How can you help?

What can you do for our rivers?

There are many things that you can do to support a river system. Here are just a few examples

Assess the river

With your class, you can find a stretch of your local river and find out how healthy it is by learning what a healthy river should look like and discovering how to recognise some of the problems that affect a river's health. Contact your River Recovery officer or the Ribbons of Blue/Waterwatch coordinator for support.

Monitor the river

After finding a stretch of river to work with, you can investigate things a little further by keeping an eye on the level of biodiversity in and around the river. With a bit of background research and the advice of local experts (such as Ribbons of Blue), you can be involved in important tasks such as:

• monitoring water quality,
• taking a macroinvertebrate sample,
• going on a bird-watching excursion,
• using frog calls to identify frogs in the area
• identifying local plants using pictures as a guide.

Restore the river

With some careful planning and the help of your local Ribbons of Blue coordinator, you and your class can help to restore a section of river or part of the river by:

• eradicating weeds,
• planting local native species to create a variety of healthy habitats.

Protect the river

There are many ways that you can help protect rivers all the time, such as:

• placing rubbish in the bin,
• safely disposing of oils, paints and chemicals at home,
• keeping pets away from the river,
• sticking to the paths when walking along the river.

What else can you do?

• Follow fishing regulations and make sure you only take what you are allowed. Taking too many fish is a sign of greed. Only take what you need for a feed! Return small or unwanted fish to the river carefully.
• Use paths and take care of native vegetation when making your way down to the river. Also take care if you dig for worms - try digging away from the bank rather than right on the water's edge. Better still, grow your own worms at home - it's easy!
• Always put all rubbish in the bins that are available in parks or along the river, or even better, take rubbish with you and dispose of it at home.
• Always follow fire restrictions - many places prohibit the lighting of fires during the hot dry months of the year. If you do light a fire for a barbeque or campfire (when you are permitted to) make sure it is completely extinguished before leaving.
• Use a gas barbeque rather than lighting an open fire to cook on.
• Take care with pets - If you are taking dogs close to the river, have them on the lead at all times and always pick up their poo. Keep cats indoors at night so they do not stray to areas by the river and threaten the native animals that live there.
• Do not feed the birds when you visit the river. Instead, enjoy watching how they find their own food sources from the native flora and fauna.