August News Update

In this issue:

Our 2024-25 Annual Impact Report

Farm Support Opportunity

Outfall Safari video reel

Ousewem - project update

Meet Ellen - our new senior project officer!

Rambling about Rivers podcast

Farm Support Opportunity

The Upper Wharfedale NEIRF (Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund) project aims to expand the funding opportunities available to farms across Upper Wharfedale . Habitats across the landscape will be mapped and the potential for enhancement and funding will be evaluated and shared on a farm by farm basis.

Though Sustainable Farming Incentive ( SFI) is currently closed, we are expecting an announcement in the summer and for it to re-open in 2026. This project could help you understand what might be appropriate on your farm, from the higher paying ‘endorsed’ options to Higher Tier Stewardship and the potential for green finance funding.

This project is also a great opportunity for you to explore nature market finance potential, without having to commit to anything. It can take a long time to develop green finance schemes so your support and feedback now will help make access to new opportunities far more likely in the future.

This project will provide all farmers involved with:

• A bespoke report for their farm including habitat maps and information about current nature impacts, nature-based farm resilience and risks.

• Opportunity maps identifying areas that have high potential for habitat creation or enhancement – and potential funding options for these.

• Access to a limited number of 1:1 farm advice visits to support long-term planning.

• Access to two farm events with expert advice on funding and green finance.

• Improved connection to future funding opportunities.

• Access to the opportunity maps via the free Land App account, with use of all its easy-to-use farm mapping tools and planning features.

For further information click on the button below. Please note all initial expressions of interest need to be given by 11 September 2025.

Photo: Wharfedale by David Armitage

Outfall Safari Info-reel

Misconnected internal plumbing or people misusing the surface water drainage system for cleaning cars etc. is a major contributor to river and stream pollution in urban areas. To help raise awareness of the problem of misconnected surface water outfalls and the things we can all do to help, our new marketing volunteer Abi Smith has been out on site creating some informative, short video reels for us!

Abi, a professional cyclist and artist and aspiring environmental conservationist has developed her marketing skills through promoting her artworks at www.abijeart.com and managing her cycling career on social media platforms. Her love of the River Nidd and concern about its health inspired her to get in touch with us.

At just over a minute long - we encourage you to watch Abi’s first video reel for us advising of the three things we can all do to help address pollution in urban rivers - just click on the button below:

Ousewem picks up pace across the Dales

Our work as delivery lead for the Ousewem project has moved firmly into action this year. Building on months of engagement and planning, our team is now working closely with farmers, estates and communities to deliver natural flood management (NFM) measures that also benefit nature and land management.

In Wensleydale five scrapes have been created alongside new fencing, gates and troughs to protect and restore floodplain habitat. Elsewhere, the team has completed the second pilot site at the Cragg and Carr , delivering 12 scrapes, 15 leaky barriers, willow and shrub planting, and more than 600 metres of cross-slope hedging.

Monitoring has begun at Hunton, capturing low-flow conditions to help refine future interventions. The team is also continuing one-to-one conversations with upland landowners to shape future delivery.

Further sites are now in development and implementation will continue.

Read more about the project on the Ousewem website via the button below:

Photo: Ousewem programme Manager, YDRT’s Amanda Crossfield (left) and Emma Stallworthy from Natural England (right) doing flow surveys.

Meet Ellen - our new senior project officer!

Here’s a few words of introduction from Ellen Shields who’s joined us as a senior project officer:

“I am excited to be leading a project based along Ashfoldside Beck which is heavily influenced by historic lead mining, where heavy metal pollutants from the mine waste have found their way into the watercourse. The site is a high priority for water quality improvement works as Environment Agency monitoring has found significant levels of lead, zinc and cadmium in the water − the impact of which can be traced down into Knaresborough!

“The project will focus on a feasibility study which will identify interventions to reduce pollutants entering the beck and improve water quality. It is being delivered in partnership with Nidderdale National Landscape, the Environment Agency, the Mining Remediation Authority and others and is co-funded by the Rural Payments Agency through the Water Restoration Fund and Department for Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) through the Water and Abandoned Metal Mines (WAMM) programme, (a partnership between the Environment Agency and the Mining Remediation Authority).

“I am looking forward to working alongside partners to develop plans to help tackle this important issue - as well as getting to work in such a beautiful location!

“The work completed here will improve the water quality in the Nidd catchment and support meeting the Government’s Environment Act target to halve the length of rivers polluted by harmful metals from abandoned metal mines by2038.”

Photo: Ellen Shields

Rambling about Rivers

The Rivers Trust’s Rambling About Rivers podcast is returning with a brand-new series, with new episodes released fortnightly. Tune in to hear about the most pressing issues facing rivers in the UK along with conversations with ambassadors about their personal connections to waterways and why they’re so passionate about protecting them.

Episode 1 is out now and explores river habitat decline: what’s causing it, how it’s impacting rivers and most importantly, what's being done to reverse the damage. This episode features:

• Freya Connolly (The Rivers Trust) who's championing innovative farming techniques on revitalised peatland.

• Pete King ( Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust ), who explains how re-wiggling a chalk stream created a thriving wetland and brought the local community closer to their river.

• Matt Duffy ( Don Catchment Rivers Trust ) who shares the incredible story of how salmon returned to the River Don for the first time in 150 years.

Click on the button below to access the platform links to the podcast: