channel).

Re-meandering the river and recreating natural in-stream features such as riffles, pools, and gravel bars has created a longer river channel to slow the flow of water, as well as habitat for invertebrates and small fish.

The ponds and the old river channel help to store water during heavy rain, slowly releasing it back into the river. And as they grow, the trees will intercept rainfall, helping to stabilise the riverbank, reducing erosion and creating habitat for birds and other creatures.

We have installed a series of leaky dams on the fellside at Croglin as part of our project for Fellfoot Forward, which is led by the North Pennines AONB Partnership Scheme and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Leaky dams do what they say on the tin. Water runs through beneath during normal flow conditions, but during heavy rainfall the excess water is held back behind the dam and released slowly as the water level drops.

Leaky dams come in all shapes and sizes. They can range from one wellplaced log, which will hold water in an ephemeral channel that only appears during a storm, to several often locally cut logs or branches secured above historic ‘flashy’ becks.

Water-friendly farming

From the farmyard to the riverbank, water-friendly farming is all about working with farmers and landowners to identify sustainable improvements to their infrastructure, farming practice, and soil and water management, that will

help them to produce food profitably while protecting our rivers and water supplies for wildlife and people living in the valley and beyond.

ERT runs two successful farm cluster groups on the Rivers Lowther and Petteril, sharing experience, knowledge and finding out about the latest in waterfriendly farming practice. We also work with farmers on whole farm management plans and help them access funding through environmental stewardship schemes. This is made possible thanks to funding from the EU, administered by Natural England.

The funding environment for farming is undergoing huge change and we’re already working with farmers on getting ready for the impact of new funding schemes and the growing importance of natural capital, which is the value of public services such as carbon storage.

Our farming and conservation team provide work with farmers in three key areas of the farm business:

THE FARMYARD

We identify ways to separate clean and dirty water in the farmyard and reduce the amount of slurry produced that then is spread on the fields. This could be through harvesting rainwater to help keep clean water separate, and reduce the farm’s water bill, or by covering slurry tanks to reduce the volume of rainwater adding to the slurry.

IN THE FIELDS

Here, it’s about having healthy soils and features that will help manage water effectively throughout the year. Soil compaction can be a big problem –crops can’t penetrate hard soil and water can’t filter down far enough, resulting in water-logged, less productive fields.

Farmers can borrow aerators and sward lifters from the trust’s head office in Penrith. This free machinery resource provides farmers with the kit required to

TRADITIONAL > Kested hedge

SLOWING THE FLOW > Three styles of leaky dams installed at Croglin

EDEN RIVERS TRUST

GREEN FARMING > Guttering to harvest rainwater from livestock shed

help reduce soil compaction so water can infiltrate more effectively, and soil can then hold the water for longer instead of it running off towards the river.

Nutrient management is key, so that farmers only pay for the nutrients they need. If they are spread in a waterfriendly farming way, using methods such as injection, the excess nutrients are washed off the land and not as much will reach the waterways.

BY THE RIVER

We encourage farmers to rethink their use of unproductive margins of fields, and instead create buffer strips (wide swathes of natural grasses and herbs) between fields and rivers to help capture any excess nutrients. Fencing off the river bank, at least two or three metres from the water course, prevents livestock entry to the river and creates connected corridors. These are combined with wilder field borders, hedgerows and trees that will allow wildlife to thrive on the farm and beyond.

Safeguarding native species

Safeguarding species protecting them for the future. Connecting and creating habitat, as described above, is one way of helping to safeguard wildlife. We also do this is through our annual species monitoring, including crayfish

FOCUS ON FENCING

In the early days of the trust, one of our key focuses was to encourage farmers to fence off the river to keep livestock out of the water. This was to stabilise riverbanks by reducing trampling by animals, and thereby help bankside vegetation to grow, reducing erosion. This also reduced the amount of productive farmland being washed away and contributed to better animal health and improved water quality because animals were no longer spending time in the river.

Fencing creates a buffer strip between the river and farmland, reducing the amount of run-off that reaches and pollutes rivers. It also provides wildlife habitat. This measure helps some of our most enigmatic wildlife, such as kingfishers and water voles, who require undisturbed bankside habitat to nest and burrow. It’s no surprise that this simple intervention is as important today as it was 25 years ago!

and electrofishing surveys. Monitoring is vital because it enables us to target our conservation work where it is needed the most. It is a huge effort though, so we train and support volunteers to take on patches of their local river to monitor riverflies all year round. This helps us understand the health of the river and its inhabitants, and determine where intervention is needed.

EDEN RIVERS TRUST MAGAZINE

BARRIER > Fenced-off river at Barnskew on the Lyvennet to allow the riverbank to recover from livestock entering the river

GROUNDWORK > Soil sampling is key to understanding the state of soil. Susan Kenworthy from Catchment Sensitive Farming demonstrates at a Lowther/Leith Facilitation Fund farmers meeting

HEAVY MACHINERY > ERT’s sward lifter in action, 2019

SAFEGUARDING > A riparian buffer strip is planted alongside Cairn Beck

LEARNING EXPERIENCE > ERT’s Jenny Garbe electrofishing with placement students Tom and Okke, July 2021

FLY GUYS > Riverfly volunteer training, 2018

The secret of our success

We could not achieve any of the valuable work we’ve done over the past 25 years without our partners.

Firstly, it is thanks to the visionary farmers and landowners in the Eden Catchment that we can undertake all our conservation work. As a charity that doesn’t own any land, we rely on the landowners, farmers, and tenants who take their role as stewards of the land seriously, and want to leave the land in a better state than when they found it. We couldn’t do it without them and look forward to working with even more farmers from all over the catchment in the coming years.

Partnership is at the heart of what we do, and we have always worked closely with like-minded organisations, individuals, and businesses to create a brighter future for Eden’s rivers. We are deeply grateful for the enthusiasm, belief, support, advice, and in many cases, hard cash we have received to make our work happen. Partners that have supported us over a long time include: the Environment Agency, Natural England, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Catchment Sensitive Farming, United Utilities, Oglesby Trust, Woodland Trust, Lancaster University, Durham University, and the Eden Catchment Partnership.

Rivers and their wildlife cannot recover without landscape-scale conservation, and this is only possible thanks to our partners.

A CATCHMENT-WIDE APPROACH

The trust has always looked at the wider picture to manage rivers. We recognise that no single river or landscape works in isolation. For example, natural flood management interventions installed on the fells will not only improve the river habitat in that area but contribute to reducing the risk of flooding to communities further downstream. This is known as a ‘catchment-wide’ approach.

As early adopters of this approach, Simon Johnson (Director 2009-2017) brought together a wide range of interested people to form the first catchment management group for the Eden. This has evolved into the 20-strong Catchment Partnership the trust leads today, working together to set sustainable water management priorities in the Eden so that members can work together to target their activities to the areas that will see the greatest benefit.

One of the long-term projects that ERT has been involved in is the Cumbria River Restoration Strategy. This partnership approach combines the statutory agencies, the Environment Agency, Natural England with three of Cumbria’s river trusts (Eden, West Cumbria, and

RIVER CONSERVATION EFFORTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

The Balkans

The Balkan Rivers are known as Europe’s ‘blue heart’. They include the rivers between Slovenia and Albania, in addition to those in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Northern Macedonia. The freshwater biodiversity of these waterways is impressive, with 69 species of fish unique to these waterways. But it is an area under threat. Endangered species in the area, which is critical for spawning habitat, include the huchen salmon, the Balkan lynx, and the whiteclawed crayfish.

A major concern for campaigners is the large-scale development of hydropower plants, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here, 436 plants have either been built, are under construction or are planned. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s freshwater biodiversity unit is concerned

South Cumbria), the National Trust, and RSPB, all working together to improve rivers in Cumbria for people and wildlife. This work was recognised in 2016 when the partnership won the prestigious UK Rivers Prize for restoration work carried out in all three catchments.

In the Eden so far we have ‘rewriggled’ and reconnected rivers with their floodplains and/or restored natural processes along eight stretches of river, and removed or modified five artificial barriers so that fish can swim more freely.

that the plants will lead to diverted rivers, water pollution and restricted access to clean drinking water, while not offering the sustainability benefits of other forms of renewable energy, such as solar power.

The IUCN has formed a coalition

MAJOR PROJECTS > Removing a weir at Harraby Green, Carlisle

EDEN RIVERS TRUST

PARTNERSHIP > Environment Agency staff helping to build leaky dams

BLUE HEART > The Balkans PHOTO > Fred Romero

of more than 20 organisations to lobby governments to reconsider the hydropower plans. A report by the EuroNatur Foundation, ECA Watch and FLUVIUS (a floodplain management consultancy) described the remaining stretches of water in the Balkans as having “very high conservation value” and “jewels of regional and even European importance” that “should be kept as far as possible free of new river infrastructure development such as new hydropower dams to contribute furthermore to Europe´s biodiversity and freshwater conservation targets”.

The MekongGreaterregion

The Greater Mekong region includes Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, with Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta a priority landscape for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The delta has long been vital for Vietnamese agriculture. Across its five countries, the Mekong River holds three times more species of fish per unit area than the Amazon and supports the livelihoods and food security of at least 60 million people. Between 1997 and 2007, 2,600 new species were discovered in the region, including mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles and plants.

Climate change is already taking its toll

on the Mekong. Average temperatures on the rise, and climatic extremes, such as wetter wet seasons and drier dry seasons, negatively affect agricultural productivity, food security and the river’s ecosystems. The WWF is advocating an integrated approach to tackle climate change, including using the latest modelling tools to predict the damaging effects and help plan land-use better, and working with governments to include climate change considerations into development plans.

Nepal

Just one year older than the ERT, the Nepal River Conservation Trust (NRCT) was established in 1995 by a group of river guides who could see that the rivers of Nepal were suffering ecological and cultural damage at an alarming rate. The NRCT’s main goal is to conserve the Himalayan river system, preserve Nepal’s cultural heritage and develop an environmentally responsible river tourism industry.

In February 2021, the NRCT celebrated World Wetlands Day on the banks of the Sunkoshi River in Sindhupalchowk. The trust and the waterkeepers of Nepal jointly organised an essay competition and river rally for school students in the local area. This year’s celebrations coincided with the 50th anniversary of

the signing of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. The theme of the event was one of inseparable coexistence among the wetlands and life.

One of the trust’s ongoing projects is the Karnali River Corridor Management programme. It brings together an interdisciplinary team of experts to assess the ecological and social values of the Karnali River, which flows through Nepal, the Tibet Autonomous Region, and China, before joining the Ghaghara River, a tributary of the Ganges. The project collects information about aquatic resources, river health, and stream systems, and defines the socioenvironmental values that characterise the river basin in Nepal.

EDEN RIVERS TRUST MAGAZINE

BIODIVERSTIY > Crnojevica River in Montenegro

HEALTHY > Kanarli River, Nepal PHOTO > Tobias Federle

Q+A with Professor John Quinton

>> ERT Trustee and Professor of Soil Science at Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, shares why soil and healthy rivers go hand in hand

Q: Tell us a bit about what you do.

A: At the university, I lead a research group that is focused on how we can sustainably manage our soils (wp.lancs. ac.uk/sustainable-soils) to both produce food and help protect our environment. I am particularly interested in how soil management fits into the wider management of water in catchments and have been working on ways to reduce diffuse pollutants getting into rivers.

Q: How significant is it to understand soil when thinking about river conservation?

A: Almost all of the rain that flows through our rivers has interacted with soil, whether it has moved directly through the soil to the river, percolated through the soil to the groundwater before reaching the river, or run over the soil surface. Therefore, the ability of soil to store, transfer, and filter water before it reaches our surface waters is critical to both the quantity and quality of the water in our rivers.

Soils are made up of a mix of mineral and organic matter and air and water. They supply plants with nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus. In a natural system these nutrients are cycled between the soils and plants, whereas in agricultural systems they are often added as mineral or organic fertilisers or in the form of manures or slurries. Where there is an excess of plant nutrients, they can be moved into rivers causing water quality problems. Sediment moved from soils to water by soil erosion is another major problem for our rivers, destroying spawning grounds and reducing lightreaching oxygenating plants.

The mineral particles that make up soil combine with the soil’s organic matter, to form the building blocks for the clods that create the soil’s structure. The way

they are organised controls the number and sizes of soil pores. It is these pores that control water storage and the transfer of water through the soil. Big pores visible to the human eye help to transmit water through the soil, whereas smaller pores hold on to water and store it. In reality a combination of both small and large pores is important; large pores help to keep the soil drained, and small pores help to store water in times of drought. Sandy soils with lots of large pores are often described as ‘thirsty’ for this reason and clay soils can easily become water-logged.

Q: Do you feel people underestimate the importance of soil? Why do you think that is?

A: Soils are beginning to get the recognition they deserve, with many farmers around the Eden Catchment recognising that good soil management makes economic sense for farming, by helping to increase productivity, and helping to reduce nutrient and sediment losses. Since nutrient losses have to be replaced by potentially expensive fertilisers or manures, and any soil lost is a permanent loss of an important resource, this good nutrient management is a winwin for both water and farmers.

Q: How can soil be used to help with flooding and pollution?

A: Clearly, since most water falls on to soils, they can help mitigate flooding. Our own research has demonstrated that by removing compaction caused by machines, that soil can absorb much

more water before you get surface run-off. Reducing soil erosion by maintaining vegetation cover on soil surfaces, and avoiding soil compactions, stops river and ditch networks from silting up and decreasing the capacity of channels.

Q: Is there anything else you feel is significant about how soil and nature preservation work together? slowly so any changes that we make now may only begin to manifest themselves in the decades to come. For too long we have had a short-term approach to managing our soils and we now need to take a longer-term perspective that secures our soils for future generations and helps to maintain healthy rivers.

Q: What do you feel are important facts that everybody should know?

A: Soil in the UK forms at about 0.04 mm per year. That means that once it is eroded it is essentially gone for good, leaving us unable to feed ourselves and with no way to store and transmit water safely through our catchments. We need to maintain this valuable resource for future generations and the environment. Soil also contains more carbon than the atmosphere and the forests combined.

Eden Benchmarks

>> To mark the new millennium in 2000, the East Cumbria Countryside Project commissioned a series of 10 site-specific stone sculptures, used as seats, called Eden Benchmarks. A visual celebration of the river and its environment, each was created by different artists and placed along various places by the river. They are great places to relax, unwind, and reflect.

Red River By Victoria Brailsford at Temple Sowerby Red River represents the contours and shape of the landscape. The spheres represent gigantic pebbles in a fast-moving stream, reflecting the river and the energy contained within it. Made of sandstone, the sculpture recalls the origins of this stone - the shifting sand dunes of Triassic Cumbria.

Water Cut

By Mary Bourne in Mallerstang

The first in a series of sculptures made from Salterwath Limestone, Water Cut represents the power of the River Eden going through Cumbria, but also our own journeys as humans through the rural landscape and through life. It’s located a few miles from the source of the river, on the east side of the Mallerstang Valley. Depending on where you are standing, the space carved in between the pillars creates a meandering river in the sky or frames the real river in the valley below.

Other Eden Benchmarks

Passage By Laura White in Stenkrith Park near Kirkby Stephen. This subtle piece is reminiscent of the river’s passage through the gorge under Stenkrith Bridge, with shapes carved into the stone reflecting those found in riverbed rocks.

The Primrose Stone

By Joss Smith at Bongate near Appleby. This sculpture was shaped out of a nine-ton block of St Bees Sandstone, represents the ‘inscape’ of the first rose of spring.

South Rising By Vivien Mousdell on Ladies Walk at Edenhall. The South Rising

sculpture represents the timeless movement of the river and recurring movements of migrating fish and birds every year. With sweeping curves and a surface that is reminiscent of sunlight reflecting on the water, the horizontal stone alludes to the river flowing north, while the vertical piece inclines south towards the river’s distant source.

Cypher Piece

By Frances Pelly at Lazonby. A ‘cypher’ is another word for a code, and in this piece the artist invites the viewer to decode the references to human history carved into two stones that have been arranged to represent the river landscape.

Vista By Graeme Mitcheson in Coombs Wood near Armathwaite. Vista is all about walking in the countryside and being at one with nature. Here, a hiker has left behind personal belongings such as clothing and maps while they go for a swim. A tiny face depicted on the cap is a reference to a series of faces carved on the cliffs below in 1885 by William Mounsey, who famously walked the length of Eden.

Flight of Fancy

By Tim Shutter

at Wetheral. This piece aims to give the feeling of an outdoor cathedral. It plays with an ecclesiastical sense of lifting the spirit with angel wings, church-style masonry and very convincingly carved prayer cushions.

Toward the Sea

By Hideo Furuta in Bitts Park at Carlisle. Placed in parallel with the river flowing beside it, this is a series of four sculptures that reflect the power of the river in changing a stone’s appearance by showing different stages of erosion.

Global Warming

By Anthony Turner at Rockcliffe. Where the Eden flows out to sea, a mysterious sculpture looks out towards the world beyond Cumbria’s shores. Is it a huge sea creature washed up onto the shore, or is it something else?

Find out more at www.edenbenchmarks.org. uk/sculptures.html

PHOTO > Rod Ireland Photography

PHOTO > Rod Ireland Photography

ACCESS ALL AREAS Q+A with Debbie North

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became involved in accessibility in the Eden Rivers region.

A: I live on a sheep farm in Upper Eden. My love of fell-walking blossomed when I met my husband Andy, a keen hill-walker himself. But in 2008 I was diagnosed with spinal degeneration and I was no longer able to walk the hills that I loved so much. We teamed up with the TerrainHopper Company, makers of a 4x4 all-terrain wheelchair, so we could get out into the countryside again. With our hiking boots on and the TerrainHopper charged, we were ready to go – so we travelled coast to coast across the north of England, in the spirit of Alfred Wainwright. Since then I have climbed many mountains, including some of the Wainwrights in the Lake District, the Munros in Scotland and many of the Dales 30, which are the 30 highest peaks in the Yorkshire Dales.

Q: What is your role within the Eden Rivers Trust community?

A: Eden is an area rich in history, culture, wildlife and stunning landscapes and, as far as I am concerned, a vastly undiscovered area of the UK. Visitors and holiday-makers coming to the area generally head to the honeypot spots in the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District and never discover the fascinating fauna and flora of the Eden. As a wheelchair user, I am constantly looking for accessible experiences and I am looking forward to working with Eden Rivers Trust to develop and promote more wheelchair-accessible walks in the area so that people with disabilities can have access to stunning locations where they too can explore and experience the abundance of wildlife that this area has to offer and embrace the nature that surrounds the Eden.

>> Debbie North is committed to making the Eden Rivers region as accessible as possible to everyone, inspired by her own experiences as a wheelchair user

Q: How important is Eden Rivers Trust’s work?

A: Over its 90-mile journey from source to sea, Eden’s rivers are full of life. Through the trust’s education programmes, volunteer schemes and various projects, they are raising awareness of the effects that litter and pollution can have on the life of the river. With the increase in plastic pollution we can only expect the effects of this on wildlife to get worse. It is estimated that soon there will be more plastic than fish in our rivers. One in three fish have ingested plastic because they mistake tiny pieces of the stuff for food. These facts can be overwhelming and we can feel helpless in the face of this plastic problem.

Q: How vital is it to be outdoors?

A: For me, a walk along a river is medicine. Spending time on a riverbank makes me feel more relaxed and refreshed. The calming sounds of a babbling brook or a waterfall, such as the waterfall at Hell Gill, has a natural soothing melody. Research shows that spending time by water not only lowers the stress in your life, but helps boost your immune system. It is believed that being near water is restful for the mind by allowing the release of dopamine, the ‘feelgood’ hormone. It can be the antidote for the anxiety and the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Q: What words of advice would you give to someone who wanted to start exploring the area?

A: People living with disabilities often struggle to know where they can enjoy a walk without fear of meeting obstacles in their way, such as a flight of stairs, a locked gate, or stiles. I have been able to create and promote many accessible and multisensory walks all over the UK, which can be found on the The Outdoor Guide website.

Most national parks promote barrier-free walks called Miles Without Stiles or Easy Access Walks. Many of the towpaths along our canals are accessible and information about these routes can be found on the Canal and River Trust website.

Q: What is the most important thing to you about accessing nature?

A: I have always been an outdoorsy person and I’m happy to be outside in all weather. I love the solitude of wide open spaces where I can sit and listen to the birdsong or watch the wildlife. I love to feel the elements – the wind blowing through my hair, the rain on my face, the smell of freshly mown meadows or the sun warming my heart. Sometimes it feels that life is tough and that you are on a treadmill – always busy yet going nowhere. Just having time to escape the rat race and surround yourself in nature can be beneficial to the mind, the body and the soul.

Q: Where do you hope to see the trust on their 30th anniversary in five years?

A: I hope that by then many people will have joined in the ‘Act for Eden’ campaign to play an integral role in driving forward changes in government policies and people’s behaviour and understanding of what is needed to look after our rivers. I hope to see a reduction in the amount of single-use plastics that we are all guilty of using, and for more people to think about the way we use our water source. We must all learn to love, respect and care for our rivers so that future generations can continue to enjoy the abundant wildlife in Eden.

To find out more about The Outdoor Guide, please visit www.theoutdoorguide.co.uk

To find out more about Debbie North, please visit www.debbienorth.org

EDEN RIVERS TRUST

DEBBIE’S FAVOURITE WALK

the ‘Watercut Walk’

Pendragon Castle is about 1km this way

The Thrang (house) START

Settle-CarlisleRailway

Lay-by

Boggle Green

LadyAnne’sWay

Elmgill Farm

River Eden

Settle-Carlisle Railway is a wellknown railway line and often has steam trains running on it

Hell Gill waterfall is just past the end and is a major feature

Cooper Hill Farm

River Eden

Hanging Lund

Waterfalls

Look out for curlew and lapwing in the spring and early summer and buzzards all year round. Peregrine falcons circle high overhead sometimes too!

Eden Benchmark ‘Water Cut’ by Mary Bourne

This is Hell Gill Beck, which turns into the River Eden

Hell Gill Bridge

Hell Gill

Hell Gill Force

River Eden

An alternative route back to the start (note: boggy ground, steep, with stiles)

SCALE 1km

1/2 mile

FRIENDS OF EDEN

FEATHERED FRIENDS

Kingfisher

Hailed as one of the Eden’s most beautiful creatures, the kingfisher is not so easy to spot. If you’re lucky enough to come across a kingfisher, you’re likely to see a flash of blue and orange as it moves lightning-fast to catch its prey.

Don’t underestimate this bird beacause of its small size; it’s an incredible hunter.

The kingfisher has to eat its own body weight – on average around 31 grams – each day; and they have to eat even more to feed their young. They attack their prey, which mainly consists of fish, by diving into the water with their eyes closed and beaks open!

Kingfishers build their nests in burrows in the sandy riverbanks. They live for two years in the UK, but can live much longer in other parts of the world.

>> The River Eden is home to a variety of animals and creatures. From the cute and cuddly, to the weird and ugly, each creature has found its home within our river, playing their part in the cycle of nature. Here we share some exciting insights into the lives of just some of our ever-growing family

If you want to see a kingfisher you can often see them hunting along the banks of the lower Eden behind the swimming pool in Lazonby.

FUN FACT: Kingfishers can’t produce a blue pigment to cover their feathers. They appear dull brown in low light, but are dazzling blue in bright light because of iridescence, which is a trick of the light. Kingfishers’ feathers are criss-crossed, which causes the light to reflect off them in a certain way, creating the blue hue.

Grey Heron

You will often see herons standing as still as statues… that is, until they catch their prey. They quickly shoot their unique, S-shaped necks into the water – you would miss it if you blinked. Special joints in their spines allow their necks to flex and extend incredibly fast, and their beaks are dagger-like, to spear and snatch their fish prey. While they hunt alone, herons nest together in large colonies called heronries. There’s often more than 100 nests in each community.

Herons weigh two kilograms on

average, and can grow as tall as a metre. If you want to see a heron in all its glory, you can find them waiting for fish.

FUN FACT: Herons use their beaks for a courtship ritual. If a male and female snap their beaks at each other, it means they’re attracted to one another!

Dipper

Dippers are short-tailed, plump birds, recognisable by their white throats and breasts and characteristic ‘dipping dance’. They stand at just 18 centimetres tall and weigh up to 75 grams. While perched on a rock or branch, dippers like to bob up and down and cock their tails, as if they’re doing a little dance. This bobbing and dipping action inspired the common name for these birds.

Interestingly, and unlike other water birds, dippers do not have webbed feet. They are able to walk into and under the water to search for their food, which mainly consists of insect larvae and freshwater shrimps. You can see dippers all year round, unlike some types of bird that migrate for the winter.

The main threats faced by the dipper are water pollution, acidification, and river regulators such as dams and weirs that effect the availability of their food source.

FUN FACT: Dippers have a third, transparent eyelid that they can close, enabling them to see underwater. This remarkable talent allows them to walk into and under water, looking for tiny invertebrates and fish.

INTERESTING VERTEBRATES

Mayflies

Perhaps most famous for their 24-hour lifecycle, mayflies possess some ancestral traits that can be traced back to the first flying insects, including wings that do not fold flat, and long tails.

When they are young, mayflies are called nymphs, and they can live for several years in unpolluted water courses, despite their very short adulthood. They go through a number of stages before reaching maturity, and each stage involves them growing and moulting. Mayflies are unique compared to other insects in that they moult one final time after their wings are fully grown and functional.

Mayfly nymphs mainly live in streams under rocks or in decaying vegetation, and their diet consists mainly of algae. They’re part of the diet for a range of predators, forming an important part of the food chain.

species of caddisfly worldwide, and this particular ‘fly’ is actually more closely related to butterflies and moths than it is to other flies.

FUN FACT: More often than not, all the mayflies in a population mature at the same time, so there’s a day each spring where there’s hundreds of them flying around! Their sole purpose is to breed and many species do not feed as adults, living only a few hours in some cases.

Caddisflies

These territorial insects look like moths, with two pairs of hairy pale beige and brown wings. Their larvae are aquatic and often found in a variety of water habitats such as rivers, lakes and ponds. Caddisfly larvae use silks to make protective cases – a bit like a spider’s web – but with gravel, sand and leaves to make them stronger. These cases look like silky cocoons.

When they mature to adulthood, they often live short lives where they don’t even feed! There are more than 14,500

FUN FACT: Fossilised caddisflies have been found in rocks dating back to the Triassic period, which began 252 million years ago!

PHOTO > Rod Ireland Photography

CUTE AND CUDDLY Beaver

These cuddly but controversial river engineers recently returned to Cumbria in an enclosed trial area following a 400-year absence after being hunted to extinction. Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents, the second-largest after the capybaras. They usually have brown fur, though some are grey, and they are well-known for their distinctive huge, flat tails.

Contrary to common misconceptions, they are completely vegetarian with a diet mainly consisting of tree bark, river plants and grass. Beavers use the parts of the trees they don’t eat to build their dams. They chew down the bark for building material, and combine this with rocks, mud and vegetation to create their dams and lodges. Beavers are considered a keystone species because other species,

including humans, benefit from the creation of wetlands that help improve water quality and reduce flood risk.

Adult male and female beavers live in monogamous pairs with their young (kits). When the kits are old enough, they help their parents with repairing dams and lodges and assist with any new offspring.

FUN FACT: A bit like dogs, beavers mark their territory by using scent made of mud, debris and a urine-based substance secreted through their castor sacs!

Otter

The otter is a fantastic swimmer and possibly one of the cutest predators around. Feeding mainly on fish, amphibians and crustaceans, these mammals are well-suited for life in the water.

They have their cubs in little underground burrows called holts, and their young are often in the water by the time they’re 10 weeks old.

Keep an eye out for signs that an otter has been around by looking for their tracks. They leave footprints in riverbanks that have five toes and are around seven centimetres long. They also leave unique droppings called spraints around fallen trees, weirs and bridges. This helps them find mates and protect their territories. Spraints contain visible fish and crayfish bones and have a distinctive scent that smells like jasmine tea.

FUN FACT: Otters have webbed feet and dense fur, and are able to close their ears and noses when underwater, making them the perfect aquatic predator!

Water Vole

Water voles live alongside rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, reeds and other wetlands. They’re usually between 14 and 22 centimetres in length, and only weigh between 150 and 300 grams –that’s as much as some cake recipes call for in flour!

Water voles are almost entirely lost from Cumbria owing to habitat fragmentation and the invasion of the non-native American mink. Female mink can fit down water vole burrows and they are extremely good swimmers, completely undoing any defence water voles have adapted to escape native predators. Water voles enjoy sitting and eating in the same place, so you can often come across piles of nibbled grass by the river’s edge, which will have been bitten at a 45-degree angle. These creatures can be spotted all year round but are extremely rare in Eden; if you think you have seen one, let us know!

The average lifespan for a water vole is six to 18 months, but in this time they can have three to four litters of five babies.

FUN FACT: Water voles are actually not very well adapted to living in water. Unlike otters and other aquatic mammals, their fur becomes waterlogged and they do not have webbed feet. As a result they are vulnerable to flooding and can drown or be washed out of their burrows so the existence of long bank-side vegetation and ponds near the river are vital for water vole survival. In the rest of Europe they are far more widespread and can be found in a wider range of habitats but in England they are now restricted to within five to ten metres of a riverbank or large wetland.

WATER DWELLERS

White-Clawed Crayfish

Interestingly, the white-clawed crayfish is the only species of crayfish that is native to the UK, and they’re one of Eden’s more secretive inhabitants. The chances of seeing them during the day is slim, as they prefer to hide under rocks or tree roots, coming out to feed at night.

The white-clawed crayfish naturally sheds its shell as it grows; it sheds a large amount during its first year, then annually for the rest of its life. They are usually a brown or olive colour from above, but their undersides are a pale pinkish-white hue, giving them their name. They’re a member of the crustacean family, along with crabs and lobsters.

This crayfish is a slow crawler and therefore not very aggressive or attacking. They’re omnivores, meaning their diet consists of plants, carcasses and small creatures including larvae, tiny fish and other invertebrates. They are a natural part of other predators’ diets, such as otters, large fish and herons.

The main threats facing the whiteclawed crayfish are water pollution, meaning they can only live in clean water, and the North American Signal crayfish (see section on Alien Invaders). Whiteclawed crayfish are particularly sensitive to poor water quality, making their presence a sign of good river habitat, but to help decrease the threat to these creatures, do not pour any chemicals or oils down your sink, and only flush the “three Ps” down the loo – poo, pee, and (toilet) paper. These crayfish are a protected species, so don’t disturb their habitats or move them to other parts of the river.

FUN FACT: They can shed a limb to distract predators – a process called autotomy –and they can grow the limb back!

Wild SalmonAtlantic

This species is widely known as a champion swimmer thanks to its strength and ability to travel nearly 4,000 miles in its lifetime, and it is unique for its ability to survive in freshwater and saltwater. They can live up to 10 years, and weigh approximately five kilograms. They usually eat invertebrates and other small fish.

Young salmon live in the river for the first couple of years of their lives –usually between the ages of one and three – before making a voyage to the North Atlantic. They set out to sea from the Eden’s rivers and streams. After spending between one and four years in the Atlantic, they use a homing instinct to find their way back to the place they were born to spawn.

The return of the salmon to their birthplace is called the salmon run. They need to be strong so they can swim against the river’s current, using a particular set of muscles that give them extraordinary power; they’re even able to leap over some obstacles. Once they return, the salmon use their tails to make a redd, which is a shallow nest in the river bed where they spawn.

Sadly, wild Atlantic salmon are under the threat of extinction, with a decline of 70% in just 25 years. There are a number of ‘suspects’ that impact on salmon survival, ranging from the obvious (e.g. being eaten by something or a large, un-jumpable structure) to the less obvious (e.g. poor feeding due to water temperature changes). Organisations such as the Missing Salmon Alliance are carrying out extensive research across the UK’s rivers and coasts to try and understand where and why we are losing our most enigmatic of species.

FUN FACT: A salmon’s scales can tell you a lot about its life, similar to that of rings on a tree! You can learn about their age when they made their salt water journey by looking at their scales.

WEIRD BUT WONDERFUL Lamprey

One of the most primitive species still alive today, lamprey are prehistoric eellike fish. There are three types living in the Eden. Brook lamprey, river lamprey and sea lamprey can all be found here.

The biggest sea lamprey species can grow to 120 centimetres long. These fish are parasites; they suction themselves to other animals and feed off of their flesh and internal organs using their mouths, which are full of concentric rows of hooked teeth.

Lamprey are strong swimmers, and use the turbulence caused by their bodies’ movements to create a nest for their eggs, which is called a redd, just like the salmon.

FUN FACT: According to legend, King Henry I of England died from overdosing on lamprey, which was a very popular delicacy with the Romans, Vikings and medieval Brits!

EDEN

PHOTO > Daniel Göz

ALIEN INVADERS

Himalayan Balsam

While it is now a widespread plant, noticeable alongside urban rivers, Himalayan balsam, as the name suggests, is native to the Himalayas. It was originally introduced to the UK by the Victorians as a garden plant, probably in the 19th century.

It’s a very invasive plant due to its incredible ability to grow in low light conditions with very shallow roots. This, combined with its well-adapted ability to spread its seed via ‘exploding pods’, means it grows fast and out-competes anything else trying to grow. By mid-July, where balsam has taken hold there is nothing else growing but a forest of the pink/purple-flowered, hollow-stemmed invader. However, with regular pulling and maintenance over the summer (before its seed pods burst), it can be controlled and in time even wiped out locally from some areas Everyone can do a bit of ‘balsam bashing’ to help stamp out this invasive species; check out the Eden Rivers Trust website for hints and tips on how to pull balsam safely.

FUN FACT: Despite being a pest in the Eden Rivers area, the Himalayan balsam has a gorgeous pinky-purple flower that looks a little bit like a long skirt and is actually a great nectar source for bumblebees!

GET UP CLOSE TO EDEN’S WILDLIFE

If you’re fascinated by the friends (and foes) of Eden, why not sign up to join our volunteers who help us survey and monitor Eden’s wildlife?

You could help with fish rescues on our conservation sites and white-clawed crayfish surveys during the summer and year-round

North SignalAmerican Crayfish

First introduced into commercial fisheries in the late 1960s, the North American Signal crayfish were supposed to supplement fisheries in Europe that had been damaged by a crayfish plague. Unfortunately, it was soon realised that these crayfish were carriers of the disease, by which time they had become a pest. They are now seen as an invasive species – not only do they carry this plague, they also out-compete native crayfish species in certain areas due to their voraciousness.

They look very similar to lobsters, growing to a size of 16–18cm with big front claws and thick shells, far larger than the native white-clawed crayfish. They lay around 200 to 400 eggs, which the female carries underneath her tail after autumn’s mating season until they are due to hatch in spring. The Signal crayfish reaches sexual maturity by the age of three, and they can live until they’re 20.

FUN FACT: This crayfish is the most widespread alien invader in Europe, with 25 countries now home to the North American species!

riverfly monitoring on your local river. We’ll provide the support, training and equipment, and you’ll get to experience nature close-up. Email volunteers@edenrt.org to find out more.

You could also be part of our annual Big Balsam Bash, helping to wipe out this invasive plant throughout the catchment. Look out for events and information on our website in the spring.

JapaneseKnotweed

Japanese knotweed is a fast-growing weed that spreads rapidly. The plant dies during winter, but once early summer hits, the bamboo-like stems start growing from deep underground. The roots are intrusive and penetrate deep into the ground, making this plant particularly difficult to control. The stems are purple and the leaves tend to be heart-shaped.

If left uncontrolled, Japanese knotweed can reduce the capacity of river channels to carry excess water, meaning flooding is more likely. This in turn creates damage to a number of habitats. The overwhelming growth of this plant also damages other species’ abilities to grow, which alters natural ecosystems.

FUN FACT: Japanese knotweed can grow rapidly up to seven feet tall and can grow through concrete and house foundations!

CAN PLAY YOUR PART!

The best defence against further spread of invasive species such as Signal crayfish and Himalayan balsam is practising good biosecurity. If you use the waterway, you need to follow the Check, Clean, Dry guidelines.

• CHECK: Remove any plant matter from your clothes and equipment and leave it at the site (the river or lake bank).

• CLEAN: Clean and wash all equipment and footwear thoroughly.

• DRY: Ensure your gear is completely dry to touch, inside and out, then leave dry for at least another 48 hours before going in another watercourse.

EDEN RIVERS TRUST

TRAINING OUR FUTURE CONSERVATIONISTS

Our acclaimed apprentice scheme, made possible thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, drew 12 young people from a wide range of backgrounds over a four-year period. From practical environmental conservation management to office admin skills, the emphasis was on developing on-the-job experience and building skills for life, as well as gaining a valuable Level 2 or 3 NVQ.

Susie Grainger, Apprentice Eden Supervisor, recalls:

“The apprentice scheme made a positive difference to each of the young people’s lives in very different ways. Most importantly even now, seven, five and three years on, they all recognise how it

made a difference to them, they are proud of doing it and they are doing something with their lives because of it.

“When we did it, I didn’t really understand why you would call it ‘Cherish’ Eden (bit fluffy if you ask me!) but now I do. They and I all cherish the memories, the moments and the skills it has given them. Balsam-bashing, cake-eating, sheep-chasing, wire-twanking, fencejumping, crayfish-diving, group-hugging, food-sharing, Haribo-scoffing, singing, crying and laughing till your face aches and the tears flow.”

Simon Johnson (pictured right), Director, 2009-2017

“I am particularly proud of the first cohort of Cherish Eden apprentices who were nurtured by their irrepressible supervisor, Susie Grainger! Despite a challenging start, it was hugely inspiring to see these young adults develop and mature as a group to make such a valuable contribution to ERT and the Eden. They also injected a sense of fun and

energy into our sometimes-over-worthy world of conservation! They were supervaluable ambassadors for ERT and displayed some amazing qualities beyond their years. This was particularly visible when (with great sensitivity and empathy) they helped residents affected by flooding at Eamont Bridge and Glenridding in the aftermath of Storm Desmond.

In 2016, ERT was voted a ‘UK Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer’. A hugely impressive and well-deserved achievement for the Cherish Eden team and ERT!”

PAST PRESENT & FUTURE

>> 12 October 1996: It was operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti’s birthday, Boyzone’s new single was out, and pagers were a popular way to stay in touch... and it was the day that Eden Rivers Trust was formed. The world has changed since then, but the trust still holds true to the spirit of its founding principles of protecting and enhancing Eden’s rivers for people and nature

2009: Work starts on improving the river and habitat on the River Petteril with the Environment Agency, Wild Trout

1997: Alasdair Brock appointed as Environmental Manager and soon gets to work delivering his first project at Bampton Grange

2004: Discover Eden - £1m National Lottery Heritage Fund three–year project starts. The River Rover outdoor classroom parks up for another day inspiring people about rivers

2004: As the trust matures, it’s time for a new brand to complement the Discover Eden project brand

2005: Launch of Go Wild, the roving angler scheme for the Eden Valley

2005: Flooding in Carlisle

2008-2013: ALFA Project. EU -funded project European project to focus on flood and drought issues in the Eden Valley

1996: On October

The Eden Rivers Trust was formed

2009: Wetland Discovery Trail at Aglionby opens

2007: The ERT team

2010: Final group of water voles released as part of a joint Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Eden Rivers Trust and MoD project

Left: Alison Reed (Cumbria Water Vole/ River Petteril Project Officer) and furry friend

2010: New decade, new logo!

2009: Flooding along the Eden hits Carlisle and Appleby

Trust and Penrith Angling Association

2001: Prince Charles awarded us the English Nature Site of Special Scientific Interest Award for outstanding achievement

2001: Eden Rivers Trust is re-launched following the settlement of compensation from the Ploughlands Beck pollution incident

The start – Ploughlands pollution incident, April 1993

A tank containing approximately 21,000 litres of ammonium hydroxide overturned in a field and spilled into the Ploughlands Beck, upstream of Appleby, near Warcop. The damage to the river was huge, with fish and invertebrates wiped out. The National Rivers Authority – now the Environment Agency (EA) – started proceedings against the polluters in the criminal courts, while the fisheries owners started proceedings against the authority for damage to their sites.

A compensation agreement was finally reached in 2000. The recipients agreed to settle £205,000 with a newly reconstituted Eden Rivers Trust (ERT) – with representation from Lower and Upper Eden owners – to help restore the river.

Early days – 1996-2003

A group of fishing rights owners and clubs concerned about declining numbers of wild Atlantic salmon returning to the Eden, formed The Eden Rivers Trust on 12 October 1996. The founding trustees were James Carr, Peter Ecroyd, John Garnett, Ian Gregg, Ivor Jones and Andrew Quinn.

The first staff member, Alasdair Brock, was appointed the following year. He directed his early education and restoration work on the Lowther and Upper Eden from his spare bedroom.

The first project was at Bampton Grange, coppicing – fencing off a watercourse and tree-planting, critical habitat improvement work that the trust still does today.

Following the award of the Ploughlands settlement, the trust expanded during the early 2000s, broadening its scope

from being mainly concerned with fish habitat to “working closely with fishermen, farmers, angling clubs, riparian owners, communities to protect and restore the river and its flora and fauna, as well as Environment Agency, English Nature and North West Water”.

Punching above our weight – 2004-2013

As the trust grew, so did our ambition –shared by some major funders that saw the potential for our small yet perfectly formed trust to achieve big things! Discover Eden, a £1m National Lottery Heritage Funded project in partnership with Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery and East Cumbria Countryside Project, opened up the wonders of the Eden Catchment to new audiences. Between 2004 and 2007, we ramped up our education offerings to schools, created trail leaflets, an ERT website

2014: Cutting a new, meandering river channel on the Lyvennet at Barnskew

2015: Becky Helm, Education Officer, explaining about invertebrates at Crosby Ravensworth show

2015: Mayfly creative project

2015: In December Storm Desmond ravages Cumbria, affecting the natural and built environment

2016: ERT staff (and assorted volunteers, kids and animals!) star in a film about looking after your septic tank for the launch of the Call of Nature campaign

2016: Awarded the 2016 UK River Prize (as part of the Cumbria River Restoration Strategy team)

2016: Marble Run: River and the Inside Out felt trail are commissioned as community art projects in response to the aftermath of Storm Desmond

2014: Saving Eden coalition formed as a catchment management group hosted by ERT

2014: Eden Apprentice scheme launches as part of Cherish Eden, our second major community engagement programme supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Left: Toby (cohort 1 apprentice) and a whiteclawed crayfish regard each other

2010–2014: Chosen as one of three catchments in the UK to be part of the Defra DTC (Demonstration Test Catchment) testing on-farm measures that would reduce diffuse pollution without affecting production of food

2011: Eden River Restoration Strategy begins – initially billed as a six-year partnership with EA and Natural England to restore key stretches of Eden’s rivers, the programme is still in full flow today as part of an overall Cumbria River Restoration Strategy

and a permanent museum display – and held a massive Rivers Festival in 2007, culminating in a free ‘fun day’ in Carlisle.

ALFA (Adaptive Land use for Flood Alleviation) was in sharp focus between 2009 and 2014. Thanks to €1million European Union funding, partners from five European countries were brought together to share ideas and expertise on reducing the risk of flooding in populated areas. We were part of a partnership that included Durham University, the EA and the Association of Rivers Trusts (now The Rivers Trust), exploring the effect of land use on flood and drought flows in the Eden. This project saw our first trial of natural flood management (NFM) features – years before NFM became a buzzword!

Coming of age – 2014-2021

Today, ERT has 13 members of staff who between them understand rivers and fish, farming and farmers, biodiversity, soils, flooding, digital mapping, communication, communities and

education. We’re a force to be reckoned with – we work as one team on virtually every project, using our broad range of skills, with the support of committed, indispensable volunteers.

We work in partnership with organisations and local communities, changing the conversation about rivers, and inspiring and empowering others to breathe new life into our waterways. During the past five years, we’ve worked on multi-million-pound projects such as Cherish Eden (National Lottery Heritage Fund) and the Cumbria River Restoration Strategy (Environment Agency).

We don’t stand still, embracing technology, emerging ways of working, and best practice.

In recent years, geographic information system (GIS) mapping and drone surveys, backed up with on-the-ground walkovers,

have helped us quickly identify projects and potential ways to solve land/water management issues. We stay informed on policy and regulation – particularly in farming – so our advice and support remain accurate and valuable to partners. We innovate, finding new ways to secure a better future for the Eden, such as Stage Zero restoration, species re-introduction trials, and harnessing people power to stand up for Eden’s rivers as part of our National Lottery Heritage Funded project, Act for Eden.

What now?

Elizabeth Radford, our CEO, talks about some of the big issues facing Eden’s rivers and how the trust plans to secure a brighter future for rivers, people and nature.

“The challenges for managing our rivers are making themselves felt right

EDEN RIVERS TRUST

2018: Our River Restoration programme gets a boost thanks to an award of £1.2m from The EA

2018: Eden Rivers Wonder World exhibition is held. More than 10,000 people visit the interactive exhibition depicting the amazing life found in Eden

2019: Communities, schools and local businesses join forces with ERT to plant 13,000 trees as part of The BIG Eden Tree Plant

2019: A new look for ERT along with a brand new website

October 2018: ERT apprentices past and present take to the water to mark the end of Apprentice Eden

August 2018: Cairn Beck NFM project commences after receiving funding from the EA as part of the Defra NFM project

January 2021: Act for Eden, our first digital campaign, is launched. It calls on everyone in the Eden Valley and Carlisle to make easy, positive changes to make local rivers cleaner and healthier.

October 2020: Beavers return to Cumbria after a 400year absence

now, not only here in the Eden and across Cumbria but throughout the UK. There’s massive amounts of pollution in our rivers caused by agricultural runoff and sewage, which has coined the apt term ‘rivercide’. Flooding is more frequent and sustained than ever and can come at any of time of year. There are longer periods of drought and the highly fragmented natural habitat we have left in our landscape from source to sea remains a significant challenge in halting biodiversity loss (country-cide perhaps?)

“At ERT we believe in the importance of working together across the environmental sector to deal with the consequences of the way we have used and abused water, soils, peat, woodland and farmland over centuries. We are now developing several stronger, more ambitious partnerships to meet these challenges in the coming years.

The climate and biodiversity crises are growing, but so too are levels of public awareness and the desire to combat these threats. This ‘Greta Thunberg effect’ gives us hope and it will only grow stronger as people gain personal experience of the havoc climate change can wreak on their lives.

We must capitalise positively on this awareness. We want to inspire more diverse groups of people to make changes to improve our rivers and empower those who want to take action. First, it’s about engaging and involving

September 2020: The Eden Catchment Partnership, led by Eden Rivers Trust, launches Revitalising Eden: The Eden Catchment Plan setting out the partnership’s plans to improve the Eden catchment over the next 10 years.

people, then promoting learning and sharing information on key issues that will lead to developing activities and projects together to make a difference for the river and quality of life. For us, that means starting more meaningful conservationfocused connections between Carlisle’s communities and those upstream in Penrith, Kirkby Stephen, Shap and all the rural villages in between.

The goal is to strengthen the chain of dialogue, understanding and action for rivers that will run through the heart of Eden’s communities between the source and sea (and vice versa).

Activating communities can be easier than securing fundamental policy change. However, in the next few years we intend to contribute to the national policy conversation to help refine the new Environmental Land Management Scheme.

Our focus will, as ever, be on voicing the view from the ground. Initially, we hope to run a local ‘Landscape Recovery’ test-and-trial programme for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs, providing real-life examples with local land managers of how this crucial new programme could work in practice to benefit Eden’s rivers and wider countryside. This will be in addition to our long-established role of providing advice on water-friendly farming.

15 May, 2021: ERT holds its very first virtual auction to celebrate the Eden Rivers Trust’s 25th anniversary, raising £27,599

We aspire to increase our work with the commercial sector – water companies and others – on the protection of Eden’s ‘natural capital assets’ and to campaign alongside others for a stop to the pollution that leads to ‘rivercide’.

Moving to a smart new office is a very physical gear-shift for us in our 25th year. It certainly helps with the feeling we are moving into a new organisational phase where growth is desirable and possible. Opportunities abound with the increased public interest in exploring local green and blue spaces, the rise of digital learning and more initiatives focusing on a green recovery from Covid-19. To make the most of these, we need to be confident and clear in our long-term goals for the river as we enter a new strategic planning phase, while being flexible in how we achieve those goals.

We must be open to new ideas, perspectives and opinions, using measured judgement to know when it is right to take a leap and go for a new approach, or when it’s better to stick with what we know. One thing we definitely won’t change is our desire to be change-makers. You can be sure we will be constantly rethinking our rivers for good.”

2019: Andrew Dixon is the first recipient of the Ploughland’s Legacy Award

January 2020: Act for Eden’s Rivers, an exciting two-year project supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund starts, providing a wide range of opportunities for people to become pollution fighters, habitat creators and river defenders

Walking with Words

>> The Poetry Path adds a new dimension to one of the area’s most popular walks

Kirkby Stephen, a picturesque Eden Valley market town, attracts walkers keen to enjoy the local waterways, landscapes and history. The Poetry Path allows walkers to traverse a circular route of public paths on either side of the River Eden to have a literary experience alongside some of the area’s most beautiful scenery.

Twelve short poems written by nationally acclaimed local poet Meg Peacocke have been immortalised in stone by lettering artist Pip Hall. The poems tell the story of a Cumbrian hill farmer’s year, with every poem describing his activities for each month of the year. His relationship with the landscape is central to the written works, as is the promotion of sensible, sustainable farming.

Meg’s wonderful words are accompanied by Pip’s decorative motifs that depict the farmer’s activities. The experience becomes creative and

interactive, as walkers of all ages can take rubbings of these stone artworks using paper and crayon.

The idea was conceived by Dick Capel of the East Cumbria Countryside Project. He managed its implementation in conjunction with a committee of local people in partnership with landowners. Along the way, walkers will see a range of photogenic sights such as the disused Stainmore railway, Millennium Bridge and Stenkrith Park.

The Poetry Path walk is a circular walk and takes around an hour to complete. The terrain is mostly flat.

Park in Kirkby Stephen town centre or the small car park between Kirkby Stephen and Nateby on the B6259, which has room for about eight cars. By public transport, bus services 563 and 564 stop at the nearby Croglin Castle Hotel on the A685.

Find out more at edenbenchmarks.org. uk/poetry-path.html

HIDDEN HEROES

>> Eden Rivers Trust is powered by the people who work tirelessly to conserve the wetlands, engage with communities, educate themselves and others – and ensure the next generation can enjoy this stunning part of the world

From energetic volunteers to enthusiastic local schools and eager anglers, Eden Rivers Trust relies on the incredible efforts of local people who are passionate about the environment, conservation and everything that makes the area so special.

Gardening for Eden

Planting trees and wildflowers is as important to sustainable waterways as keeping the rivers, lakes, becks and tributaries free of pollution. Volunteer tree planters are among the many unsung heroes who, over the past 25 years, have helped the Trust plant 133,158 trees, acting now to secure a brighter future for Eden’s rivers.

Tree-planting often features as part of wider river or habitat conservation. Wherever possible, the trust involves local communities and volunteers. From The BIG Eden Tree Plant of 2018-2019 to key river restorations at Kirkby Thore and Matterdale, local communities and ERT volunteers have joined forces with the trust to make their local area places where wildlife can thrive.

One such project was on the River Lyvennet near King’s Meaburn. In spring 2019, volunteers of all ages helped plant

more than 10,000 wetland wildflower plants as part of an ongoing river restoration project. The aim of this planting session was to give nature a head start, with more than 30

different native species planted over 12 days. As well as local volunteers, Crosby Ravensworth CE Primary School, Morland Primary School, Newton Rigg College, and home-schooled teenagers all got involved.

If this has inspired you to give some time to help us improve and protect Eden’s rivers, why not join the ERT volunteer team? Visit edenriverstrust.org.uk/volunteer to find out more and sign up.

PHOTO > Stuart Walker Photography

Volunteers

Between 2013 and 2020, 780 individuals have volunteered their time (and their muscles in many cases!), adding up to a massive total of 15,389 hours.

Jenni Payne, the trust’s volunteer coordinator, says that volunteers are of all ages and from all walks of life, and they each have their own stories about how they came to offer their assistance to a range of projects. For one volunteer, it has guided his path in life – a

childhood memory of seeing small creatures in a tray at a trust information stand inspired him not only to volunteer but also to study geography at university, with a focus on ecology and habitat management.

Anglers get involved as they are keen to ensure the rivers are clean and healthy so they can fish sustainably, ensure overfishing does not happen, and maintain a good balance between human and wildlife use – and indeed are guardians of the river.

Trust volunteers contribute in a range of ways. Practical tasks carried out by volunteers include tree-planting, seedsowing, fish rescues, crayfish surveys, habitat surveys, mapping areas for invasive plants, removing invasive plants (‘balsam-bashing’ is the popular term for outings where volunteers help remove one such plant, Himalayan

balsam) and litter-picking.

Outreach and engagement is important too, with volunteers offering their time to help at events, school field trips and classroom visits to raise awareness of the trust’s work – and hopefully inspire more people to give some of their time to working to preserve the waterways and ecosystems of the Eden. Enthusiastic photographers and videographers are encouraged to share their pictures and footage with the trust to help promote its work. Corentin, a talented videographer, is currently making a series of films about the Eden Catchment.

The outdoor work is not limited to rivers and riverbanks. With the rivers being part of bigger ecosystems, Jenni says volunteers can help with conservation efforts in a variety of locations and habitats, including becks,

tributaries, fells, floodplains,and even towns and villages.

ERT’s natural flood management work reflects the sheer variety of locations and types of opportunities available to volunteers. In recent years, volunteers have helped install or maintain a range of measures to help reduce the devastation of previous flooding events in the area. These included creating ponds, leaky dams, natural bank reinforcements and buffers, river restoration, creating hedgerows, and monitoring the measures for effectiveness.

As well as working with volunteers, the trust’s staff also train community groups to be able to work independently on conservation projects. They also lead corporate groups who are eager to volunteer as a staff team and give something back to the river.

PHOTO > Stuart Walker Photography

Schools

Local schools are a vital part of our community engagement work. Inspiring children on the importance of river conservation needs to be fun as well as informative. Between 1997 and 2021, an estimated 23,000 school children have learned about rivers with the trust.

Primary schools such as Long Marton, Kirkby Thore and Rockcliffe have been setting a great example by taking practical action to improve and protect rivers both in the field and in the classroom.

In the Trout Beck area in 2019, Long Marton and Kirkby Thore primary

AwardWinners

For two years, ERT has given the Ploughlands Legacy Award to people who have made significant contributions to the conservation of the region’s rivers and lakes.

In 2019, the inaugural award was presented to Andrew Dixon in recognition of 20 years of service. He has carried out countless river cleanups, recruits volunteers, encourages people to get involved in river stewardship, and works with the trust and landowners to improve water quality through fencing and riparian habitat creation.

As honorary secretary of Penrith Angling Association for more than 20 years, Andrew encourages young anglers to take up the sport responsibly. His knowledge of the river’s ecology and eye for

schools were involved in tree-planting, which was a great opportunity to put into practice their learning about the importance of trees to river ecosystems.

Neal Banner, head teacher at Kirkby Thore, said: “We will continue to work with ERT over the next few years, allowing the children to follow the project through and see the positive effects of their work.”

detail have undoubtedly helped enormously in his voluntary work in the region’s waterways.

A keen campaigner, Andrew reflected on the 1993 Ploughlands pollution incident, which he described as “a game-changer”

for the health of the river and the emergence of the ERT… to champion river health.

“I’m pleased that through this award, this incident and the good work that came out of it will always be remembered,” he said.

BEHIND THE SCENES with Tania Crockett

>> Engagement with schools and young people is an essential part of the work of Eden Rivers Trust. Tania Crockett, the trust’s learning coordinator, talks about her work with young people in the area

Q: Tell us about your role at ERT.

A: My role involves working with schools, young people and their families – helping young people connect with and care for their rivers. The vast majority of my work is with primary schools. The National Curriculum contains many aspects of learning about river catchments. We can help children learn about and connect with local issues in a real and relevant way – food chains, human impact on the environment, litter, flooding, food, farming and the water cycle. I’ve worked with many of our rural schools, connecting the school community with our conservation projects, as well as flood-affected schools in Carlisle. And we have great connections with a number of our secondary schools, helping students to carry our GCSE field work in their local patch.

Q: What does a typical day at work involve?

A: One day, I’ll be working with a school way upstream in and around Kirkby Stephen and on another day I might be in Melbourne Park in Carlisle working with a local school. In the warmer months, I’m often helping children discover the incredible wildlife that lives in the river, then in winter I’ll be guiding them as they plant trees for the future, or being inspired by them as they display endless enthusiasm for picking up litter to help keep the river healthy. Occasionally, we’ll have a really exciting creative project with an artist – those days are definitely atypical! Of course, like all jobs, there are days in the office too – but often these are where I get to be creative, designing new activities and learning resources for teachers to use in the classroom.

Q: Why is conservation education important to you?

A: I believe it’s essential for the future of healthy rivers that young people have an opportunity to learn about and experience them firsthand. Indeed, this quote from Sir David Attenborough perfectly sums up why: “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.”

My own journey into nature conservation and environmental education began young – with vivid and fond memories of school field trips undoubtedly contributing to my desire to protect the natural world, along with watching Sir David’s TV programmes and devouring his books. I was fortunate to live in a rural location and enjoyed spending all my school holidays ‘helping’ my grandad on his small farm on Dartmoor in Devon.

It’s becoming increasingly welldocumented that connection with the natural world not only improves people’s lives, it is essential for our well-being. The sooner children access green and blue spaces, the more likely they are to carry that into adulthood. Through creative projects, young people have been empowered to share their passion for protecting rivers for their future with their families and wider communities – and they’re taking action.

Q: What is the best part about working for the trust?

A: It’s like a big family where everyone pulls together to make things happen. We all care passionately, we support one another in whichever ways we can and I think that helps us punch way above our weight. I love that we have an excellent reputation for delivering work with schools – and one that goes way back. I am proud that throughout the trust’s history, we have been committed to our work with schools and young people.

Q: What is the most challenging part of your role?

A: Having to say no to schools that we can’t work with. It’s amazing that so many want to offer river-themed sessions to their pupils, but sadly time and resources are finite!

Q: What are you looking forward to in the future?

A: I always look forward to meeting new classes of children – learning from them, getting their take on the natural world and offering them opportunities to explore or discover it in a way that is new to them. I’m really looking forward to being able to support all schools across the catchment to learn about all things linked to the Eden Catchment.

Tales of the Valley

>> The Covid-19 pandemic has not stopped the creative process for local school children as a wonderful writing project continues online

Fellfoot Fables is a creative writing series aimed at children from schools within the Fellfoot Forward Landscape Partnership Scheme (LPS) area. Social distancing requirements meant the project has been delivered virtually rather than physically with Eden Valley-based poet and novelist Katie Hale leading the way over four digital sessions.

The project, run by the North Pennines AONB Partnership, aims to help children produce a poem or piece of creative prose that explores their immediate environment. It is a celebration of the natural and cultural heritage of this special part of Cumbria. Katie’s virtual sessions encourage participants to focus on nature, observe seasonal changes, explore the things they love about their local landscape, learn more about local stories and history, as well as getting out at night to enjoy the amazing dark skies of the North Pennines.

Fellfoot Forward LPS has been awarded funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and will run until 2024.

Local schools are still welcome to join. To date, Hallbankgate Village School, Kirkoswald C of E Primary School, Castle Carrock School and Hayton C of E Primary School are involved.

An online exhibition that shares people’s experiences of connecting with the landscape during the Covid-19 pandemic has been set up, sharing through words, audio and film testimonies from this unique period of time. Access to the natural wonders of the Eden Valley region has been vital to the mental and physical health of so many people during the pandemic and this project shares those experiences and champions the area as a place to cherish and preserve for generations to come.

Eden Rivers Trust is proud to be one of the partners of the Fellfoot Forward LPS, delivering learning opportunities and a conservation project called ‘Building Better Becks’.

BANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

>> Discover the natural beauty on your doorstep – the hidden gems of Eden’s rivers are ideal for exploration and activities, whether you’re seeking adventure or relaxation

Wild Swimming

Across the UK, wild swimming has become more popular, especially when gyms and lidos closed down because of the pandemic. For some people, it was about swimming for fitness, while for others it was the sheer joy of feeling cool water on their skin; but whatever the motivation, wild swimming has taken off. Especially for those whose nearest coastal beach is miles away, finding new and creative ways to take a dip has become really important for physical and mental health.

Calum Hudson – one of the Wild Swimming Brothers (right), a family trio who are champions for swimming in Eden’s waterways – is passionate about taking a dip here.

“Having swum all 145 km of the River Eden in 2015 from its source to the sea, we feel we have a pretty good insight into what makes it such a special river,” said Calum. “Wild swimming is the perfect way to experience all that a river has to offer. It puts you on the river’s terms and forces you to see a landscape from a different perspective. Not a bird’s eye view but a frog’s eye view.”

“The Eden River network is such a special place for wild swimming because of the incredible water quality, the peaceful and unspoilt tranquility of its many bends, and the rugged and wild sections of its upper reaches,” he added.

There are plenty of wonderful spots for wild swimming but safety is importantbeing a smart swimmer is essential to avoid the risks. When you’re looking for a place to swim, there are a few things to look out for. A gravel beach area makes a good base

for swimming, especially with a shallow or sloping bank so it’s easy to get in and out of the water. Make sure the water is clear – if you can’t see your feet on the bottom, don’t swim there. Brown water is a sign of recent rainfall, which can make swimming dangerous. Deep and fast-flowing water should also be avoided.

Calum has some great tips for making the most of your wild swimming adventures. Firstly, he advises against swimming alone.

“Always make sure you go with a swimming buddy. Try and rope a friend or family member in for a first-time experience. It’s safer, it’s more fun, and sharing the experience is part of the joy,” he said.

“Start easy, there are some great wide meandering sections of the River Eden at Appleby, Langwathby and Armathwaite,”

said Calum. “These sections have great entry and access points. Bridges are always a good place to start; they often have a parking space and a deeper central channel.”

And he urges aspiring wild swimmers not to fear the cold: “It’s meant to be cold; that’s kind of the whole point really. It’s good for your mind and body to experience the exhilarating rush of cold water. Our bodies weren’t made to just gelatinate on sofas warmed by central heating. We are made of sterner stuff and there are myriad benefits to regularly immersing yourself in cold water. From mental health benefits to physical benefits, the scientific literature is starting to catch up with the anecdotal evidence. Don’t take our word for it, go and find out for yourself!”

www.thewildswimmingbrothers.com

Paddlesports

Paddlesports, such as kayaking, canoeing, and stand-up paddleboarding, have physical and mental health benefits, and more people are getting involved. Since the Watersports Participation Survey was first conducted in 2007, paddlesports have risen in popularity by four per cent year-on-year.

An article by British Canoeing highlighted the mental health benefits of paddlesports, particularly in the past year with the stresses of the Covid-19 pandemic affecting our lives. Escaping to the great outdoors has become an essential part of so many people’s routines during these extraordinary times. The article emphasised the role that “social prescriptions”, such as connecting people to local paddlesports community groups, can play in providing practical and emotional support.

Mike Sunderland, Chairman of Cumbria Canoeists, said that for more than 50 years, the River Eden has been paddled by kayakers and open canoeists and now stand-up paddleboards and sit-ons are growing in popularity.

“The most-used stretch is the Lazonby to Armathwaite run, with its rapids and safe whitewater,” said Mike. “From Kirkby Stephen to the Solway, the Eden gently flows, interrupted only by the

occasional rapid or weir, and is sometimes used for introducing young people to paddle sports and quiet gentle journeys in open boats, sharing with care, as the river meanders to the sea.”

For training newcomers, Mike said local canoe clubs and small groups often use stretches of river at Carlisle and

the whitewater sections are suitable for paddlers of all abilities. He added that a small number of experienced paddlers use a number of tributaries such as the Rivers Eamont, Caldew, Lower and Irthing, as well as Scandal Beck.

“The river is a jewel in the crown in Cumbria and is valued and cared for by all who experience this beautiful valley, with its wildlife, natural environment and clean water, carving its way north for nearly 90 miles to the Solway and the sea,” said Mike.

Ullswater is another firm favourite with paddlers. Look out for points of interest, such as the Aira Force waterfall and Ullswater Steamer Pier, where there is a plaque dedicated to Donald Campbell who broke the water speed record at 202.32mph on 23 July 1955.

PHOTO > Rod Ireland Photography

PHOTO > Andy Waddington

Photo > Rod Ireland Photography

Angling

Keen anglers have long enjoyed the many fishing opportunities of the local rivers. Indeed, the first two recipients of the Eden Rivers Trust Ploughlands Legacy Award for significant contributions to conservation in the area are both part of the angling community. Bob Bradney and Andrew Dixon received this honour because of their conservation work and commitment to responsible angling.

Nigel Austin, another local angler, is passionate about fishing in the Eden: “It offers the ability to fish for both migratory and non-migratory fish surrounded by some of the finest

flying across the river,” he says. “It is a very apt quote as far as I am concerned – ‘fishing is not all about catching a fish’.

“Fishing the Eden gives me the opportunity to catch wild unstocked fish in wild and unspoiled locations throughout the Eden Valley by reading the water to know where a fish might be lying,” he adds.

For more information about fishing in the area, go to www.visiteden.co.uk/outdooradventures/fishing/

countryside in the country, never mind the county.”

He said the quality of fly-fishing in particular is “superb for all species and offered in the most part for a very reasonable price”.

Nigel says fishing offers the opportunity to spend time alone or be in the company of like-minded people, as well as giving him time to relax away from the stresses of work.

“A wide range of wildlife can be seen when fishing, including otters and ospreys, and I still love to hear a kingfisher before I actually see it

PHOTO > Rod Ireland Photography

PHOTO > John Stock

PHOTO > Rod Ireland Photography

Walking

Ramblers are an important part of the community, with these keen walkers always eager to make the most of waterside paths as well as being vital volunteers in conservation efforts. And their enthusiasm has inspired many more to lace up their boots and step out on the paths and trails to explore the waterways, enjoy the wildlife, and enjoy the health benefits.

Helpfully, the Eden Rivers Trust website offers downloadable directions for a range of trails, from the leisurely and laidback to longer hikes for serious walkers. The Brougham and Eamont Bridge trail is a 3.75-mile walk that takes around three hours, featuring two rivers, a Roman fort, a castle, a fortified manor house and two ancient henges. A more sedate pace, particularly if you’re walking with children or a range of age groups, can be found with the Kirkby Stephen family river trail with the choice of a one- or two-hour walk on easy footpath terrain. Along the way, there are opportunities to make

sandcastles, take in some literature on the Poetry Path and spot fish from Frank’s Bridge.

Stephen McGinn, owner of Caldew Glass, sings the praises of riverwalking: “I walk the River Caldew very often, anywhere from its confluence in Carlisle right up to its source below Skiddaw, so it’s always been an everpresent and most immediate connection to nature. Rivers are tremendous assets for our health and wellbeing.”

Cycling

Cycling is a great way to experience the waterways and wildlife, and take in the sights of this stunning part of Cumbria. There are plenty of safe road routes and cycle-friendly crossings that can be made across the rivers such as the Eden, Belah, Argill Beck, Swindale Beck and Scandal Beck in the upper reaches.

www.edenriverstrust.org.uk/ things-to-do/

www.visiteden.co.uk.

www.edenvalleyctc.org.uk/rides

Sights that can be seen from the road include Brough Castle, which was rebuilt by the Normans on the site of a Roman fort, Mallerstang and Pendragon Castle (above), Smardale Gill Viaduct, Great Asby Scar National Nature Reserve, and a host of picturesque villages. For more information, go to

There are a number of cycling clubs. Eden Valley Cycling Club has routes on its website. To find out more, go to

Spotting plants animalsand

Wildlife spotting is genuinely an activity for all ages. Whether it’s a class trip or a leisurely stroll decades after you’ve left school, the area offers so many wonderful opportunities to seek out plant and animal species. It’s easy to brush up on your knowledge of the natural environment through the Eden Rivers Trust website.

Families can introduce their budding eco-warriors, creators and scientists to the joys of the river with the help of ERT’s free activity sheets that can be downloaded from the website, including a guide to river dipping.

In the summer months, river-dipping is another way to learn more about the natural wonders of the area in a way that’s engaging for everyone. All you need is a net, a shallow tray, or bowl and an empty jar. The net is used to scoop out small creatures from the water so they can be closely observed in the tray or bowl. Record what you observe by taking photos, sketching or writing notes and then gently use the jar to return any creatures to the river.

Download activity sheets and river-dipping guide from: edenriverstrust.org.uk/primary-schools. For a more detailed guide to the wildlife of the area, turn to page 16.

ERT staff picks –

TOP 10 SPOTS TO VISIT IN

THE EDEN

1. RUTTER FORCE: Located near the market town of Applebyin-Westmorland, this beauty spot on Hoff Beck features a spectacular waterfall, ford, millwheel and abundant wildlife. It is beautiful all year round but particularly attractive in autumn.

2. LACY’S CAVES: In the 18th Century, Colonel Lacy carved out five chambers in the sandstone cliffs by the

River Eden in Little Salkeld – he used to entertain guests here (pictured, facing page). Currently closed for improvements to the path but due to reopen in 2022.

3. LONG MEG AND HER DAUGHTERS: Dating back to 1500BC, this Bronze Age stone circle is believed to mark a tomb or meeting place. Located near Little Salkeld and Glassonby, it is a popular walking trail spot. Long Meg is the tallest of the 69 stones at 12 feet high.

4. SOLWAY FIRTH: This firth forms part of the England–Scotland border and

the Eden ends its journey here. It is a designated AONB and is the ideal place to see the thousands of waders and wildfowl that stop here as part of their migration.

5. SETTLE TO CARLISLE

RAILWAY: This is a 73-mile railway that traverses some of the most scenic parts of the north of England, taking in the Eden Valley as well as the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines.

6. CORBY CASCADE:

This magnificent Grade 1 listed cascade, part of the Corby Castle estate, can be seen across the River

PHOTO > Rod Ireland Photography

PHOTO > Rod Ireland Photography

PHOTO > Stuart Walker Photography

Gentlerpursuits

A trip to the river does not need to be physically strenuous. Indeed, for many the waterways are a source of relaxation and a chance to spend time with friends and family.

Riverside picnics are always popular, especially in the warmer months, with so many great spots to get together with people and make wonderful memories. Of course, it’s important to be responsible and eco-aware on picnics - always take your waste with you if there are no bins nearby. The only thing you should take is pictures and the only thing you should leave behind is footprints.

Creativity is part of the region’s lifeblood. The area has attracted poets, artists, sculptors, writers and photographers over

the centuries. There are plenty of spots for artists and photographers to enjoy, whether they are professionals or enthusiastic amateurs. Writers have been inspired by the area for many years and it continues to be a place where the words flow as easily as the rivers. Poetry, novels and memoirs have been set in Cumbria, from murder mysteries to children’s books to love stories and more.

The river is an ideal place to recharge your mental batteries. A gentle stroll or just spending time watching the world go by can do wonders for your mood.

Here are some tips from Tania, ERT’s learning officer:

• When you go down to the river, notice the little things and differences in each place that you visit.

• Go to a beck, river, lake, tarn (a small upland lake) or waterfall, such as Rutter Force (pictured below).

7. APPLEBY-IN-WESTMORLAND:

A pretty market town, it is known for its historic buildings, such as Appleby Castle, St Lawrence’s Church and Moot Hall, which is home to the tourist information centre and council chambers. It features a door dated 1596.

8. THE ULLSWATER WAY:

This is a 20-mile walking route that can be done in either direction and at any starting point along the way. Shorter walks can be taken and even broken up with an opentop bus or steamer journey.

• Stop for a while. Breathe. Be still.

• Begin to notice what is around you.

• Tune in to the variety of natural sounds.

• Notice the different shapes of the landscape, the trees, the flowers, the shades of greens and browns. Feel the breeze on your skin.

• Look into the water (if it’s safe and clear enough to do so!). Look for signs of life.

• How can you remain connected when you’re at home? Perhaps think about the things you might do everyday that could harm rivers, such as leaving taps running. and make a promise to Act for Eden to turn the taps off.

Find out more about how you can change one thing you do everyday to make a big difference for rivers at www.actforeden.org.uk

9. HIGH CUP NICK:

Often called Nick by locals, this is a glaciated U-shaped valley that provides a challenging walk that rewards hikers with some of the most photogenic views in Cumbria. The walk is best attempted from Dufton.

10.

SWINDALE BECK, NEAR

HAWESWATER: This scenic stream starts at Swindale Head and joins Hobgrumble Beck from Selside Pike. It flows northeast along Swindale and joins the River Lowther between Shap and Bampton.

Eden as you walk south along the public footpath from Wetheral.

PHOTO > Rod Ireland Photography

Lacy’s Caves

Rutter Force

>> Carlisle-based Caldew Glass is an integral part of the area’s creative scene

Heart of Glass

Caldew Glass was founded after Stephen McGinn began cutting glass bottles in 2011. Working as an administrator for a glass company, he made the switch to artisan glasscutting when a customer asked how cutting glass bottles could be done. This led to him taking evening classes in stained glass-making, with a special focus on using recycled materials, such as bottles found by local waterways.

“I’ve been picking up discarded glass bottles from the local environment for about 10 years now, upcycling them into pots, vases and stained glass designs,” Stephen says.

The River Caldew has long been a source of inspiration for Stephen: “I’ve worked literally right beside the Caldew in Carlisle for more than 20

years, and pop out of the back door most days and sit on the flood wall to look for kingfishers and dippers, or to see how the river flow there changes very dramatically with the weather.”

In May 2021, ERT held a charity auction and Caldew Glass was involved in providing one of the lots.

“During lockdown, I made a riverthemed panel for home using bottles collected from along the River Caldew. When the 25th anniversary auction was announced, I wanted to get involved and made a trio of river-themed panels with bottles recovered from along the Caldew,” says Stephen. “It’s been nice to be able to take litter out of the river environment and turn it into something that raises some funds for the trust who look after the same river.” www.caldewglass.co.uk

EDEN RIVERS TRUST

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF

river defenders

>> Whether it is in the classroom, on a field trip, volunteering or getting involved in creative projects, young people are demonstrating that the Eden Catchment is in safe hands

Young people are taking an active interest in the conservation of the Eden Catchment, particularly through the trust’s engagement with schools across the area. Since 2005, more than 18,000 pupils have learnt about rivers with Eden Rivers Trust (ERT). The trust is renowned for its innovative creative projects, commissioning and working alongside artists to find new ways to inspire children to care about healthy rivers.

Plastic pollution is a major problem for Eden’s rivers, particularly in the built-up areas in the catchment such as Carlisle and near the mouth of the Eden at Rockcliffe. As part of the 2018 exhibition Eden Rivers Wonder World at Tullie House, Tania Crockett, Learning Coordinator, commissioned artists Rag Tag Arts, Woodmatters, and Gorgeous Media to work with local schools to find a creative way to show the impact of litter on our rivers and wildlife.

The result was the Litter Monster, a five-metre high sculptural installation that towered over visitors. The artists worked with pupils from Appleby Primary School, Petteril Bank Community School and Rockcliffe C of E School to understand the impact of litter on the river and its inhabitants. The children went on a litterpick and made parts of the giant Litter Monster from waste items found by the river. They learnt all about the river and why healthy rivers are important then created their own small litter monsters that featured in an impassioned film that used the children’s voices to implore people to stop dumping litter.

The project even came to the attention of Sir David Attenborough, who wrote the children a letter praising their work.

Shap School students turned river detectives to understand the impact of farming on the river. They learned about water-friendly farming with Tania, and created a film with Gorgeous Media. They used stop-motion animation to illustrate the differences between a healthy and unhealthy river in a farming landscape.

It’s not just Eden’s rivers that are under threat; iconic species that have made the Eden their home for thousands of years are, too. Back in 2019, we had the idea of

bringing the epic migration of the Wild Atlantic salmon to life, raising awareness of the challenges that this iconic (and fast-disappearing) species faces to survive and thrive.

Two classes from Robert Ferguson Primary School in Carlisle joined forces with the trust and illustrator Clare Waring to create illustrations for a new children’s picture book featuring a poem written by Rebecca Neal of West Cumbria Rivers Trust and Tania.

To inspire their drawings, pupils visited the local river, learnt about some of the species featured in the book, and found out how changes to the river and surrounding land affect wildlife and salmon migration. In the classroom, Clare taught the children drawing techniques. They were then able to create their own river creatures and gave Clare ideas for page backgrounds.

Tania, says, “I believe it’s essential for the future of healthy rivers that young people have an opportunity to learn about and experience them first-hand, whether that’s seeing a mayfly nymph for the first time or creating a film about rivers from scratch. We use a variety of approaches to tap into a wide range of interests and support different learning styles.”

The trust engages artists and filmmakers for their ability to help children develop creative works that act as a catalyst for change.

“The artists and filmmakers use fun, creative, emotive language or style that brings together science and art to make something that the young people can be proud of and share with their community,” says Tania. “We want to inspire the next generation to be environmentally conscious, wherever their life takes them and whatever career choices they make, being aware that our success as a species is inter-linked and dependent on a healthy, functioning planet.”

AMY’S WAY

>> The future of Eden’s waterways looks bright as more and more young environmental and sustainability champions get involved. Amy Bray is one such activist leading the way in Cumbria

From teenage activists to engaging with local schools, awareness of the importance of protecting the precious wetlands and surrounding environment in our corner of Cumbria is high. And thanks to the leadership of motivated young people, words are turning into actions as they get involved on a practical level.

One shining example of youth leadership is 18-year-old Amy Bray from the village of Matterdale. She took the initiative to start Another Way, a Cumbria-based environmental charity that walks the walk with practical

initiatives as well as talking the talk. Amy was interviewed for this special anniversary magazine about her achievements and how other young people can get involved.

Q: How did you become interested in conservation and sustainability?

A: I’ve always been fascinated by our oceans and when I was 12 I read a book called The Ocean of Life by Callum Roberts. It was all about the threats facing our oceans, from microplastic pollution to overfishing. I realised that what I wanted to study when I was older

might no longer be there when I was able to do so. From then, I decided to turn my focus towards conservation. This was before Blue Planet 2 , before the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPC) report came out, so these issues were still not in the press. I began by emailing my MPs and phoning companies, but realised I also needed to change my lifestyle. While I was asking the government to make laws against plastic bags, I was still using plastic, from the food I ate to the bottles my shampoo came in, so I challenged my family to go plastic-

free. This started my journey toward sustainable living and inspiring other people to do the same.

Q: Why is it important to keep our waterways clean?

A: Our oceans and rivers are responsible for producing half the oxygen we breathe, they clean our planet, regulate our atmosphere’s temperature and weather, and provide food for more than 2 billion people – and they’re important for our mental and physical health. During lockdown, people have turned to wild swimming or days out by rivers and lakes, so conserving our waterways is beneficial for our health, and that of our planet. Unfortunately, our actions today are jeopardising this. Our society creates pollution from microfibres from car tyres and clothes, to oil spills, agricultural runoff and heavy metal pollution, causing fragile aquatic ecosystems to collapse. Microplastics get into our drinking water or the fish we eat, so they find their way into our own tissues. Sewage and fertilisers cause algal blooms and eutrophication (due to excess nutrients from run-off). If we want thriving seas and rivers and a healthy planet, we must keep our waterways clean.

Q: How can young people become more involved in conservation and sustainability?

A: Start with what you feel comfortable with, whether that is changing your own behaviour, reducing the plastic you use, buying second-hand clothes, reducing the meat you eat or taking public transport. If you like art, you could create an artwork around conservation. If you like public speaking, you could give an assembly in your school. There are so many youth groups and organisations that you can get involved with such as our Another Way Ambassador Programme, which is a platform for young, like-minded people to share resources toward making change in their communities. It is critical that we realise that we are never too small or insignificant to make change. With every act and every time we influence others, we create a wave of change.

Q: What are your favourite spots in the Eden Rivers region?

A: I love cold-water swimming and picnics by rivers and tarns. I even revised for my GCSEs while sitting in the middle of a river in Howtown! I love

Black Moss Pot, Easdale Tarn and the Buttermere Valley.

Q: What projects have you worked on in your local area?

A: I founded environmental education charity Another Way when I was 16 and since then we have developed multiple education resources, such as leaflets on how to live a plastic-free lifestyle and our 30 Steps To Another Way home certification that guides people through how to live sustainably. We have set up two not-for-profit zero waste shops in Penrith and Kendal, which have enabled our local community to reduce waste and start discussions about conservation. In August 2019, we organised Another Wainwright Day – more than 600 people and 50 organisations summited the Wainwright mountains in the Lake District to support our message that each one of us is responsible for our future. People signed pledges to our planet at the top.

We have planted more than 12,000 trees with our local community and farmers partnering with The Tree Council and Ullswater Catchment Management CIC. This has helped to bridge the gap between conservation and farming. It is a really exciting project that not which complements all the fantastic work farmers and people like Danny Teasdale are doing in our area.

I have also delivered talks and awareness sessions to more than 4,000 people from schools and community groups around Cumbria and beyond about plastic pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss – and what we can do about it.

Q: What are your plans for the future as a sustainability campaigner?

A: I would like to go into science communication and conservation research after I finish my degree. I am in the process of developing sustainable living workshops for families. I hope that I can inspire other young people to make change in their communities, and empower them so that they realise that they are not alone and that other people do care. We are planning an exciting event for 2022 too. To keep updated, please check out our website and social media.

www.another-way.co.uk

Twitter: @AnotherWay_tw Instagram: @another.way.ig

AFTER THE FLOOD

>> Two creative projects – Marble Run: River, and the Inside Out Felt Trail – have educated, inspired and been truly therapeutic for people in the Eden Catchment

After the 2015 floods, large parts of Cumbria needed to heal - but it was not just the natural environment that had to recover.

For the many people in the area, it was a difficult time. Thanks to support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we commissioned two creative projects in response to the flood, Marble Run: River, and the Inside Out Felt Trail, which played a vital role in helping the community.

Marble Run: River, created in 2016, allowed local youth groups to work with artists, Charlie Whinney and Nick Greenall to create a wooden sculpture that reflected the flow of, and natural features found in, rivers. The project provided education on the importance of natural flood management and taught new skills to the young people involved, such as woodworking. For this project, artists worked with Nacro, a charity working with young people who are not in employment or education and are at risk of offending, and Carlisle Youth Zone’s

Senior Youth Club, which was badly affected by the floods in December 2015.

Another project borne out of the Storm Desmond floods was the Inside Out Felt Trail, a temporary outdoor art installation. Two local artists, Karen Babayan and Debra Esterhuizen, held workshops and worked with local residents to make an outdoor sculpture trail along the banks of the Eden. The artists described the workshops they held over the summer of 2016 as being part of a “cathartic, healing process”. People who were affected by the floods were encouraged to tell their story as they created felted fabric. The felted fabric was then used to create artwork for the pop-up sculpture trail.

As well as being therapeutic, the trail was used to raise awareness among school children about the importance of a flood-resilient river system.

“We took a mindful walk with years 3 and 4 pupils down to the river to observe the beauty of the river restored by nature and to talk about the cycle of destruction, resilience and restoration. We realised that when we take time to slow down and observe the reality of nature, we are better able to appreciate our place in the larger scheme of things,” said Karen Babayan.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Act for Eden

Sign up to our campaign today and make a promise to Act for Eden. By making a promise, over the next two months you will make a small (and painless!) change to one thing you do every day. This could be using a reusable coffee cup or water bottle, spreading peat-free compost in your garden, or taking shorter showers.

As well as making Eden’s rivers cleaner and healthier, it could also be good for your health, community, and our planet, and save you money! Make a promise to Act for Eden today at our website actforeden.org.uk

3. Go the extra step for our rivers and sign up as a trust volunteer. From practical conservation work and monitoring of endangered species and invertebrates to helping inspire school pupils and our communities to become the next generation of river defenders, whatever time you can spare will make a big difference to our rivers. Training and equipment is provided… along with the essential cake and brews!

7. Check your home’s drains for misconnections – sinks, baths, toilets, dishwashers and washing machines should connect to the foul drain. For more information, go to connectright.org.uk

>> If you are inspired to help preserve the precious ecosystems of the Eden Catchment area, here are nine ways to get involved

2. Bring friends or family or just yourself to spend a few hours improving the river and the surrounding landscape at one of our public River Action Days. Our action days include river clean-ups, the annual Big Balsam Bash, plus winter planting on our conservation project sites.

4. Make a donation

In our 25th anniversary year, we’re calling on everyone to donate £25 (or whatever you can afford) to help us do even more to protect our rivers, wetlands and wildlife. For more information and to make a donation, go to edenriverstrust.org.uk/donate

5. If you’re handy with a camera –e ither still photography or videos – you can help us build our library of images and footage for educational, promotional, and research use.

6. If you see any signs of pollution

8. If you have a septic tank, make sure it is emptied annually and keep it in tip-top condition so harmful waste and chemicals don’t seep into the ground or empty into the river. For more information, go to callofnature.info

9. Did you know that we benefit from gifts in wills? Leaving a gift to the Eden Rivers Trust will help us continue to improve and protect the rivers that you love, supporting a brighter future for people and nature. To find out more, please get in touch with us at office@edenrt.org for an informal chat.

To find out more about our volunteering opportunities and other ways you can help, log on to edenriverstrust. org.uk/volunteer, call 01768 866 788 or email volunteers@edenrt.org.

EDEN RIVERS TRUST Trustees & Staff

Eden Rivers Trust Trustees

1996 – 2021

Andrew Quinn

Peter Ecroyd

John Garnett

Ian Gregg

Ivor Jones

Robert Benson

James R. Carr

Chris Harpley

W. Victor Gubbins

Nick Marriner

Neil Taylor

Duncan Graham

Michael Heelis

Brian Irving

Ann Lansberry (NWW)

Glen Savage

Nigel Milsom

Louise Heathwaite

C. Robert Warburton

Nicholas Lloyd

James Turner

Glyn Vaughan

E. Charles Ecroyd

John Sander

John Quinton

Sandi Bradney

Hilary Wade

Alex Thursby

Alex Bennett

Mark Barrow

Courteney Johnson

With special thanks to ERT staff 1997–2021

Alasdair Brock

Janet Arnison

Anne Griffiths

Rob Coleman

Alistair Maltby

Simon Henderson

Lucy Butler (nee Dugdale)

Sara Townsend-Cartwright

Ruth Dalton

Judith Brown (nee Dickson)

Will Cleasby

Vicky Knowles

Kate Turner

Becky Helm

Ian Gregg

Giles Rickard

Jodie Ferguson

Rachel Purdon

Jenny Holden

Lizzie Fenton

Maggie Robinson

Joanne Backshall

Karen Parr

Kim Byers

Jennie Pollard

Rebbecca Chaffer

Simon Johnson

Alison Strong (nee Reed)

Tom Dawson

Gareth Pedley

Chris West

Paul Greaves

Joanne Spencer

Susie Grainger

Jane Davies

Anthony Bailey

Kirsty Jacques

Joe Foster

Andy Bates

Toby Hadley

Dave Greaves

Daniel Brazier

Sam Mason

Ged Acton

Rory Cummings

Danielle Calderbank

James Feddon

Catherine McIIwraith

Matthew Jenkinson

Alice Robinson

Tania Crockett

Nathan Addis

Oliver Burbury

Courteney

Johnstone

James Palmer

Danny Teasdale

Elizabeth Radford

Chris Braithwaite

Caroline Robinson

Claire Chapman

Lev Dahl

Andy Dyer

Jenny Garbe

Sarah Kidd

Julie Lawrence

Jenni Payne

Hilary Clarke

Megan Cox

Michael Rogers