Friends of the Dart

10/07/2026

This wonderful event is happening today in case you haven’t got your ticket. A fundraiser for Friends of the Dart and Foundacion pachamama. Do come along.

02/07/2026

DART RIVER GUARDIANS - a consultation

Calling River Dart communities - Friends of the Dart would really value a couple of minutes of your time...

We’re at a key moment in project development, and we want to know what’s important to you in relation to the River Dart, whether you could help, and how we can best support you to do that. Your answers will help shape our future river action work together.

Please share your thoughts on this quick form (open until 10th July): https://forms.gle/dcgUtRSA3KXVReUT8

Thank you!

29/06/2026

Here is how we take water samples from the middle of the river. Truly a community collaboration coming together to act on behalf of our River. Thanks Davina for sharing.

29/06/2026

Out very early this morning on the beautiful River Dart, no one but us and the wildlife waking gently together, more than magical!

We were out water quality testing as part of a collaboration between us and Level Water, Bertie Boater and Totnes Kayaks where we are testing multiple sites on a high spring tide over a number of months.

Herons on every high perch

These were part of a huge gaggle.

From afar this looked like it could be one huge bird but as one head rose out after another, we realised of course, it was breakfast time!

All the sites tested were in the middle of the river, either located by a marker buoy or a grid reference.

Sharpham House looking splendid from the river

Thank you Davina for sharing our sampling process. And look who joined in 🪼 😮

2.5hrs later and water samples taken from all 10 sites. Now a quick dash to the lab so that the process of analysing the samples can commence. We have a tight window to ensure that we are well within the sample stability window.

27/06/2026

Exciting Announcement!
A new initiative led by local people and communities across Devon and Cornwall has begun, in partnership with Friends of the Dart and Friends of the Teign. South West Friends of the Rivers will map and convene community river groups across Devon and Cornwall to explore shared tools and learning, co-designing potential approaches for cross-catchment collaboration. This project comes at a critical moment for the health of our Rivers and presents significant opportunity to ensure inclusive, community-led evidence and insight that will empower and unite local people in advocating for the health of their River.

We are delighted that Julia Latham joins us to facilitate this project. She has already received a positive swell of responses from interested groups and is well on the way to shaping our next steps. Thank you to all of the River advocates who have already been in touch. If your river group is within the Devon and Cornwall footprint please contact Julia. [email protected] and share this post to your networks.

This Project is funded by Players of the Peoples Postcode Lottery and The National Lottery Community Fund. Thank you so much for supporting this important work. We are very excited about the potential scope and positive impact of this project. Bringing people together for long term River health.

In the picture left to right Rob Worthington, Hannah Pearson, Julia Latham and Nicky Rajska (fod directors and Regional facilitator)

23/06/2026

09/06/2026

A huge and warm thanks to for being such supportive landlords and host to our bacterial water quality in-house testing lab…

We couldn’t have progressed our testing programme without your commitment to our work.

We are in the process of securing new lab space, which we will announce shortly.

Thanks to the wonderful Dartington Hall Estate staff and management!

Warmest
Friends of the Dart

02/06/2026

Friends of the Dart lab/ room urgently needed. Can you help?

Friends of the Dart is a not for profit environmental organisation working to protect the River Dart.

We take a collaborative approach to investigating pollution, mobilising communities, holding polluters to account and championing Rivers locally and Nationally. Our River-centric movement utilises rigorous scientific investigation to empower communities towards solutions that enable life to thrive. Through transparency and connection we drive accountability, regulation and resolution for River pollution.

Dartington trust have very generously been hosting our laboratory where we process river samples and store our testing kit, they have now leased the space so we need to move. We are in need of a new office/lab from 8th June (next week!). It would need to have a sink and power and ideally be within 5miles from Totnes/ Dartington. It doesn’t need to be big or fancy, just a table space with a little storage. If anyone has any suggestions about possible option we would love to hear from you. Thank you, team FOD [email protected]
The Images enclosed are the outflows of contaminated water are active on the Dart this morning.

23/05/2026

Friends of the Dart Community please welcome Davina Luther who has joined our team as Project Manager.

Davina has a background in community development, environmental delivery and partnership working, with a particular love for grassroots and emergent projects. Her work has taken her across Africa, Asia and the UK, supporting communities and organisations to build connection, confidence and shared purpose. She will lead our water quality monitoring and community engagement projects across the Dart catchment, supporting practical action, local participation and stronger relationships between communities, partners and the River. She is especially interested in how evidence, collaboration and lived experience can come together to create healthier rivers and more connected communities.

22/05/2026

South West Friends of the Rivers Regional Collaboration project, in partnership with Friends of the Dart and Friends of the Teign will map and convene community river groups across Devon and Cornwall. Starting in June 2026, this initiative will help community groups share tools and learning and co-design potential approaches for cross-catchment collaboration based on what the groups find useful and supportive. This project comes at a critical moment, with new regional water planning structures currently being designed following the 2026 Water White Paper and presents significant opportunity to ensure that inclusive, community-led evidence and insight shapes a framework that will govern river health across England for decades to come.

If your river group is within the South West Water Devon and Cornwall footprint, or if you know of one, please contact our project facilitator, Julia Latham [email protected].
In the picture left to right Rob Worthington, Hannah Pearson, Julia Latham and Nicky Rajska (fod directors and Regional facilitator)