Get involved with monitoring the aquatic invertebrate life in the stream!

The Arle is monitored and surveyed in a number of places on a regular basis and anyone who would like to help is more than welcome to join in this fascinating exercise. This involves taking a sample from the stream bed (waders or long wellies essential! or you may prefer to do your bit on dry land) using a method called 'kick-sweep', heading back to the riverbank and then identifying and counting what you have found.

People who are interested in riverfly monitoring can contact us at the Wildlife Trust as we can provide training and equipment and a session can be arranged where you can watch the samples being taken and see the streams' invertebrates up close.

for more information, email ian.diver@talktalk.net

There is a large variety of invertebrates in the stream, the numbers of which can tell us a lot about the water quality, oxygen levels, pollutants, and so on. this is includes all manner of the Mayfly and Olives family, freshwater shrimps, Caddis (cased and uncased) and stoneflies. These form the basis of the food chain, and the more that there are, the more likely we will be to see larger fish, birds, mammals and bats that feed off them.

for more information, contact winterbournes@hiwwt.org.uk

Walk the stream banks, and look for places where Brown Trout have made their nests - known as 'Redds'. Record the size, number and location of these spawning sites.

Training is provided for what to look out for, and you can help support this iconic species by monitoring their populations.

For more information, contact People who are interested in riverfly monitoring can contact us at the Wildlife Trust as we can provide training and equipment and a session can be arranged where you can watch the samples being taken and see the streams' invertebrates up close.

for more information, email ian.diver@talktalk.net

There is a large variety of invertebrates in the stream, the numbers of which can tell us a lot about the water quality, oxygen levels, pollutants, and so on. this is includes all manner of the Mayfly and Olives family, freshwater shrimps, Caddis (cased and uncased) and stoneflies. These form the basis of the food chain, and the more that there are, the more likely we will be to see larger fish, birds, mammals and bats that feed off them.

for more information, contact winterbournes@hiwwt.org.uk

We all have septic tanks or similar off-mains waste systems in the village. Individually, each tank is a small thing but accumulatively across the village can have a huge impact, especially when not maintained.

Owners do have legal responsibilities but may not be aware of them and there are many ways to manage these systems well and reduce the impact. Check out our pages on septic tanks and how they can be managed to reduce their impact.

Suitable for schools and uniformed groups within our scheme area, Watercress and Winterbournes provide sessions which are free and help is available for transport costs.

There is a wide range of activities for both classrooms and riverbank, such as:

'Source To Sea' journey
Water conservation trail
River dipping
Landscape art
interactive quizzes
model making
achievement badges

For more information, contact People who are interested in riverfly monitoring can contact us at the Wildlife Trust as we can provide training and equipment and a session can be arranged where you can watch the samples being taken and see the streams' invertebrates up close.

for more information, email ian.diver@talktalk.net

There is a large variety of invertebrates in the stream, the numbers of which can tell us a lot about the water quality, oxygen levels, pollutants, and so on. this is includes all manner of the Mayfly and Olives family, freshwater shrimps, Caddis (cased and uncased) and stoneflies. These form the basis of the food chain, and the more that there are, the more likely we will be to see larger fish, birds, mammals and bats that feed off them.

for more information, contact winterbournes@hiwwt.org.uk

Suitable for all ages under 18 (with accompanying adult supervision), the Chalk Stream Challenge can be completed by families, schools, and uniformed groups. This includes a range of fun learning and exploration activities.

There are activity sheets, spotter guides, and certificates free to print at home. There are also fabric badges that can be ordered for a small fee.

For more information, see https://www.hiwwt.org.uk/watercress-and-winterbournes/chalk-stream-challenge

There are grants for landowners with the chalk streams running through their properties (land not in a stewardship scheme or requiring work not covered by one) for up to £5,000 which can be the larger part of the total project costs.

Projects must help to prevent sediment and pollutants from entering the chalk stream or improve its riparian habitat - for example improving yard drainage, improving the treatment of pesticide washings, reducing soil wash caused by vehicle movements, reducing rainwater entering and running off manure, slurry and silage stores, reducing the impact of cattle poaching at stock gathering areas, gateways and riverbanks and reducing the impact of tracks acting as routes for sediment to enter water courses.

For more information, contact winterbournes@hiwwt.org.uk