Vanessa Sumpmann, from The Trent Rivers Trust, gives us the lowdown on how you can get involved in the Big River Watch.
The bi-annual Big River Watch has rolled around again, inviting anyone and everyone to make a
splash for their stretch of river.
Visit your local river between 25 April and 1 May 2025 to upload your finds as part of a 15-minute
survey contributing to a nationwide map of river health.
The Big River Watch is an opportunity to document the good, the bad and the ugly on the rivers you
paddle on.
Whether that is pollution, wildlife, or your own mental wellbeing, this citizen science action week, championed by the Rivers Trust, asks you to record what you see and why it matters to you.
Taking part is simple, download the app by searching for Big River Watch in your app store, visit
your river and upload your finds.
The event coincides with Earthwatch’s Freshwater Blitz on the 26 – 27 April.
If you have signed up for the water quality sampling, you can add your observations via the complementary Big River Watch app
Download the Android version >>
Download the Apple version >>
What have people found so far?
Now, in its fourth iteration, a total of 13,900 participants took to their local river to submit their finds.
Be that in England, Wales, Ireland or Scotland.
Last year, participants recorded exciting wildlife including:
- 113 dippers
- 180 kingfishers
- 8 beavers
Pollution:
- 499 sightings of silt pollution
- 231 sightings of livestock pollution
- 147 sightings of algal pollution
- 116 sightings of sewage pollution
The publicly available survey map supports both national and local advocacy for rivers health.
It is intended to empower river lovers to raise awareness of local issues and demand better outcomes
for their stretch of river.
If you’d like to get involved more closely follow the Rivers Trust for updates or get in touch with your local Rivers Trust, which might have more opportunities to get involved, be that volunteering, citizen science or local educational events.
Find out more about your local trust >>
