Blog

Eels in the Classroom This two-year project, supported by BAE Systems and United Utilities has now come to an end, well, nearly….. Fitting alongside some practical delivery work in the Barrow and Furness area to improve fish migration, the project was set up to give four schools an amazing opportunity to learn about a critically endangered species, the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) and about our rivers too. We took advice from other river trusts and the Sustainable Eel Group (SEG)…

Hi, my name is Sammy. I’m a recent graduate of animal conservation science. Having studied for three years, plus a placement year, at the University of Cumbria, I have been recently employed by South Cumbria Rivers Trust as an invasive non-native species coordinator. This means I will work with various people to get rid of invasive species that aren’t from the UK that are causing huge negative impacts to our local species, ecosystem and wildlife. The areas I’m working in…

With the help of volunteers, SCRT has carried out a series of coppicing events to increase light to reedbeds around Windermere. The CaST project is focused on restoring and maintaining reedbeds around Windermere. Reedbeds have declined 90% despite being important, not only for providing valuable habitat for birds, mammals, invertebrates and more but they also act as natural filters, removing nutrients and re-oxygenating water. Succession on the inland edge of existing reedbeds can lead to high tree cover and over…

In 2019, SCRT installed three floating islands in Elterwater as part of our ongoing Elterwater remediation project. Elterwater is a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI), formed from three connected basins (inner, middle and outer basin) and fed by Great Langdale Beck and Little Langdale Beck. Situated just outside the small village of Elterwater in the Langdale Valley, Elterwater has been badly affected by historical pollution. SCRT have been working to improve the water quality of Elterwater for a number…

I’ve joined South Cumbria Rivers Trust as a Project Officer for the EU LIFE 4ever Kent project. I have experience in hydro-ecology and geomorphology as I previously worked as a hydro-ecologist. As part of this I’ve previously worked on fish pass designs, fish habitat surveys and fluvial geomorphological walkovers. As a new project officer, I will primarily be working on the EU LIFE4ever Kent project which sets out to restore and revitalise the River Kent Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)…

Two Months Blog I am now two months into my role as a Project Officer and have loved learning new aspects of my job, as well as developing my own projects! Since last month I have started learning more about Crayfish, something I am really interested in. Cumbria is home the UK’s only native species of crayfish, the White-Clawed Crayfish. This species is at risk due to factors such as pollution, sedimentation, and the spread of the crayfish plague by…

One Month I have officially been a project officer for a month! Over the last couple of weeks, I have been busy completing walkover surveys to identify possible new projects. These took place in both the Poaka and Winster catchments, which gave me a chance to explore both places a bit more. It also gave me a great opportunity to put some of what I had learnt in the first two weeks to use, not only spotting issues but also…

Week 1: I started my new role as a Project Officer for SCRT just over two weeks ago and I have learnt a lot since. On my first day, I had a few introductory meetings to learn the basic protocols of the trust alongside my first look at my probation plan, which outlines my targets for the next three months. This day also gave me a nice opportunity to meet the rest of the team as everyone came in and…

January 2020- Blog by Roxanne Diaz, World Fish Migration Foundation Communications Manager © Jeremy Monroe Migratory fishes are a strong, remarkable group of species. There are more than 1,100 freshwater species which migrate a distance of more than 100 km; some swim over 11,000 km over the course of their lifetimes. They navigate using the currents, magnetic fields, and with their sense of taste and smell. Migratory fish are a crucial link in the food chain and play an important role…

Hi again, I am now over three months into the role! Since my last blog, I have been busy, like everyone else in the Trust! I attended the Barrow Community Rivers Day, hosted by SCRT, Barrow Community Kitchen and Tesco Metro. We carried out a litter pick in the morning, with local people and businesses coming to support the day and tidy up next to the river. Even the local paper came to support the clean, which was great publicity…