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Ribble Trust are excited to be taking part in the 1000 Rivers Project. This project, led by the University of Hull aims to take eDNA samples from 1000 rivers in the British Isles, Continental Europe, and Canada. The Trust will be collecting 5 samples from the Ribble catchment and 5 samples from the Douglas catchment.

As we already know our rivers have the potential to support a huge variety of wildlife, but centuries of river mismanagement and pollution have severely damaged river habitats and reduced water quality. In turn this has resulted in severely reduced wildlife populations.

Thankfully massive improvements have already been made, and much needed improvements are still ongoing. To measure the results of these improvements we use a variety of monitoring schemes, including the brilliant Riverfly Monitors scheme which is led by our amazing volunteers.

The 1000 Rivers Project is another way of monitoring our rivers but uses new eDNA technology to look at the fish community. All river dwellers release their DNA into the water, this project involves collecting water samples, which are then filtered, before being passed to a laboratory for analysis. This will help us find out which species are present in the river at the time of sampling. Additionally, it will help us to determine whether or not the invasive pink salmon Onchorhynchus gorbuscha are residing in the Ribble.

Rivers Trusts including East Yorkshire, Eden, Mersey, Northumberland, Ouse & Adur, Tyne, South Cumbria and West Cumbria are participating in the project alongside Marine Scotland Science and Cefas.

For more information on the project please visit the 1000 rivers website.

The Upper Ribble weirs, which are being addressed thanks to our Ribble Life for Water project, are a set of four weirs on the River Ribble close to Horton in Ribblesdale.

Despite being close to its source the Ribble is still not achieving ‘good’ status in this location. This is due to a number of factors such as agricultural diffuse pollution, land management issues, and modifications in the river, such as these upper Ribble weirs.

These four structures have been identified as having significant impact on the morphology of the river. Having been created some time ago by anglers who hoped to create resting pools for fish, which would improve fishing prospects and the likelihood of catching a fish, the weirs are now negatively affecting the river.

Species such as trout and salmon are sensitive to changes in the river and need particular spawning and nursery habitats. The modifications that have been carried out here are affecting the pool and riffle sequences which are so important for fish.

Although we are in the planning stage, modelling and ecological surveys have been carried out, and we are monitoring for signs of otters.

The Trust are now in their second year of the Pendle WINNS invasive species control, which is being carried out in partnership with Forest of Bowland AONB as part of their Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership project.

Ribble Rivers Trust is helping the project achieve its aims by involving local volunteers in the control of invasive species and planting of new woodland around this iconic landmark.

An area of riverbank in Barley before and after clearance.

This year we have been tackling key strategic sites in the Pendle area. These sites have been carefully researched to ensure that the removal will have the maximum impact. By starting in the upper reaches of rivers and streams and travelling downstream we can increase the effectiveness of our work and prevent the areas we have worked on from being reseeding.

The three sites we are targeting as part of Pendle WINNS are Barley, Ravensclough Wood, and Swanside Beck. These sites were first visited in 2018 and are being revisited this year. As the seeds of Himalayan balsam can remain in viable in the soil for many years, we will need to keep revisiting these sites until no further balsam grows.

The Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership project, led by the Forest of Bowland AONB, was awarded £1.8 million by the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2018. The grant is being used to restore, enhance and conserve the heritage and landscape of Pendle Hill, reconnecting people with their past and their landscape, and creating a sustainable future for the environment.

Some of our lovely volunteers who are helping us in the fight against balsam

Holland wood weir lies on the River Darwen, close to its confluence with the River Ribble and the limit of the tidal Ribble area. The weir once helped to supply Walton Mill, a corn and flour mill in Walton le Dale, Preston, with water. Although the mill, which is now operated by Massey Bros, still exists only the weir remains, although the route of the mill race is still clear from aerial photographs.

The weir itself is 3.15 meters high, 10 meters long, and 26 meters wide and at the moment there is little opportunity for fish to pass the weir. The weir is also causing other problems, with the creation of incision downstream, and gravel and silt deposition upstream.

In order to improve fish passage and the rivers geomorphology the Trust will be creating a close-to-nature bypass channel, similar in design to the one created at Oakenshaw in 2017. This channel will redirect 5-10% of the rivers flow into a separate, specially designed channel which can be used as an alternative route upstream for migratory fish. It is hoped that when the bypass channel is completed it will enable increase the numbers of salmon, brown trout, and eels, as well as bullhead, chub, roach, and even some fish more commonly associated with saltwater, such as flounder.

As well as the bypass channel we are tackling the giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam, and Japanese knotweed that is growing in the area, and carrying out engagement activities with Scouts and other local groups.

Work on the fish passage is due to start later this year and has been made possible thanks to funding from the Water Environment Grant, as part of the Ribble Life for Water project.

Monday

When I arrived, I was met by Jonny who showed me around the office and explained what the trust did and what I would be doing for the week. I then went electrofishing with Adam and Kate. The fish were caught using an electric current relative to the conductivity of the water, which caused the muscles of the fish to twitch and meant they were easier to catch. We caught a lot of bullhead and mallow, as well as trout, a few salmon and an eel.

Tuesday

On Tuesday I went to Stainforth with Helen and Amelia where we set up a ‘River Explorers’ walk along the river. This involved children using an app to find boards with a trout, kingfisher and otter on. The app would then play an animation and give some information about the animals. Once they had finished, they were able to colour and make a River Explorer badge.

Wednesday

On my third day I went to a volunteer day where I helped remove tree guards from trees that had been planted 6 years ago. The trees are important to rivers because they help stabilise the river banks and provide shade that cools water temperatures.

Thursday

Today Helen and Ryan took me to Edisford Bridge for another ‘River Explorers’ day. It was a lot more successful than Tuesday because the weather was so hot, and lots of families came to make badges with different river animals on. They were also really interested in the using virtual reality headset that showed videos and information on two river sites the trust has worked on.

Friday

On Friday I went to a volunteer balsam bashing with Jonny, Amelia and Ryan. Himalayan balsam is an invasive species that outcompetes native flora in the summer and dies in the winter. Because its roots are very short it is unable to provide support for the river bank and means its susceptible to erosion.

I’ve had a very enjoyable week with the Ribble Rivers Trust and I’m pleased I chose to do work experience here. It has taught me a lot about what it is like to work with the environment and the importance of volunteers in helping to make improvements to rivers.

Over the last few months we’ve been appealing to the angling community to try and gather together more equipment for our angling coaching, and we are delighted to announce it has been a great success.

Thanks to generous contributions we now have a range of equipment including rods, nets, reels, feeders, floats, and much more!

Ribble Trust recently introduced angling into the schools packages to educate young people about the benefits of rivers and teach them how to care for their local environment. This equipment will be a huge help to us with this work.

Our angling sessions go hand in hand with our Rivers in the Classroom sessions. By introducing young people to angling we hope it will promote a sense of responsibility towards rivers and encourage young people to look after their local environment whilst enjoying sport and learning new skills.

The angling tutoring also help to improve young people’s communication and team work skills, physical and mental wellbeing, and increase confidence. Experiencing nature and the outdoors, enjoying peace and quiet and positive interactions with like-minded people will reduce stress and anxiety, improve self-esteem and result in happier, more positive people.

As a sport angling has multiple benefits, plus it is relatively low cost and accessible with the majority of people able to get involved. By getting people involved with the sport at an early age it is hoped that they will develop lifelong love of angling and of course, rivers!

Photo courtesy of Todmorden Angling Society

When I first arrived I knew nothing!  Or at least I felt like I didn’t.  It was something completely new to me and I wasn’t sure if I would make the grade.  However, that soon became irrelevant and unimportant.

Changing careers can be a daunting prospect as you can never be totally sure whether it’s something you’ll be good at or even like.  I somehow knew though that my decision to change from working in an office doing admin to working as an apprentice for an environmental conservation charity would be the best professional decision I would ever make.

From sitting at a desk, where the only amount of  lifting and carrying I did was to pick up a telephone/biscuit, to working in the countryside where lifting things (very heavy things!) became the norm, was a big change but as I’m always up for a challenge, I persevered.  What could be better than exploring Lancashire’s green hills and getting fit at the same time?

I have been doing a horticulture apprenticeship at Ribble Rivers Trust since October 2017 where I’ve been able to get involved in a wide range of activities, for example fitting eel tiles on a fish pass, to allow eels to migrate upstream (see picture).  Having never used a chisel and hammer (seriously) before, this was a first for me, and only on my second day!  I was going in head first.

Next on the agenda, was planting trees.  And oh boy, was there a lot!   The first site had over 7000 trees and it was the first step I took into learning tree identification.  I remember having a conversation with a friend a few months earlier about how I wished I could identify trees just by looking at their leaves; well now I’m well on my way to doing just that with native trees from the North West of England.

Not long into my apprenticeship I was given the opportunity to lead on activities with volunteers.  My first task was to organise Balsam Bashing sessions during the summer months.  Himalayan Balsam is an invasive and non-native plant that contributes to riverbank erosion and out-competes our native flora, hence why we encourage pulling it out.  On my first day I was nervous to lead my own volunteer day, however my nerves soon dissipated when I met the volunteers who came.  I’m proud to say they are still volunteering with us today, so I must have made a good impression. Or perhaps it was the ground coffee I put in their cups instead of instant and they couldn’t resist teasing me about it again!

My skills were developing quickly, and I  was feeling more confident carrying out practical tasks. During the glorious summer of 2018, I spent most of it outdoors in the sunshine… I sense a bit of envy?  Hmm you should be.  I helped to construct a post and rail fence and made a hurdle to fit between the fence posts (see pictures).

Other activities I was involved in were creating woodland footpaths, hosting community litter picking sessions and creating leaky dams to help slow the flow of water downstream.   Aside from the practical learning, these types of activities helped to explain the importance of caring for our environment and making it a safer, cleaner and more enjoyable place to be in for wildlife and people.

During my apprenticeship I received qualifications in how to apply pesticides using a knapsack, and training I was desperately keen on doing was using a chainsaw, so I gained a qualification in maintenance and cross cutting.  These were things I could never have imagined doing, even a year before the start of my apprenticeship.  Another milestone I reached recently was reversing the utility terrain vehicle onto its trailer (not the easiest of tasks), and it’s something I have struggled to do without assistance in the past, but I managed it once and for all.

I was able to go on a placement to work in the grounds of Whalley Abbey with the Head Gardener (see picture).  Whilst there, I did a variety of tasks that ranged from planting up flower beds, to taking cuttings, to mowing and scarifying lawns.  I liked finding out what plants worked well together, on what aspect and in which soil type.  Having had both experience in horticulture and conservation, I feel I have been able to learn more and gain a wider range of practical experience in both areas which are closely linked.

Now, as I approach the end of my apprenticeship, I have made another leap and will be venturing into the world of amenity horticulture and working alongside other gardeners in a historic garden setting.  For me, working in a garden surrounded by plants is where my passion is and I’m excited to see where it will take me.

Working at Ribble Rivers Trust has meant that I have grown in confidence in my own abilities to do practical tasks but also notably my family have regularly commented on how I seem a much happier person, because I am doing something that I enjoy.  The apprenticeship has had its challenges, but I think it has only proven to me how determined I am to persevere and make sure I finish whatever task I started.  It has been a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills and meet like-minded people and I will take away so many fond memories, even of the singing and awful jokes!