Westcountry Rivers Trust

Devon Communities Resilience Forum
2024-03-22 10:00 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Kenn Centre, Kennford, Exeter
Join our Rapid Response catchments team at Devon Communities Together’s Resilience Forum to talk about how communities can become more resilient to flooding.

Book your FREE spot here: Devon Prepared – Whole Society Resilience Conference | Devon Communities Together

Tales of the Dart - Totnes
2024-04-06 10:30 - 15:30 | Totnes Boating Association, Steamer Quay Rd, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5AL, United Kingdom
Come and explore the River Dart, its ecology and history through the traditional tales it has inspired.
Join author and professional storyteller Lisa Schneidau, Environmental Humanities researcher Dr Charlotte Lancaster and Friends of the Dart for a day of storytelling on the River Dart. Whether folklore, history or science, we want to hear your stories, and help us find new ones as we explore this beautiful river system.
This interactive and participatory storytelling event is intended for anyone over the age of 7 and families are more than welcome. You do not need to have any storytelling experience; Tales of the Dart offers a fun and playful way to explore the River Dart, its ecology, history and the traditional and modern tales it has inspired.
For more information and to book your FREE tickets, go to www.talesofthedart.co.uk

Tales of the Dart - Dartmeet
2024-04-13 10:30 - 15:30 | Badgers Holt, Dartmeet, Devon, PL20 6SG, United Kingdom
Come and explore the River Dart, its ecology and history through the traditional tales it has inspired.
Join author and professional storyteller Lisa Schneidau, Emma Cunis from Dartmoor’s Daughter, and Environmental Humanities researcher Dr Charlotte Lancaster for a day of storytelling on the River Dart.
Whether folklore, history or science, we want to hear your stories, and help us find new ones as we explore this beautiful river system.
This interactive and participatory storytelling event is intended for anyone over the age of 7 and families are more than welcome.
You do not need to have any storytelling experience; Tales of the Dart offers a fun and playful way to explore the River Dart, its ecology, history and the traditional and modern tales it has inspired.
For more information and to book your FREE tickets, go to www.talesofthedart.co.uk

Gardening with Trees
2024-04-21 13:30 - 16:00 | Higher Culloden Farm, College Road, Camelford, Cornwall PL32 9TL, Higher Culloden Farm, College Road,, Camelford, Cornwall, PL32 9TL, United Kingdom
Have fun as you learn about the environmental benefits of planting trees, shrubs, and perennial plants alongside food crops at home.
Westcountry Rivers Trust’s Farm Net Zero team are joining Nourish Kernow for the project’s next climate-friendly gardening workshop.
The event will include a hands-on soil health assessment that you can try at home, plus ideas to help you manage your garden to best sequester carbon and adapt to a changing climate, as well as boosting biodiversity.
We will be taking a look at the trees recently planted at the farm to support its habitat management plan and hearing about the inspiration and challenges behind the farm’s wider Community Supported Agriculture project to create a regenerative market garden on the edge of town.
Book your free place via our Eventbrite page: eventbrite.co.uk/e/gardening-trees-with-farm-net-zero-nourish-kernow-tickets

Managing Your Grassland for Biodiversity and Climate Resilience
2024-05-11 14:00 - 16:00 | St Ive Community Garden, St Ive Church, St Ive, Liskeard, PL14 3LX, PL14 3LX
Explore the species rich meadow, orchard and other areas of St Ive Community Garden, managed by the St Ive Community volunteers, and learn how you can manage your lawn at home to:

encourage biodiversity
reduce energy use
uncover the secrets of locking up carbon in your soil.

This session will include a chance to discover soil health indicators and a discussion on gardening for climate resilience run by Westcountry Rivers Trust. We will also highlight examples from farmers in the region working together towards Farm Net Zero climate emissions.
Free entry.
Tea and snacks will be provided in the Church Hall. Please email zoe@wrt.org.uk if you have any dietary or access requirements.
St Ive Community Garden is located behind St Ive Parish Church.
There is a car park behind the Church. Turn into the lane on the Liskeard side of the church and the car park is on the right.
There are two disabled parking spaces outside the church on the main road.
There is a disabled toilet in the grounds but the garden is rough grass with no paths.
Please email zoe@wrt.org.uk to discuss any access requirements you have and we will do our best to accommodate.

Westcountry Artivists Call Out
2024-10-05 10:00 - 12:30 | Genki, Quay Road, St Agnes, TR5 0RP
Our pilot project Westcountry Artivists to Enhance Rivers (WAtER) aims to spark river kinship through creative means.
Initially, participatory eco-conscious photography and eco-acoustic recordings will be used to inspire river-related understanding and to build bonds with freshwater habitats.
St Agnes
Join us at the delightful Genki in the lovely village of St Agnes on the north Cornwall coast to take part in the first hands-on session investigating a nearby stream through unique print making and underwater sound recordings. The village streams have unfortunately been no strangers to the impacts of sewage pollution, historic mining and more.
Artwork created by people attending will be part of an exhibition in 2025.
Please note, this workshop is limited to six people aged 18+.

Dung Beetles
2024-10-12 10:00 - 13:00 | South Penquite Farm Blisland PL30 4LH, United Kingdom
Join renowned entomologist and dung beetle specialist Clive Turner as he shares his knowledge on dung beetles in our environment, developed over three decades of research and observations.
Attendees will enjoy:

a richly illustrated talk on what dung beetles are, where they live and the range of environmental benefits we gain from encouraging them
a field walk where Clive will demonstrate where dung beetles are found and explain more about their ecology and benefits
an open forum Q&A and discussion.
We will cover topics including dung beetle ecology, how to encourage them and what you can do to help them.
The talk or walk may take place first depending on the weather.

Please check weather conditions for the day and dress accordingly.
If for any reason you can’t attend, please cancel your ticket so we can offer the space to someone else – thank you.

Wormery Composting
2024-11-08 13:30 - 15:30 | Tregovenek, Attwood Lane
Come and join our Farm Net Zero team and the Tregovenek Community Farm team and learn wormery composting tips from an expert.
Ben Bryant from Sustainable South Hams will be delivering the workshop and has a wealth of experience in composting, soil regeneration and the sustainable use of earth resources.
This is a free two hour workshop on vermiculture and vermicompost to include practical experience of setting up a tiered wormery and a DIY option.
There will be plenty of theory on the benefits of vermicompost and everything you need to know about the worms and the system to set up a successful wormery in your garden.
Whether you have previous knowledge or not, come along to learn more.
Please wear clothing and footwear which is suitable for the weather conditions and rough ground. The garden is working towards being wheelchair accessible but currently attendees will need to be able to walk on uneven ground.
Tea and coffee will be provided but we ask you bring a travel mug with you as the farm have limited catering supplies. Facilities are a basic with a composting loo.
Please note these directions:
The farm is situated on the edge of Bodmin Moor, near the village of Pensilva.
Please do not follow sat-nav directions as very often these are incorrect. Ensure you are coming to the Pensilva end of Attwood Lane as it is not passable from the lower (Cutkieve) end.
From Liskeard(A38) travel north on the B3254. Turn right just before Foredown Common and Pensilva (signposted Pentiddy Natural Burial Ground). Parking is ¼ mile on the left opposite the granite sign, and Tregovenek is across the road at the top of Attwood Lane.
From Launceston(A30) travel south on the B3254. Pass the Pensilva turn on the left and continue down next to the common. Take a left beyond the cattle grid (signposted Pentiddy Natural Burial Ground). Parking is ¼ mile on the left opposite the granite sign, and Tregovenek is across the road on the right at the top of Attwood Lane.
Please cancel your booking on Eventbrite if you can no longer attend so we can offer the space to someone else – thank you.

Mapping Success: Using Land App to Simplify Grant Applications & Farm Planning
2024-11-27 12:00 - 13:00
Webinar Overview
Join us for a free, informative webinar tailored for farmers in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, led by George Chanarin from Land App. This session, offered as part of the Agri Carbon Kernow project, will guide participants through using Land App to streamline grant applications and support farm planning. As well as recording data collected on farm through surveys such as soil sampling.
Overview of Agri Carbon Kernow Project
Agri Carbon Kernow is a collaborative initiative focused on supporting sustainable farming practices in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This project brings together Duchy College (part of the Cornwall College Group), Westcountry Rivers Trust, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, and the Farm Carbon Toolkit, and is commissioned by the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Growth Hub. Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, this initiative provides resources, tools, and training to help farmers increase productivity and environmental sustainability in the region.
https://www.ciosgrowthhub.com/agri-carbon-kernow
Webinar Topics
During the webinar, attendees will learn how to:

Set up a Land App account
Efficiently and simply create a detailed map of their farm using their SBI number
Explore Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Countryside Stewardship (CS) options, along with relevant pay rates
Print and share customised farm maps to support grant applications
Record data collected on farm through surveys

This session provides actionable insights and practical guidance for farmers aiming to make the most of available funding opportunities.
About the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
This funding has been allocated from Cornwall Council’s Growth Hub Grants Programme. The Growth Hub Grants Programme is part of the Good Growth Programme, which is delivering the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukshared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

Exmoor Trees for Salmon
2025-02-09 09:30 | Landacre Bridge, Landacre Bridge, Landacre Lane, Minehead, Devon, TA24 7SD, United Kingdom
Come and join Westcountry Rivers Trust for a volunteer tree planting day along the river Barle, at Landacre Bridge. This area is an important region for spawning salmon and juvenile habitat within the Exe, however a lack of tree cover leaves the fish vulnerable. To help improve this habitat, we are planting pockets of trees alongside the river and need your help to put these trees in the ground!
Please meet at the Landacre Bridge Car park (SS8154036067) at 09:30 on Sunday the 9th of February. We will then make our way upriver to the planting enclosures where our team leaders will help demonstrate methods and briefing for the day. A hot soup will be provided for lunch but please bring a bowl and utensils and toilets are available at Landacre Farmhouse, though this is a distance from where the planting will be taking place. Some tools will be available for volunteers, so please bring if you have your own. There is no weather guarantee this time of year so please keep an eye out for any last minute communications, and make sure to bring sturdy waterproof footwear, and warm waterproof clothing.
If you have a query about the event contact DanOsmond@wrt.org.uk.

Farm Net Zero: Introduction to Ecology and Nature Recovery in the Westcountry
2025-07-02 10:00 - 15:00 | Woodland Valley Farm, Ladock, Cornwall, TR2 4PT, United Kingdom
As our final citizen event for the Farm Net Zero project, Westcountry Rivers Trust are collaborating with the experts from Budding Nature and Chris Jones from Woodland Valley Farm to deliver what promises to be a really special day of interactive learning. Budding Nature will introduce some basic ecological principles, including food webs, species interactions, ecological succession and population ecology in a classroom-based session. We will look at how these principles can inform the concept of nature recovery in the Westcountry and the role farming can play.
In an outdoor afternoon session, we will look at these ecological principles in action in the field accompanied by Chris Jones from Woodland Valley Farm, on tour of his 170 acre mixed farm. We will talk about the vital role that farms have in nature recovery and how we can support them. We will also have a guided tour of the beaver enclosure to see the astonishing impact these environmental engineers can have in habitat restoration.
There will be plenty of time for questions and discussion. We hope you will be inspired to mirror some of the techniques being used by our Westcountry farmers in your own green spaces and be a part of nature recovery.

Pictures © Sally Luker & Derek Green

Salmon Run 2025
2025-09-20 | Sideshore, Queen's Drive Space, Exmouth, Devon, EX8 2GD, United Kingdom
Hundreds of people will get involved in a 43 mile run from Exmouth along the River Exe on Saturday 20 September to highlight the migratory journey of the endangered Atlantic salmon from sea to spawning ground.
Join in this celebration of the amazing salmon and Exe river. Take part as a runner or help out as a steward; Be part of the celebration and learn more about this remarkable species which is an integral part of river and ocean ecology and culture. Atlantic Salmon numbers are are down by 75% since the 70s and salmon are now critically endangered and potentially set to disappear from the Exe. The salmon, as a keystone species, is a representative for the diversity in the river catchment. The salmon faces many serious challenges, mostly man-made and many exacerbated by climate change. Tidelines works with Westcountry Rivers Trust to improve the river habitat to help give salmon a fighting chance. In Salmon Run we bring this extraordinary species to light, highlight their incredible life cycle and migration and show our love for the river and our community! Run wild with the Salmon!

Anne-Marie Culhane from Tidelines said: “In the past, thousands of salmon completed an epic trans-Atlantic journey up the Exe to spawn, with the river’s original name Isca meaning ‘river of fish’. Now numbers of returning fish are in the hundreds or less and the species, Atlantic Salmon, are on the Red List of endangered British species, facing possible extinction in our river. We are calling for runners, ultra runners, joggers, walkers and people who care for nature to take part and share their love for the river, their community and this amazing species to celebrate its life cycle journey and its ecological and deep cultural significance for UK rivers.”
Ultra runners will travel 43 miles upriver from Exmouth to Dulverton, Exmoor, passing through Exeter and Tiverton on the Exe Valley Way. Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of The Rivers Trust will be running his first Ultra with us in support of this unique project and to raise funds for The Rivers Trust along with Team GB Olympic Rower Graeme Thomas. Westcountry Rivers Trust’s Senior Fisheries Scientist, Dan Osmond will also be taking on the challenge (Sign up for the Ultra).
Relay teams will run the same route in eleven sections, passing a symbolic hand-crafted salmon baton from team to team with changeovers at different towns and villages along the river. This year Annabel and James will be flying the flag for Westcountry Rivers Trust and running the relay. Friends of the River Exe will pop up at the changeover points to invite people to become part of their citizen science network where people monitor water quality and test for pollutants in the river (Sign up for the relay here).
This year Tidelines is working with new partners – Sideshore Community in Exmouth to create Salmon Run: The Gathering – a festival for all ages combining talks, creative and music workshops, a bouncy castle in the shape of a river, a restored salmon boat, games and information exploring the significance of Atlantic Salmon. ParkRun Exmouth are supporting the first part of the relay to coincide with their 5km Exmouth run and Exmoor National Park Authority are supporting the event at Dulverton with activities for families.
Nicky Nicholls from Sideshore Community said, “We want more people to know and love this extraordinary creature and its story in our river. The partnership with Sideshore Community through the Gathering and joining up with ParkRun Exmouth gives us the chance to connect with many more people. Atlantic Salmon have so much to teach us about climate change and what we can do to support nature to thrive.’
Westcountry Rivers Trust Strategic Exe Weirs project manager Tom Watts said: “As runners make their way from sea to source, they will witness some of the challenges these amazing fish face.Barriers in the river hinder this iconic species. We are working towards a free-flowing river Exe to make the journey easier for adult salmon to successfully spawn in the upper reaches. Likewise we are working to improve conditions for young salmon at the start of their lives. This year Tidelines is working with us to provide opportunities volunteers to engage with river restoration and conservation.”
The Exe is an incredible river, rising high on Exmoor it travels 60 miles through Somerset and Devon providing a lifeline for a host of wildlife, notably the iconic Atlantic salmon. Barriers in the river hinder this iconic species. We are working towards a free-flowing river Exe to make the journey easier for adult salmon to successfully spawn in the upper reaches. Likewise we are working to improve conditions for young salmon at the start of their lives. This year Tidelines is working with us to provide opportunities for people to come up to Exmoor in Winter to plant trees by the river to create important shade and habitat for Salmon and other river species ”
We urge anyone who can to get involved with the Salmon Run to do so. Follow the links above to sign up for the Relay or Ultra, or pop down to Sideshore, Exmouth on the 20th September to say hello to the Westcountry Rivers Trust Engagement Team and fisheries scientists to learn more about Salmon, rivers and how you can do your part.
Salmon Run is funded by the Devon Environment Foundation, Sideshore Community and an Aviva Crowdfunder.
The relay run starts in Exmouth at 9am, passing through Exeter Quay/Riverside Valley Park between 11.30am and 12.30am (approx.) and arriving at Dulverton around 6pm. The Ultra run leaves Exmouth at 8am. The Gathering at Sideshore will take place from 9.30am to 1pm. People can track the runners and the relay team as they pass up the river.
To sign up to run: https://tidelines.uk/blog/salmon-run-2025/

Photos Vanessa Miles and Jenny Steer

Community Change Makers
2025-10-18 13:30 - 15:15 | Deer Park Farm, Luckett, Cornwall, PL17 8NW, United Kingdom
A musical celebration of farming in Stoke Climsland Parish
Cornwall Music Service Trust and Farm Net Zero invite you to a unique event celebrating the inspirational farming in your community. Through the voices of children from Stoke Climsland and Calstock Primary Schools, and music from Camborne Town Brass Band, the stories of local farmers will come to life—exploring food production, love of the landscape, climate challenges and the power of community.
Hosted by Martin and Geoffrey Howlett at Deer Park Farm, with opportunities to see wider Parish work supporting a more sustainable future for us all.
Symbiosis Soil Lab will be attending with a high powered microscope so we can view soil micro-organisms. People are welcome to bring their own soil samples to look at.
A Microscopic Nematode Worm
Book via Eventbrite — search ‘Community Change Makers’
Please car share if possible. Parking is available in a field
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Community Change Makers flyer
