Our new Walkmill Community Woodland website is live: www.walkmill.org A fresh hub for events, activities, volunteering and the woodland’s rich history, including newly shared photos uncovered with help from Cumbria Archives. More events landing in the new year. We hope you like it...

Our Assistant Director, Vikki Salas, is on BBC Look North (NE & Cumbria) tonight talking about our Resilient Glenderamackin project as part of their feature marking ten years since Storm Desmond 🌊 Restoring rivers, reconnecting floodplains & protecting communities ❤️ Catch it at 6.30pm!

Something magical is brewing in the workshop… 🎄 Artist Daniel Weatheritt + National Trust are shaping a new piece, Drawn to Water, heading to the shores of Derwent Water early next year. Supported by the Species Survival Fund. #WateryWalks #DrawnToWater #WCRTWalks

Something special is happening! 👀🐟 Not one, not two, but three Atlantic salmon have reached their spawning grounds where we carried out river restoration this summer. After a 4,000–6,000 km migration, they’ve made it home. Nature wins again. 👏🐟

When rivers can be rivers, wildlife bounces back 🌊 How Beck near St John’s Beck once had just 4 trout per 100m². After restoration with boulders, trees and woody debris, our latest survey shows there are now 80 🐟 Nature bounces back when it has the right conditions. #HealthyRivers #NatureRecovery

It’s been a busy summer in waders at Legburthwaite, near Thirlmere 🌊 We’ve been restoring another stretch of river to create more space and better habitat for salmon, lamprey and trout 🐟

Farmers urgently need government support to restore rivers and make #SpaceForWater, which will create wildlife habitat, clean our waters, and protect communities from flood and drought. We've nearly reached our goal of 10,000 signatures. Help us get there: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72...

Make a real impact on rivers and wildlife! We’re looking for trustees with a passion for conservation, especially those with commercial, legal, or community/education experience. Find out more ￫ www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/news/new-tru...

1km of river restoration on the River Ehen this summer! Revetments removed, boulders added, floodplains reconnected. More resilient habitat for freshwater mussels, Atlantic salmon & other wildlife. Thanks to Environment Agency, United Utilities, Wild Ennerdale, Natural England.

Something exciting is taking shape on Derwent Water 👀 We’re working with the National Trust & artist Daniel Weatheritt on a new sculpture project – part of a bigger WCRT Watery Walk coming soon. Our Youth Panel’s been helping dream it up… watch this space!

Tackling Japanese Knotweed at its source 🌱 With Environment Agency permission we’re using a water-safe, targeted herbicide (blue dye shows treated areas). This invasive INNS spreads fast and can damage riverbanks – careful, timely management protects our rivers.

A wild first week for our apprentices! 🌿 From peat probes on the Thirlmere fells ⛰️ to moss ID at Glasson Moss 🌱, a Bioblitz at Walkmill 🪰, and bat boxes at Westogether 🦇 – they’ve been busy learning, surveying and scything their way into conservation life! 💪

At Longlands Lake we thought a teddy bear was wedged in an owl box… until a Tawny Owl flew out! 🦉 Huge thanks to Robert Stephenson, whose species-tailored boxes are already proving a hit on the west coast. Got one at home? Share your owl pics!

🌿 14–18? Join our Youth Panel & be a voice for Cumbria’s rivers & lakes! Tree planting, creative workshops, leadership meetings – make an impact & learn new skills. 📩 [email protected]

🚨 New research shows the Lake District’s rivers are in trouble. 42% fail legal ecological standards. In 2024 alone, sewage spilled for 25,800+ hours – 573 hrs per overflow, more than double the national average. #ProtectOurRivers #LakeDistrict

🤝 Last week saw the first Cumbria-wide meet-up of trustees & CEOs from WCRT, @EdenRiversTrust, @SCRiversTrust & @LuneRiversTrust. Site visit at Bowberhead, then pies & big chats at the Fat Lamb. Such a success we’ll now meet every 6 months! #RiversTrusts #PartnershipWorking

💧 Our #rivers are in crisis – polluted, overheated & stripped of natural features. We’ve hit 7.5k petition signatures but need 10k for a govt response. Add your name & help restore our rivers: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72...

Fishy business on the River Calder 🐟 We recently carried out a fish rescue on the River Calder, carefully moving fish to safety before work begins at a construction site. This was delivered as part of our consultancy services – Find out more here: www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/consultancy

🌿 Last week’s herbal leys farm walk was a hit! Thanks to James Bretherton (AgScope), Richard Henderson & Liz’s Country Kitchens for the tips, demos & tasty treats. Great insights for anyone managing grassland on how to reduce input costs, boost soil health & increase yields.

🌿 We’ve made new wildlife ponds at High Leys Meadow Ponds & Wetlands, Loweswater! These three new ponds will create diverse habitats and enhance the wetland. Thanks to FiPL for funding & Tom Lindsey for the works! 🐸🦆

Last night our AD Luke Bryant spoke on BBC Look North about the devastating cuts to river restoration funding. 💧 Gov support has been slashed by 96% for our work & 87% for the Cumbria River Restoration Programme.

We’re proud to have been finalists for Thiess International River Prize – the Oscars of the environment – with our brilliant partners @edenriverstrust @southcumbriariverstrust Ullswater Catchment CIC, @nationaltrust.org.uk The Environment Agency @naturalengland & @defrauk - it's a huge accolade!

This summer we welcomed two Lancaster Uni interns for 3 weeks of hands-on conservation 🌿 They helped with electrofishing, balsam bashing & data work, and we got the most lovely thank-you card! Huge thanks & best of luck in your next adventures! #Conservation #Volunteers

This summer, over 1,000 volunteer hours went into balsam bashing across 93 hectares. At most sites we’ve now reached the furthest ever extents - making an impact at the source of our headwater sites. 🌿 It's a big challenge but we're not afraid to chip away until the Derwent catchment is HB free!

♻️ Zero Waste Week: it doesn’t start at the bin. Reuse, repurpose, repair – recycle last. Only 9% of plastic ever made has been recycled, and UK homes bin 1.7B pieces of plastic every week. Small swaps = big impact. 💡Tips: www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/river-friendly

Crow Park’s ‘Poor’ bathing water rating showed why status matters – but one site isn’t the whole story. 💦 With funding from @CumberlandCouncil & @UKGovernment, we’re testing 4 more sites on Derwent Water this summer. Results due in autumn. Find out more 🔎 www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/friends

Catch our Luke Bryant on BBC Look North East & Cumbria tonight! 🌊 100km of rivers restored, the Cumbria River Restoration Programme is a Thiess International RiverPrize finalist 🌍✨ #riveroscars #riverfoundation

🦪 Over 18 months we’ve worked to protect freshwater pearl mussels in the Rivers Irt & Ehen, thanks to Natural England’s #SpeciesRecoveryProgramme. There’s been lots of hard graft, but recovery’s only just begun... Infographic here 👇 #ProtectOurRivers #NatureRecovery #FWPM

We’ve supported the creation of 4 new wildlife ponds in the Newlands Valley. As England has lost 75% of its wetlands, projects like this help slow water, store carbon & bring back biodiversity – one pond at a time. #PondLife #FarmingWithNature

That’s a wrap on our #VoleOnTour! 🐾 Thanks to everyone who shared water vole memories – we’re using your insights to shape future plans. For now, our focus is on tackling mink so voles can thrive again in West Cumbria. #WaterVole #RiverWildlife

For #WorldNatureConservationDay we're proud to share our new video 🎥 Greener Grounds shows how 4 Cumbrian schools turned grey, flood-prone grounds into wildlife-friendly havens 🐝 . Nature, kids & communities all win. Watch + share! youtu.be/g_Qkpi8HqFk #NatureRecovery #OutdoorLearning 💚

🌍 We're officially Finalists of the International Riverprize!!! 🌏 We’re proud to help deliver the Cumbrian River Restoration Programme, now a finalist in the 2025 Thiess Riverprize! After our 2022 European win, we’ve stepped up efforts on the Rivers Ellen, Ehen + beyond. 🌱 Big work, global stage

🔔 We’re hiring! 🔔 🌿Join our team as the Resilient Glenderamackin Farming Officer and help us deliver this exciting Landscape Recovery project near Keswick 🌿 📍Based in Keswick 💰 Salary: £32,082 + 9% pension 🗓️ Permanent #LandscapeRecovery #Conservation #NatureFriendlyFarming #Cumbria

Inspired by our Greener Grounds school project, we’ve shared easy ways to make your garden more wildlife friendly and climate aware. Small changes, big ripple effects. 🐸🌸 Read more: www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/news/blog-wi... #GreenerGrounds #NatureFriendly #RiverFriendly

West Cumbria families! 🎉 Three FREE Family Fun Days in August — wild adventures, crafts, pond dipping, forest chilling and fresh air fun. No booking needed (except Walkmill puppet theatre). 12 Aug Longlands | 13 Aug Walkmill | 15 Aug Mirehouse More: westcumbriariverstrust.org/events

Spotted: a dazzling pair of Large Emerald Moths 💚 Usually night flyers, but they’ll bask in the canopy on warm days. Found near Silver Birch – a favourite for their caterpillars. Common, yes, but still stunning! #wildlife #LargeEmerald #moth #Cumbria #ukwildlife

Summer’s nearly here! Escape the crowds with Cumbria’s best kept secret — our Watery Walks. Quiet spots, hidden gems and fab trail maps to keep all ages entertained. Perfect for families or anyone craving nature. Discover more: westcumbriariverstrust.org/trails

🦪 Last week we released 350 captive-bred freshwater pearl mussels into the River Irt with @freshwaterbio ! Helping one of England’s rarest species recover. Also checked a 2024 release site and found mussels still thriving! 💧 #SpeciesRecovery #FreshwaterPearlMussel

Fast fashion is piling up – from Chile’s toxic dumps to Ghana’s clothing mountains. 🌍 Check out cumbriaClothingCollective.org for tips + workshops on wasting less and wearing better. More river-friendly living? Head to westcumbriariverstrust.org/river-friendly

Buckets of sunshine, heaps of cake and a proper Bransty buzz 🌞🍰🎉 Last week we celebrated the amazing Greener Grounds makeover at Bransty Primary School in Whitehaven. Pollinator beds, rain planters, a willow hide & lots more—all thanks to the brilliant team & school. 💚 #GreenerGrounds

🚨 Our lakes are under threat from invasive species. Just one soggy dog or paddleboard can spread tiny invaders. We’ve launched #DontPackAPest with @edenriverstrust & South Cumbria Rivers Trust. 🧼 Check. Clean. Dry. Every time. Join in 👉 www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/dont-pack-a-... #INNS

🌼 Last week we celebrated one of our first Greener Grounds transformations at Bransty Primary – proud pupils showed off ponds, wildflowers and bug hotels! One school down, more to come 🌱🐸 #GreenerGrounds #OutdoorLearning #NatureForSchools

Mia and our extraordinary Greener Grounds project were featured on ITV Border last night 🌿 Watch how we turning school grounds into flood-smart havens where wildlife thrives and kids can splash and play. ⏳ You’ve got until tonight to catch up! 🖥 From14:55 onwards: www.itv.com/watch/news/c...

🎣 Fish rescue on Wiza Beck! We worked with Open Space to safely relocate trout, sticklebacks, eels and more ahead of repair works at the Innovia site. We've previously undertaken habitat improvements n this beck including planting trees, creating buffer strips and adding camera traps. #FishRescue

3 new ponds at Low Skelgill Farm 🐸🌿 With support & funding from The Woodland Trust & @nationaltrust.org.uk we've been working with Sonja & Rick to boost biodiversity, hold more water & support wildlife on their farm. 💚Read their story: www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/news/low-ske... #WildlifePonds

We're backing the #MakingSpaceForWater campaign to secure the funding farmers need to restore wetlands, create ponds and slow the flow. These nature-based solutions are good for people, rivers and the climate. 📣 Sign the petition and help spread the word: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/72...

Well done Cumbria! 💚 Our water vole memory map is growing, with new stories from Wigton and the south. Still missing: Cockermouth, Ravenglass, Buttermere, Workington areas. From the 80s and further back, your memories matter. 🐾 👉 www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/.../inns/wat...

We've been turning soggy, grey school grounds into wild, beautiful spaces full of life. Rain gardens, wildflowers, willow hides and joy. Read about how it all came to life in Mia's brilliant blog 👇 www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/news/greener... #GreenerGrounds #WestCumbria

Think your job could use more… mud? 🌧️ teamwork? 🐞 wildlife? We’re hiring 4 Countryside Worker Apprentices in West Cumbria – hands-on, muddy, meaningful work in wild places. New deadline: 7 July Interviews: 28/29 July Info: www.westcumbriariverstrust.org/countryside-...

It's #WorldRefillDay 💧 Ditch single-use plastics & choose refillables to protect rivers & wildlife. Small swaps make a big splash 🌊 Be more #RiverFriendly: 👉 westcumbriariverstrust.org/river-friendly #WestCumbria #CleanWaterMatters