News

The LIFE R4ever Kent project is running open days for farmers and land managers throughout the Kent catchment. The project team can also provide advice and funding for environmental land management schemes and physical restoration works. Take a look at the invitation below with information and contact details: LifeR4EverKentinvite This is a great opportunity to get – – free advice on accessing environmental land management schemes, such as Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive – funding for physical river…

We have a new vacancy here at South Cumbria Rivers Trust. We are looking for a full time water scientist to help with our day-to-day projects throughout the catchment. To find out more information, please go to our VACANCIES page.

Once standing across the River Kent, Site of Special Scientific Interest/Special Area of Conservation (SSSI/SAC), Bowston weir was removed in summer 2022. Now, our Bowston weir removal project has reached the finals for two awards coming up in April and May. We are finalists for the UK River Prize, a prestigious prize that celebrates the achievements of those working to improve the natural functioning and ecological integrity of rivers and catchments, throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Judged by…

South Cumbria Rivers Trust are setting up a new volunteer led Windermere Community Partnership. Following in the footsteps of the Coniston and Crake Catchment Partnership and the Duddon River Association, this will be a local partnership covering the whole Windermere catchment. SCRT are the DEFRA appointed hosts of the South Cumbria catchment partnership, Becks to Bay. Becks to Bay is part of the national catchment based approach initiative, which ‘looks at activities and issues in the wider catchment as a whole, rather than…

The LIFE R4Ever Kent project is a year old, can you believe it?! So what’s the project, what’s been done and what improvements have been made to the River Kent so far? The Project This 5-year project aims to restore the River Kent SAC and revitalise its designated habitat and species including Freshwater Pearl Mussels, Bullhead, White clawed crayfish, Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho Batrachion habitat. It also aims to ensure a more sustainable management of its catchment and increase species…

South Cumbria Rivers Trust led a group of students from St Thomas’ school in Kendal, in planting over 600 trees in the Longsleddale valley this week. The planting scheme is part of a wider project in the catchment, namely the Cumbrian River Restoration Strategy funded by the Environment Agency and the R4Ever LIFE Kent Restoration project funded by a grant from the European Union. We took the decision to plant these trees without the use of tree guards and stakes…

As the festive season is here, the SCRT offices will be closed from Monday 26th December – Tuesday 3rd January. We want to thank everyone for your valued support in 2022 and wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here’s to 2023!

Cumbrian river restoration programme scoops the prestigious European Riverprize. We are honoured and humbled to be a part of the ambitious programme to restore and improve rivers across Cumbria, which has just been awarded the prestigious European Riverprize. The Environment Agency and Natural England set up this forward thinking programme in 2010 and we at SCRT have been there since its inception. Over the past 12 years, the partnership has continued to grow and now includes Eden Rivers Trust, West…

The Cumbrian River Restoration Strategy (CRRS) has reached the finals for the prestigious European River Prize 2022. This Environment Agency/Natural England led strategy aims to restore natural river processes in Cumbria. The CRRS was developed to improve the form and function of three catchment areas, the Rivers Eden, Derwent and Kent, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) for the benefit of people and wildlife. Historically, modifications were made to our rivers before it was…

Our colleague Bekka Corrie-Close is leaving us, after almost 13 years working for the Trust. Bekka started as a volunteer for SCRT, Electrofishing on the River Bela, before becoming the Cumbria Freshwater Invasive Non-Native Species Officer in 2010. Since then, Bekka has become an expert in her field as well as a much respected, hardworking member of the team. Bekka is leaving to focus on her farm in South Cumbria and we wish her all the best for the future!…