Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust

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Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust

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Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust is an environmental charity (no1157392) dedicated to improving the rivers and catchments of Essex and Suffolk.

This page will be used to share river related stories and updates on projects we are involved in. What Is a Rivers Trust?
• A community initiative to look after our local rivers.
• River trusts have environmental charitable objects to deliver river improvements on a catchment scale for the public benefit.
• Rivers trusts concentrate on delivering practical improvements
for their rivers.

11/11/2026

: Could you be one of our new Trustees?

The Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust is registered as both a charity (No. 1157392) and a company (No. 08834787). Our Board members are both Trustees of the Trust and Directors of the Company. Four Board members act as the Trust’s officers: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary.

This is an opportunity to help guide a growing environmental charity at a time when rivers face significant challenges but also present important opportunities for positive change. Our work takes place within a changing landscape of environmental policy, land management and funding, making effective governance, strategic thinking and partnership working increasingly important.

As a Trustee, you will contribute to the strategic development, good governance and financial sustainability of the Trust. Working alongside fellow Trustees and the Director, you will help ensure that the organisation remains effective, resilient and focused on delivering its charitable purposes.

📍 Home-based with board meetings at locations agreed by the Trustees
💼 Part-time, voluntary
📅 Apply by: 11PM Sunday 29th November (subject to successful completion of all stages, the new appointments will take effect from the next Board meeting on Tuesday 19th January 2027)

We are particularly interested to hear from people who:
-> Have experience of leading and managing growth within an organisation
-> Can broaden and deepen the diversity of thought and experience represented in our organisation. We aim to represent and reflect diverse communities
-> Have experience and understanding of land-use and farming and the opportunities available for landowners and environmental organisations to work together to bring positive impacts for all

Successful candidates will need to:
-provide references
-confirm that they are eligible to act as a Trustee and Director
-supply the registration details required by Companies House and the Charity Commission

👉 Find out more, read the applicant pack and apply here: https://www.essexsuffolkriverstrust.org/recruitment

11/11/2026

: is a funnel-shaped, orange or yellow fungi with gill-like ridges and a smooth cap. They first appear between summer and late autumn in woodlands and have a fruity aroma when first picked. Although edible and commonly eaten, you should never eat fungi you find unless you are with an expert.

Chanterelles, as fungi, play an important role in woodland ecosystems by forming mutually beneficial relationships with tree roots, aiding water and nutrient uptake while supporting healthy and resilient habitats. The presence of chanterelles and other fungi is often a sign of well-functioning woodland soils, contributing to the connected habitats that help support our waterways.

📷 Smitt

10/11/2026

We’re Celebrating our Trustees!

Our Trustees play a vital role in helping us protect and restore rivers across Essex and Suffolk, supporting our mission to create healthier rivers for people and wildlife.

Every November, Trustees’ Week celebrates the people who give their time, skills and experience to help charities make a difference. At Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust (ESRT), our trustees play a vital role in helping us protect and restore rivers across Essex and Suffolk, supporting our mission to create healthier rivers for people and wildlife.

Our Trustees at Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust work alongside our staff team to help provide strategic direction, oversight and ensure our organisation is well-placed to respond to the challenges facing our rivers. Drawing on their valuable experiences and different perspectives, the guidance of our Trustees helps us navigate challenges and identify opportunities that benefit our rivers, wildlife and the communities that depend on them.

As an independent environmental charity, we are grateful for the time, commitment and expertise our trustees contribute to our work. This Trustees’ Week, we would like to thank our trustees for the time, dedication and expertise they give to Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust. Their contribution helps us continue working towards a future where our rivers are healthier, more resilient and thriving with wildlife.

As we look to the future, we are keen to welcome new perspectives and expertise to our Board of Trustees. We will be recruiting new trustees to help guide the next stage of ESRT's development and support our ambition to protect and restore rivers across Essex and Suffolk so stay tuned!

Could you be our next trustee? Find out more about our trustee recruitment and read our Trustee Week blog post on our website!

04/11/2026

: One the UK’s smallest geese, the is a common winter visitor, grazing on vegetation such as roots, stems, leaves and seeds. Unlike the Canada goose, the barnacle goose has no brown plumage and is instead entirely black and white. They can be seen flying in packs in long lines making a chorus of ‘barking’ or ‘yapping’ sounds.

Barnacle geese are one of the many species that benefit from healthy waterways. By maintaining wetland and grazing marsh habitats, they contribute to thriving, connected ecosystems that support biodiversity and make our rivers and coasts richer places for both wildlife and people.

📷 Raul Ling

30/10/2026

Did you take part in the Big River Watch this year?

The last Big River Watch took place in September and over 2,700 of you took part in 1,500 surveys - that's equal to around 28 days spent watching our rivers!

Around 72% of surveys reported 'healthy rivers' with 749 noting no pollution. Of the 904 surveys that did spot pollution, a large proportion of these was reported as livestock and silt. Other highlights include the sightings of 552 ducks, 448 fish, 276 swans and even a beaver among many others. Within Essex and Suffolk in particular, a total of 27 surveys were completed by 54 participants, equal to 14 hours of river watching - 66.7% of our rivers were reported as 'healthy' with a total of 59 wildlife sightings, including dragonflies, fish, coots and even grey wagtails! However, 18.5% of our rivers were reported as unhealthy with pollution sightings such as silt, livestock, road runoff and sewage fungus.

These results provide a useful insight into our rivers, helping provide information to support restoration efforts by identifying where and what the issues are, building an important picture of river health across the UK and Ireland. If you'd like to take part for the next Big River Watch in spring 2027, download the app now!

To explore these results for yourself, you can visit the Big River Watch Data Dashboard on the Rivers Trust website: https://theriverstrust.org/big-river-watch-data-dashboard

If you can't wait for the next Big River Watch for your citizen science fix, why not sign up to Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust's very own RiverWatch? Visit our website for more details on how you can become a RiverWatcher and take stewardship of your local river today: https://www.essexsuffolkriverstrust.org/projects/riverwatch

28/10/2026

: An unmistakeable bird, the is brown and grey with a yellow beak and eyes and the males have a black moustache or beard-like pattern on their faces. As a relatively small bird, about 12cm in length, the bearded tit is mainly found in large reedbeds where it feeds on insects and seeds, building its nest low down on dead reed stems. Their nasal ‘ting’ call can often be heard as they fly among the reeds.

Bearded t**s help maintain the health, structure and biodiversity of reedbed-dominated wetland systems by supporting balanced invertebrate communities and contributing to nutrient cycling, which helps sustain the wider river and wetland ecosystem.

📷 Eddy Geale

26/10/2026

How healthy actually are our rivers?

With the Rivers Trust's latest 'State of Our Rivers Report' now out, it shines a spotlight on the conditions of river health across the UK. The findings clearly show that there is an urgent need for action to restore and protect these vital habitats that are only experiencing more pressure as a result of climate change and a multitude of other issues.

Some standout statistics include:
💧0% of England's ~4,000 river stretches are in good or high overall health
💧23% of river stretches are classified as being in poor or bad overall health
💧Just 15% achieve good or high ecological status, meaning 85% fail to meet good ecological health standards

The State of Our Rivers 2026 report highlights the combined pressures facing our rivers, including pollution, habitat degradation, water scarcity and the growing impacts of climate change, which is making many existing challenges even worse; our rivers support wildlife, provide drinking water, help reduce flood risk and offer places for people to connect with nature, however most of our rivers continue to face pressures from pollution, habitat loss and climate change.

At Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust, we see first-hand how partnership working, habitat restoration, natural flood management, pollution reduction and community action can help rivers recover. While the overall picture is concerning, there is still hope. With sustained action, we can create healthier rivers for wildlife, people and future generations - by understanding the challenges facing our rivers, we're already making the first crucial step towards improving them.

You can read the full report online here: https://theriverstrust.org/state-of-our-rivers

23/10/2026

What a wonderful Water Night, but how do we continue saving water?

We hope you enjoyed taking part in and saving water during Water Night 2026. By pressing pause on our water use, we’re becoming more aware and in control of our everyday water habits and can help limit the amount of water we waste.

You can continue to enhance your relationship with water by implementing these top water saving tips for when you’re at home, school or even work!

We hope you continue to use water wisely to help protect this precious resource for many years to come.

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22/10/2026

We’re wearing blue for Water Night!

Tonight from 5pm until 10pm marks Water Night, during which you can take part by cutting out your usual water use to not only reflect on your water use, but also to help build water-saving habits you can take beyond Water Night.

Today schools across the country are invited to join ‘Wear Something Blue Day’ by wearing an item of blue clothing to show their support - and our Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust team are taking part too!

Sign up now to take part in Water Night tonight, be entered into the big prize draw and understand how much we rely on running water every single day: https://waterwise.org.uk/water-night-2026

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21/10/2026

: The is probably the UK’s most recognisable species of fungus with a distinctive red cap and white stalk. It can be found in woodlands, parks and heaths, typically growing at the foot of birch trees, pines and spruces. Their identifiable fruiting body can usually be seen from late summer until early winter. Although poisonous to us, some animals do eat fly agaric, such as red squirrels and slugs.

Fungi like fly agaric benefit river ecosystems indirectly though their roles in woodland soil health, nutrient cycling and tree resilience, supporting healthy riparian woodland and healthier rivers.

📷 Wayne Buckley

Address

Stowmarket

Website

http://www.essexsuffolkriverstrust.org/

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