Why Rivers Matter: Reflections from the Rivers4Life Exhibition

Where else can you find ‘beaver-nibbled wood chips’ displayed alongside buzzard feathers, stunning artwork, and colourful bunting created by local primary school children?

At our Rivers4Life exhibition at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes, visitors can explore all this and more. The exhibition brings together a fascinating mix of nature, creativity and conservation, from Marie Hartley’s original wood engraving blocks and works by Yorkshire Dales artists James McKay and Sally Zaranko, to interactive activities including river wildlife dress-up clothes, bird and mammal footprint casts to discover in the sand, inspiring photography and the latest updates on our river restoration projects.

With so much to see and experience, it was fitting that the Trust’s Patron, Lord Swinton (Mark Cunliffe-Lister of the Swinton Estate), took time out of his busy schedule to officially open the exhibition. He was joined by project partners, supporters, community contributors and some of our dedicated staff and volunteers.

A celebration of Yorkshire Dales rivers, wildlife and communities

Running to 27 September, Rivers4Life tells the story of our Yorkshire Dales rivers − their beauty, the challenges they face and the solutions being delivered through our conservation work.

Speaking at the preview event, Lord Swinton praised the exhibition’s creativity and community impact:

“I am genuinely inspired by the Rivers4Life exhibition. It brings together an extraordinary range of artistic contributions from diverse communities and the myriad ways rivers shape our lives, from our individual connections to our collective commitment to restore and protect our rivers for future generations.

“The exhibition is a powerful and thought-provoking celebration of community, creativity and environmental stewardship, and I wish it every success.”

Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Rivers4Life represents the culmination of the first phase of a three-year project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund supporting educational and artistic partnerships with schools, artists, community groups and environmental organisations.

Eight-year-old Harper, one of the pupils who contributed to the exhibition, said:

“I think it is wonderful. I like all the different games and information that will inspire people to save all the animals in the river.”

Nine-year-old Zara added:

“It was very good because they are teaching you about wildlife. I like the little statues that inspire you and help you learn why you shouldn’t litter.”

Supporting the future of Yorkshire Dales rivers

The exhibition also highlights our wider conservation work, including Natural Flood Management (NFM) programmes helping protect communities and wildlife, projects to improve fish passage to support healthy river ecosystems, and how we are reducing pollution from historic metal mining.

Visitors can also view the winning entries from our year-long photography competition, capturing the region’s rivers, wildlife and changing landscapes through the seasons.

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