South East Rivers Trust

South East Rivers Trust The South East Rivers Trust is an environmental charity working to help restore rivers across south east England. Team SERT
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South East Rivers Trust – Facebook Community Guidelines

Welcome to the official page of the South East Rivers Trust (SERT)! We’re here to share stories, updates, and opportunities about our work to protect and restore rivers across the south east of England. We welcome your comments, questions, and insights—but to keep this a respectful and inclusive space, we kindly ask all users to fol

low these community guidelines:

Be respectful
We encourage open conversation, but please treat our team and fellow followers with courtesy. We won’t tolerate:
Abusive, threatening, or discriminatory language
Personal attacks or harassment
Repeated off-topic comments

Stay relevant
Please keep comments related to the content of the post, or our wider work in river conservation and community engagement. Contact us appropriately
If you have a specific question, complaint or request, please send it to us via:
[email protected]
This helps us respond efficiently and keeps the page focused on open discussion. Moderation and removal
We reserve the right to:
Hide or delete comments that breach these guidelines
Block users who repeatedly disregard the rules
Report abusive behaviour to Facebook
This page is not a platform for promoting personal or political agendas, or for spreading misinformation about environmental science, water quality, or our projects. Inaccurate or misleading claims may be removed to protect the integrity of the discussion. We’re listening
Your feedback is valuable, and we’ll do our best to respond to genuine enquiries and suggestions. Please be patient if we don’t reply immediately—we’re a small team doing big work! Thank you for helping us maintain a positive space for river lovers, volunteers, and our wider community.

Did you know hundreds of people across the South East took part in Big River Watch this spring?Together they spent 83 ho...
29/05/2026

Did you know hundreds of people across the South East took part in Big River Watch this spring?

Together they spent 83 hours by rivers, spotting everything from kingfishers and dragonflies to fish, riverflies and even otters 🦦

In our latest newsletter, you'll also discover:
💙 A new project helping the critically endangered European eel
🔬 Exciting eDNA results from the Eden Valley
👥 How we're working to make chalk streams more accessible
📅 Upcoming events you can get involved in

Read the latest newsletter or sign up to receive future updates straight to your inbox.

Read the May newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/southeastriverstrust.org/may2026-newsletter-8342055

Sign up here: www.southeastriverstrust.org/mailing-list

What a lovely day at 💧We had an amazing time meeting families, chatting about rivers and wildlife, and sharing some of...
28/05/2026

What a lovely day at 💧

We had an amazing time meeting families, chatting about rivers and wildlife, and sharing some of the ways we help restore and protect freshwater habitats across the South East.

We estimate we engaged with around 600 people throughout the day, and it was especially inspiring to see so many young people diving into the activities, asking thoughtful questions and discovering more about the creatures living in our rivers.

Events like this are such an important reminder of how curious and passionate the next generation is about the natural world 🌿

Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stand!

🐟 What happens when you reconnect a river? Nature responds.Since 2012, the South East Rivers Trust and partners have bee...
23/05/2026

🐟 What happens when you reconnect a river? Nature responds.

Since 2012, the South East Rivers Trust and partners have been working to remove barriers along the Hogsmill River in South London, helping fish move freely again through this urban chalk stream.

At Chamber Mead, two weirs were removed in 2013. Before the work, just a handful of sticklebacks survived upstream. Today, the river tells a very different story.

✨ Fish species are returning
✨ Numbers are increasing
✨ European eels are back
✨ The river is recovering

By 2025, surveys recorded bullhead, minnows, dace, stone loach, chub and eels upstream of the former barriers, demonstrating the incredible ecological recovery that can happen when rivers are reconnected.

Sometimes restoring nature starts with simply getting out of the way.

This , we’re celebrating the power of river restoration and the species making remarkable journeys through our waterways once again. 🌊

Swipe to see the before and after pictures.

What could be hiding beneath the surface of our rivers? 👀As part of an eDNA sampling project across the Eden Valley and ...
22/05/2026

What could be hiding beneath the surface of our rivers? 👀

As part of an eDNA sampling project across the Eden Valley and Eden for Nature farm clusters, we’ve identified something very special at Ardenrun Farm/Big Wood Estate…
Lophopus crystallinus — a rare crystal bryozoan, also known as a “moss animal” 🦠

This fascinating freshwater species is extremely difficult to see with the naked eye and has only been recorded at three UK sites in the last 20 years!

The discovery shows just how important healthy rivers and wetlands are for supporting biodiversity, including species many of us never even realise are there.

The project was supported by the High Weald National Landscape Partnership through FiPL funding, with sample analysis carried out by Trace Biomonitoring. A huge thank you to everyone involved in helping us better understand and protect the wildlife living in our rivers.



High Weald National Landscape
The Big Wood Estate

🌿The countdown is on for ! 💧Join us across the week as we celebrate London’s rivers through creativity, community and c...
21/05/2026

🌿The countdown is on for ! 💧

Join us across the week as we celebrate London’s rivers through creativity, community and connection with nature.

We’ve got a fantastic line-up of free family-friendly events taking place across south London:

🎉 Elmbridge Meadows Celebration – Sat 23 May
A free afternoon of riverside fun, activities and nature connection for all ages.

🎨 Family Crafternoon at Riverside Gardens, Orpington – Wed 27 May
Get creative with river-inspired crafts this half term.

🖼️ Make Like Morris: Wandle Blooms Linoprint Workshop – Sat 30 May
Celebrate the River Wandle’s rich creative heritage with a nature-inspired linoprint workshop.

Come and discover the stories, wildlife and creativity flowing through London’s rivers 🌱

Book your free place here: www.southeastriverstrust.org/events

🌿 Celebrate London’s rivers with us this ! 🌿From family-friendly afternoons outdoors to creative workshops inspired by ...
18/05/2026

🌿 Celebrate London’s rivers with us this ! 🌿

From family-friendly afternoons outdoors to creative workshops inspired by local wildlife, we’ve got something for everyone this half term 💧All events are free to attend!

Join us to explore, create and connect with your local rivers and green spaces:

🎉 Elmbridge Meadows Celebration – Sat 23 May
A free family afternoon packed with nature, activities, craft and riverside fun.

🎨 Family Crafternoon at Riverside Gardens, Orpington – Wed 27 May
Get creative with nature-inspired crafts and discover more about the rivers on your doorstep.

🖼️ Wandle Blooms Linoprint Workshop – Sat 30 May
Create beautiful prints inspired by the River Wandle and the natural world around it.

Visit our events page to find out more and book your free place: www.southeastriverstrust.org/events

Come and celebrate the rivers, wildlife and communities that make London special 💙

15/05/2026

Today is World Eel Day, and these incredible fish deserve the spotlight. 🔦

Did you know European eels can travel more than 5,000-10,000km in their lifetime? From rivers across the UK and Europe all the way to the Sargasso Sea, their journey is one of the most remarkable migrations in the natural world.

But this critically endangered species faces huge challenges, from barriers to migration, habitat loss, pollution, over-fishing and poaching, having population declines of over 95% in the last 50 years.

We’re proud to be part of the Thames Catchment Community Eels Project (TCCEP), connecting communities with eel heritage and river recovery across the Thames catchment.
Led by Thames Rivers Trust, the project has received support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help communities learn about, celebrate and protect one of our most fascinating native species.

At the South East Rivers Trust, our river restoration work helps reconnect habitats and improve rivers so species like eels can continue their extraordinary journeys for generations to come. 💙

Read more about the project here: https://www.thamesriverstrust.org.uk/thames-rivers-trust-gains-support-from-the-national-lottery-heritage-fund-for-plans-to-save-the-critically-endangered-european-eel-through-our-thames-catchment-community-eels-project/

Thames Rivers Trust

14/05/2026

🌿 A huge thank you to everyone who joined our free Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) training at Kent Wildlife Trust’s Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve this week!

From learning in the classroom to getting hands-on beside the water, it was fantastic to see so many people come together to support healthier rivers for the future. 💧

Led by our Volunteer & Engagement Officer, Rachael Edwards, the session welcomed both familiar faces and brand new riverfly enthusiasts from Sevenoaks, across Kent and even London, all keen to help monitor and protect local waterways including the River Darent.

Riverflies are tiny invertebrates that tell us a lot about river health, making volunteers a vital part of protecting our rivers and wildlife.

Interested in getting involved? We’re running another FREE RMI training workshop at Bradbourne Lakes, Sevenoaks on Wednesday 10th June.

👉 Book your free place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/free-riverfly-monitoring-training-bradbourne-lakes-sevenoaks-tickets-1987500380139

These sessions are part of the Bradbourne Re-bourne project at Bradbourne Lakes.

Bradbourne Re-bourne is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

Big changes are coming to Bradbourne Lakes — and you can be part of itThis summer, we're launching a new programme of co...
11/05/2026

Big changes are coming to Bradbourne Lakes — and you can be part of it

This summer, we're launching a new programme of community events. The work forms part of the wider Bradbourne Re-bourne project, led by Sevenoaks District Council and funded by over £1.6 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Over the next 2½ years, we’ll be running:
✔️ River health training
✔️ Family workshops
✔️ Youth angling sessions
✔️ Community events and volunteering days

All alongside major improvements to the lakes — helping wildlife thrive and improving the health of the River Darent.

We’re aiming to connect hundreds of people with their local river — and we’d love you to be part of it, find out more: https://www.southeastriverstrust.org/bradbourne-lakes-restoration-sevenoaks/

Today marks 100 years of the incredible Sir David Attenborough 🎉 His voice has inspired generations to care for the natu...
08/05/2026

Today marks 100 years of the incredible Sir David Attenborough 🎉

His voice has inspired generations to care for the natural world—and we’re proud he supported our work as Project Patron on the Beverley Brook restoration in Richmond Park 💚

We helped bring over 600m of river back to life—creating better habitats, boosting biodiversity and helping the river to heal itself.

To celebrate his legacy, we’re sharing the Friends of Richmond Park’s beautiful film, ‘Tread Lightly’ narrated by Sir David, featuring our work on the Beverley Brook 👇
🎥 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMGKSwqryso

They’ve also produced a special booklet celebrating his connection to the park and the conservation work he has supported—including our ‘re-wiggling’ of the Beverley Brook. The booklet is available at the Richmond Park Visitor Centre and via the Friends of Richmond Park website.

Want to see more about the project? Take a look here:
https://www.southeastriverstrust.org/projects/richmond-park-restoration/

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Leatherhead

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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0845 092 0110

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