Let's keep in touch...
1. Make sure you're on our mailing list
Every few months, we send an email digest of what’s ‘Beane’ happening in and around the river.
To receive this occasional update from the RBRA, please add your name and email address in the box below. If you want to join us for our other activities, tick the appropriate option(s) below too and we’ll get back to you.
2. Follow us on Facebook
We run an active page on Facebook which we’d love for you to join.
Please follow us on Facebook to keep up with the very latest news concerning the river Beane and the activity happening in and around it.
Here’s a preview of some recent posts from our page:
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River Beane Restoration Association
The RBRA is a not-for-profit group working in partnership with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency, Affinity Water, county and local councils, local landowners and volunteers to improve the River Beane for the benefit of all
Happy Christmas to all our followers, and thank you for your continued interest in the River Beane. ![]()
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We'll be sending out a short newsletter to all our supporters in the New Year – so, if you haven't already done so, visit riverbeane.co.uk/keep-in-touch and add yourself to the mailing list: it's very quick, and it's free (If you've done this recently and not seen anything yet, it's on its way after the Christmas break) ![]()
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Over the past year we've welcomed several new volunteers to our river monitoring teams (thank you!), you've helped us attend to vast areas of invasive non-native plants, we&Woodhall Estatee new section of river at the Woodhall Estate really start to look very settled and there's been flow along much of the Beane, even during the hot dry summer – although it did briefly stop running at the surface into the autumn. ![]()
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ThroHerts and Middlesex Wildlife Trustto work closely with Herts and Middlesex Affinity Water, the local Environment Agency teams and Affinity Water. Behind the scenes, a lot of meetings have taken place ahead of an exciting project for next year and beyond… but that's for another time 🙂![]()
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If you fancy a Boxing Day walk by the Beane, you can't beat the path from Stapleford towards Woodhall (taking in that new section), or alongside the river at Waterford Marsh (where the photo below was taken). The final stretch of the Beane alongside Hartham Common in Hertford is impressive too. ![]()
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See you in 2026![]()
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Pete, ![]()
RBRA Chair
The Hertfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy was published a couple of weeks ago. If you've not already taken a look, then maybe now's the time. Specific parts of the County identified as Focus Areas, one of which is the Beane Valley… (scroll down to 'Hertfordshire Nature by Focus Area')![]()
www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/how-the-council-works/partnerships/herts-nature-recove…
On this day, 12 months ago, the river was diverted into the new channel between the Woodhall Estate and Stapleford. A year on it looks so good…
www.facebook.com
The Hertfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy was published yesterday. This is a great step forward for nature, including the county’s precious chalk streams.📢 Big news for nature in Hertfordshire!![]()
Hertfordshire’s first Local Nature Recovery Strategy is now live – a county-wide plan for how we protect, restore and reconnect nature for future generations. 🌱💚![]()
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From improving habitats for Swifts and Water Voles to safeguarding precious chalk streams, the strategy sets out what needs to happen, where, and how.![]()
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A huge thank-you to everyone who took part! Hertfordshire had the highest consultation response in the country, with 751 residents, organisations and community groups helping shape the future of nature locally. 🙌![]()
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Read more about this landmark moment 👇![]()
www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/news/local-nature-recovery-strategy-launch![]()
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#NatureRecovery #Hertfordshire #Biodiversity #LocalNatureRecoveryStrategy ![]()
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Herts County Council
This evening’s BBC Countryfile was all about water and the rivers of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park in South Wales (formerly known by the English as the Brecon Beacons). But of particular interest was the last 10 minutes or so that focused on river restoration for the benefit of Atlantic Salmon. While salmon may not reach the inland River Beane, we do hope that similar projects will entice Brown Trout back to our river. Less pollution, greater volume of water, and crucially more ‘variation’ in the flow caused by things like fallen trees are key to this. Take a watch if you can… the whole programme was a good one, from stunning caves to the unlikely common Olive growing in Lincolnshire. ![]()
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Countryfile – The Power of Water
www.bbc.co.uk
Matt Baker and Sammi Kinghorn are in Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, where the power of the water that runs through its valleys shapes the landscape both above and below ground.
Our volunteers have been out over the past couple of days carrying out this month's Riverfly samples. Some good results have come in, including the first sightings (at least, since 2015) of Mayfly in the Stevenage Brook. ![]()
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We monitor the river every month by kick-sampling the gravel bed and counting the invertebrate life, which gives an indication of the river's condition. ![]()
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(The video shows Mayfly larvae from my sample on the River BeaWoodhall Estateall Estate today – where you'll spot some very tiny ones in there)
Although a lot of recent media focus has been on sewage pollution affecting our rivers, this from the Dorset Wildlife Trust via BBC news shows that actually, agricultural activity and pet flea treatments (many of which contain neonicotinoids – the bee-killing pesticides that are banned in agriculture) might be the bigger problem. ![]()
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Our own RBRA volunteers have been carrying out Riverfly sampling on the Beane for many years. You can see the data from this here: riverflydata.org/?where=t-riverbeanearmigroup . Recently we've been testing for the levels of nitrate and phosphate pollution, and looking for signs of other run-off too as part of the CaSCTo project: castco.org/case-study/beane-demo/![]()
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If you have a dog that's been flea treated, you might consider keeping it out of rivers for 30 days after it's been applied…
Citizen science tackles Dorset’s invisible river pollution
www.bbc.co.uk
Hundreds of volunteers for two citizen science projects monitor pollution in Dorset's rivers.
EDIT: This issue has now been fixed 🙂![]()
We are aware our website may* be unavailable at the moment… we’re in the process of moving things across to a shiny new site. ![]()
(I say ‘may’ because it depends how you type the address 🙂)
Great to see the recently restored sections of the Beane ‘doing their stuff’ in the rain today…
facebook.com
Before the vote tomorrow (Thursday 13 Nov), still time to contact your local MP and ask them to vote in support of wildlife…📣 MPs vote tomorrow on Amendment 130.![]()
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The Planning & Infrastructure Bill could be disastrous for wildlife if key protections are lost — but there’s still time to make a difference.![]()
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🌿 Amendment 130 would safeguard vital habitats and species. We need MPs to back it when they vote tomorrow.![]()
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💌 Email your MP today and stand up for nature: action.wildlifetrusts.org/page/180301/action/1![]()
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#DefendNature #ProtectWildlife #UKWildlife