On an overcast morning at Cox Green by the River Wear, Durham Wildlife Trust, in collaboration with the Women’s Institute (WI), came together at a community event focused on promoting the importance of clean rivers for people and wildlife. This event brought together nature enthusiasts, families, and local residents, all united by a common goal: to protect and preserve the health of the River Wear.
Healthy rivers for people and wildlife
River Wear at Cox Green
Representatives from Durham Wildlife Trust were joined by some members of the Women’s Institute over the weekend for an event at Cox Green to promote healthy rivers.
Ozzy the otter with the clean river team and display at Cox Green.
A morning of awareness and action
Featuring some fabulous homemade banners, crafted by the WI, and a stall full of information and ‘freebee’ wildflower seed bombs, this pop-up event highlighted the importance of clean rivers for both wildlife and the community.
Ozzy the otter
Meet Ozzy the Otter
A special guest at the event was Ozzy the Otter! Ozzy, who is always a hit with children and adults alike, helps the Trust to share important messages about the otter’s habitat and how important clean rivers are in supporting such species.
Looking to the future
After the event, everyone headed off to the wonderful New Plough Tea Trailer for a riverside brew, reflecting on a successful day and discussing plans for future similar events.
Ozzy the otter and the WI team.
How you can help
We can all be eyes and ears on the ground supporting the organisations working to improve our rivers.
Invasive species
Giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam, and Japanese knotweed are often found competing with native flora along waterways, degrading the condition of wetland habitats.
When out and about, you can report sightings of invasive non-native species (INNS) via smartphone apps such as INNS Mapper and iRecord, which are then collated by our regional records centre to support management.
River Wear
Pollution
When exploring rivers or coasts, you may spot something that does not look right. For example, a water leak, a pipe discharging to a watercourse in dry weather, or a potential pollution issue.
If the issue appears to be related to a pipe or outfall, these should be reported immediately to Northumbrian Water’s Hotline on 0345 7171100.
Any issues which do not appear to be related to a pipe or outfall but are considered of immediate concern should be reported directly to the Environment Agency’s Incident Hotline on 0800 807060.
Stopping river pollution for all of us starts at home by Binning the Wipe - Bin the wipe (nwl.co.uk).
Volunteer
Volunteers and community action are key to revitalising our waterways. There are a host of tasks you can get involved in, whether that’s removing INNS, building leaky dams, or removing plastic litter from your local stream.