It’s the Big River Watch this weekend

During one of your swims over the Bank Holiday weekend (3-6 May) you can help provide a large-scale picture of river health by taking part in the Big River Watch

Our rivers are in crisis, and the Big River Watch is an invitation for everyone to love their local river stretch and be a part of the movement demanding action for them. Wherever you are, you can play an important role by helping to gather citizen science data; the more that we know about our rivers, the better we can plan their restoration.

Taking part in The Rivers Trust’s Big River Watch couldn’t be simpler. Just spend a little time watching your local river between 3 and 6 of May, complete a simple survey in the free Big River Watch app (available in English and Welsh) on things like the wildlife and pollution you see, and submit your data! Your response will contribute to a UK and Ireland-wide dataset that can be used to fight for cleaner rivers.

Big River Watch consists of three simple steps:

Step 1: Download the app
Sign up and download the survey app to your phone before visiting your chosen river. The app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Step 2: Take part
Pick a riverside location and spend just 15 minutes observing and answering the questions on the survey, about things like wildlife and pollution. You can complete the survey at your favourite local spot, or choose to get to know somewhere new.

Step 3: Upload
Upload your survey. It’s that simple to get involved!

All of the survey data will provide a large-scale picture of river health, and help us fight for better for our rivers.

Users also have the option to sign up to connect with their local Rivers Trust, through which they could find out about events and other citizen science or volunteering opportunities in their area.

Find more about the Big River Watch: theriverstrust.org/take-action/the-big-river-watch