Latest News Update

The Buttertubs, Swaledale by David Armitage

In this issue:

Big Give success !

YDRT Photography Competition

New YDRT team members

Ousewem shares its learns

Roots Returns Farmers Group and Events

Want to learn how to monitor riverflies?

Rivers4Life takes to the stage!

Big Give success!

Firstly, we would like to extend a warm Happy New Year to all of you who support and engage with our work. We look forward to keeping you informed about our many projects across the catchments of the rivers Swale, Ure, Nidd, Ouse and Wharfe throughout 2026.

We would also like to thank everyone who helped us achieve our December Big Give fund raising target - the £4000 raised will directly support our Rivers2U educational programme , which last  year worked with 27 schools, inspiring 971 children!

Photo: Primary school children learning about healthy rivers

YDRT Photography Competition

The Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust Rivers4Life WINTER photography competition is now open!

We are looking for the best photographs of Yorkshire Dales rivers and wildlife this winter , to be included in our Rivers4Life exhibition which will be mounted at the Dales Countryside Museum in 2026. Photos will also feature in our 2027 calendar - all funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund .

The winter stage of the competition closes 5 March.

Enter via the button below:

Photo: River Nidd near Pateley Bridge by David Armitage

New YDRT team members

We are excited to report that there’s been a few changes at YDRT head quarters - with our team growing significantly over the last few months as new exciting projects come online.

Vanessa Barlow is our new Catchment Partnerships Manager working alongside Charlotte Simons to develop the work of the Dales to Vale River Network . Joining us from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Vanessa brings a wealth of partnership and conservation experience, having previously managed the Yorkshire Crayfish Forum.

Kate Colledge has also joined the team as a Project Manager, and will be leading the removal of barriers to fish passage as part of the Great Yorkshire Rivers Partnership . A Chartered Civil Engineer and Charter Environmentalist, Kate will be working collaboratively with Yorkshire Water, the Environment Agency and The Rivers Trust.

Heather Challis is our new Farming and Conservation Officer . Bringing a strong background in agriculture and conservation, and a passion for regenerative agriculture and soil health, Heather will be working with farmers and landowners across the River Nidd and Wharfe catchments through the Yorkshire Agricultural Advice for the Rivers Network, helping to deliver practical and sustainable environmental outcomes to protect water courses. Click here for further information about support and opportunities from Heather.

Finally, we would like to welcome new YDRT trustee, Robert Hall, a specialist in sustainable and impact investment. Robert has spent the last five years building businesses which enable regenerative investment into the natural environment in both executive and non-executive capacities. We also extend a heartfelt thank you to Tango Fawcett , trustee at YDRT for four years who has now stepped back to focus on her role at Historic England.

Photo credit - The growing YDRT team at our offices in Pateley Bridge

Ousewem shares its learns

Communities of practice offer a space where people working on similar projects or challenges can openly exchange experiences, tools and lessons learned.

Ousewem’s ambitious partnership with Hauxwell Estate near Leyburn was the perfect project to showcase with partners at the Yorkshire NFM CoP winter webinar - and now you can watch it too.

This 28-month project delivered 52 bunded scrapes and small storage areas and 380 metres of new meandering channel , significantly improving the landscape’s water-holding capacity. The virtual walkthrough of the Hauxwell Estate is available via the button below.

Featuring drone and 360-degree footage , the tour offers a unique view of natural flood management in action, along with insight into how different measures are being delivered across the site.

You can also review the latest Ousewem newsletter here .

Photo: Aerial footage of the re-wriggled Brompton Beck

Root Returns Farmers Group and Events

Our new farming and conservation officer, Heather Challis has set up Roots Returns Farmer Group on FaceBook to offer farmers, landowners and land managers in the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale direct access to information about events and training workshops to support with adapting, understanding and/or accessing funding opportunities focused on:

• Soil health

• Water management

• Regenerative farming techniques

• Reducing agricultural run-off entering watercourses

This new group is being run by us with funding by Yorkshire Water and can be found here .

The group has also launched its first event on Wednesday 4 February - full details below . Book a place via the button:

Rivers4Life takes to the stage !

J oin Falling Stars Theatre for a trip down the river like you've never experienced before! The River Project is an interactive family theatre performance which is free to attend and aims to engage people and communities with rivers and wildlife in a fun immersive way.

Two separate performances will be held at Leyburn Methodist Church Hall on Friday 20 February at 11am and 2pm . Book via the button below:

This activity is being run as part of the Rivers4life project. Rivers4Life is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players we have been able to extend our education and engagement programme to connect schools and communities with rivers and wildlife through science and the arts, to inspire everyone to get involved with caring for our rivers.