The Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) has announced they will be running a series of Riverfly Partnership training sessions across the local area, thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund Awards for All programme.
These free training days will give local residents the chance to learn about river invertebrate life in order to assess the health of their river.
River invertebrates, such as Mayflies and Stoneflies, are key indicators of good water quality and a healthy river environment.
Different species of invertebrates have varying levels of sensitivity, so where rivers have been polluted we can use them to tell us more about the type and severity of the pollution event.
They can also indicate pollution events before they become visible to a passer-by, such as fish kill events, allowing earlier action to be taken therefore reducing their severity.
The one day training sessions are open to anyone and no previous experience is necessary.
Monitors will become part of a catchment wide network of people all helping to maintain healthy rivers by learning about the threats facing our rivers.
The training days are free to attend, and will run from 10am – 4pm on the following dates:
- Lacock, Wiltshire: 28th April
- Batheaston, Bath: 11th May
- Freshford, Somerset: 20th May
- Chew Magna, Somerset: 25th May
Harriet Alvis, Project Officer at Bristol Avon Rivers Trust, said: “With government cuts to environmental funding, the time given by volunteers to citizen science projects has never been more valuable.
“This project will give local people a chance to learn more about the fascinating but often overlooked invertebrate life in their local river, and work as part of a community of BART volunteers to protect our rivers for the benefit of people and wildlife.”
If you are interested in getting involved as a volunteer, email [email protected].
