West Cumbria Rivers Trust

04/06/2026

🐾 Calling all dog walkers at 🐾

Keep an eye out for some wonderful new posters around the lake, designed by the talented children from St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Frizington 🎨🌿

We all love , the wildlife, the fresh air, the beautiful walks and, of course, our four-legged friends too! 🐕💚

The children have created these posters to help remind everyone that a small act, like picking up after your dog, makes a big difference to keeping clean, welcoming and healthy for people, pets and wildlife alike.

So next time you’re out enjoying a stroll, see if you can spot their fantastic artwork and join us in showing Longlands a little love. 🦆🌼🌳

With thanks to our funders Sellafield Ltd’s Social Impact Multiplied and Cumberland Council

03/06/2026

As part of , we're celebrating an incredible milestone.

We're now up to 60 volunteers who have reached 50 hours of volunteering with West Cumbria Rivers Trust. 🎉

To recognise their contribution, volunteers who reach this milestone receive one of our 50-hour volunteer tops. Some have already received theirs, while others will be getting theirs soon.

From practical conservation work and surveying wildlife to supporting events and helping us connect with local communities, our volunteers make a huge difference. Their time, enthusiasm and commitment help us achieve so much more for rivers, wildlife and people across West Cumbria.

A huge thank you to every one of our volunteers. We couldn't do it without you. 💚

02/06/2026

A return visit to one of our project sites brought some encouraging signs of progress.

This stretch of the River Irt was suffering from bank erosion, so we planted goat willow cuttings taken from nearby bushes. As they grow, their roots help bind the soil together, while the branches help break up and deflect the force of the water against the bank.
Erosion is a natural process and an important part of a river's ecology, so our aim isn't to stop it altogether, just to slow it down where it's causing problems.

It's a simple, nature-based solution with added benefits too. As the willow branches begin to trail into the river, they'll create valuable shelter for fish and other wildlife.

Sometimes the best engineering is just giving nature a helping hand. 🌿🐟

27/05/2026

Cockermouth, your river needs you, come help protect it and enjoy a free pint afterwards 🍺🌿

The first Pull Together: Bash the Balsam event with is happening on 6 June along the River Cocker, and we’d love you to join us.

Himalayan balsam is an invasive plant that spreads rapidly along riverbanks, crowding out native wildflowers, weakening habitats and impacting wildlife. Together, we’re aiming to stop 33 million seeds from spreading across West Cumbria.

This is a brilliant outdoor activity for all ages, so bring the kids along too. It’s great fun, hands-on, and a chance to do something positive for the river.

Why Jennings Brewery? Because the River Cocker flows right past the brewery, and cleaner rivers help make better beer.

Volunteers can:
🌿 help restore the river for wildlife
🍺 enjoy a free pint of the brand new Balsam Basher beer afterwards (18+)
⏰ drop in for an hour or stay all day

📅 First event: 6 June

Sign up to come along here: https://www.facebook.com/jenningsbrewery25/events
Find out more here: https://www.jenningsbrewery.co.uk/pages/wcrt-x-jennings-pull-together

Order Jennings Brewery’s classic ales online — Castle Bitter, Cocker Hoop, Cumberland Ale and Sneck Lifter. Handcrafted in the heart of Cumbria since 1828, our beers are steeped in heritage and flavour. Shop now and enjoy UK-wide delivery, bringing Jennings quality straight to your door.

21/05/2026

📣 Exciting announcement 😁 we’ve finished transforming St Gregory & St Patrick's Catholic Infant School 🌿🎉

Over the last few weeks, school staff and children, families, volunteers, contractors, apprentices and staff have all worked together and

💧 Completed all the pond planting, both in and around the pond
🪵 Installed a pond dipping platform
🌧️ Finished the rain planter and planted with rain loving plants
🌧️ Planted annuals in the rainwater terrace water butts
🍓 Planted strawberries in the tyres

These areas will continue to grow and develop over the coming months and years, creating habitats for wildlife and wonderful spaces for children to learn, explore and connect with nature on their doorstep 💚

A huge thank you to everyone who has helped make such a success, we couldn’t do it without you! 🙌

With thanks to our funders Sellafield Ltd’s Social Impact Multiplied

21/05/2026

We get the idea behind No Mow May. Any break from the weekly lawn buzzcut is a good thing, and it can give pollinators a good short-term boost.

But if everything gets cut straight back down in June, are we creating meaningful habitat, or just pausing the mowing schedule?

Wildlife needs more than a month. It needs shelter, seed heads, messy corners, long grass, damp patches, leaf piles, tangled stems and places to hide.

So maybe the real win is:

✨ one scruffy corner
✨ one patch of long grass
✨ one glorious little jungle

Less perfect lawn. More living garden.

Got a messy patch? Show us what’s growing 🌿

20/05/2026

We’ve got a new piece of history at Walkmill Community Woodland🌿⛏️

A resident at Moresby Parks came across an old coal tub, once used deep underground in the local mining industry, and we couldn’t resist saving it. After a careful restoration by Threlkeld Mining Museum, it’s now found a new home in the woodland at Walkmill.

The tub is now part of our interpretation of the site’s rich mining heritage, helping to tell the story of the people and industry that once shaped this landscape beneath today’s trees. We’ve also got plans to develop a new trail around the old mine shafts at this site, with work planned to begin in Spring 2027.

Swipe to see the transformation, from forgotten industrial relic to restored piece of local history, now back where it belongs.

A huge thank you to Threlkeld Quarry and Mining Museum for their skilled restoration work.

20/05/2026

Ever wondered why we plant so many trees as a Rivers Trust? 🌳💧

It’s because rivers and trees are deeply connected.

Tree roots help hold riverbanks together. Shade keeps water cooler for fish and wildlife. Woodland slows heavy rain before it rushes downstream. Fallen leaves and branches create habitat in the water itself.

Last summer, we saw some rivers reach temperatures where fish begin to experience stress. With climate change, these warm spells are likely to become more frequent. Tree cover along riverbanks can make a real difference by reducing overheating through shade.

Where rivers have long stretches without trees, it’s often a sign something important is missing.

Healthy rivers need trees.

Think about your favourite river. Chances are, it has trees along its banks. 🌿💧

19/05/2026

Found near Overwater last week, the wonderfully named Bog Beacon fungus.

Tiny bright yellow clubs rising out of wet moss and leaf litter like miniature signal flares from the swamp.

Despite the dramatic name, these fungi are only a few centimetres tall, quietly growing in boggy, wet places where they help break down dead plant material and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.

One more reminder that wetlands are full of strange little marvels if you stop and look closely enough.