River stewardship using citizen science

Ecoli sampling at boat club

Citizen science is the public participation in scientific research, collecting data and information for scientific purposes, with methods that can be used by professional scientists and volunteers alike. Citizen science for river stewardship is needed because water quality and pollution monitoring are either not being done at all, or not adequately or frequently enough, while … Read more

Did you know – it’s World Water Week?

world water week

No better time to think about love, memory and stewardship for all water bodies – near and far – and the web of life in their ecosystems. World Water Week is the leading conference on global water issues, held every year since 1991. A non-profit event, co-created with leading organizations, it attracts a diverse mix … Read more

River Hope at Great Big Green Week 2025

i wish i could play close up reduced

River Hope was pleased to participate in this year’s Great Big Green Week in June. We had a lively stall at the opening event in New Place Gardens in the centre of Stratford-Upon-Avon on Saturday 7 June. Visitors enjoyed creative hands-on activities, including printmaking, making ‘wishes for water’ sails on walnut shell coracles, and a singalong of … Read more

Learning from the neighbours: the Evenlode Catchment Partnership

helen lord unsplash stones over the stream

River Hope is pleased to highlight a decade of dedicated river protection, restoration and advocacy work done in our neighbouring counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire by the Evenlode Catchment Partnership (ECP): https://evenlodecatchment.org.uk/ The River Evenlode rises out of the limestone that underlies the Cotswolds, flowing south-east towards the clay vales of the River Thames. Covering … Read more

Blue Mind: the healing power of the river 

blue mind lily

When we think about our relationship with wild water, many of us are drawn back to the ocean. But visit a river and you’ll discover a whole new quality that invites you to step in, switch off and be immersed in the surrounding waterscape. While the oceans hold 96.5% of our planet’s water, our inland waterways are … Read more

Marking the International Day of Action for Rivers on March 14

cropped kingfisher

Forty years ago in 1985, a dedicated group of volunteers united around a shared vision to develop a worldwide network to protect rivers, ensure river-dependent communities’ voices are heard and respected, and promote just and sustainable energy options. That global movement is still going strong today, with a designated International Day of Action for Rivers in … Read more

First Ripple sessions

Semifrozen Alveston_MaryManandhar

First conceived in October 2024, River Hope is a community participatory process in an embryonic state of emergence. So far it receives no funding, is not an established organisation and has no set framework or rigid timeline. But it does have hope, imagination, creativity and goodwill! This seems a solid place to start, with potential … Read more

Our emerging groups: photography

Photographing water is more than just capturing it as part of the landscape.  Whether streaming from a spring, collecting in pools, or flowing in rivers, water is ancient and elemental. It is essential to life. River water is a force of nature that follows its own powerful rules of movement, acceptance and shaping. No wonder … Read more