CONSERVATIVE MP for Truro and Falmouth Cherilyn Mackrory joined us in Tregony on 6 January as a citizen scientist.
Ms Mackrory learnt how to conduct a water test when she met our CEO Dr Laurence Couldrick along the banks of the River Fal (pictured above).
Laurence said: “It’s important for us to speak with local politicians to ensure the plight of the region’s waterways and the challenges they face remains at the top of the political agenda.
“We discussed our work in Cornwall such as our part in the South West Water funded Upstream Thinking project to help reduce pollution from agriculture, our activity with the Environment Agency to increase fish numbers in our spawning rivers, and how our Westcountry Citizen Science Investigations (CSI) volunteers are making great progress in monitoring the health of the region’s freshwater habitats.”
Laurence talks Cherilyn through the water quality tests.
Ms Mackrory has been so inspired by WestcountryCSI, which we have run since 2016 and which has informed the development of an Ofwat-funded, England-wide river monitoring pilot scheme, that she hopes to take part as a volunteer to monitor a section of the River Fal.
Our citizen science project has more than 350 active volunteers across the Westcountry and recorded more than 2,900 surveys in 2021, all building a picture of the state of the region’s rivers which help inform action and intervention if needed.
We are now seeking up to 4,000 people to help look after the 850 plus water bodies across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset.
Laurence added: “I’m pleased our work and our WestcountryCSI project has inspired Cherilyn and I hope others will get involved too and help us keep bringing rivers to life.”
Visit wrt.org.uk/westcountry-csi/ or email [email protected] to find out how you can volunteer with WestcountryCSI.