Launch of the Culm Himalayan Balsam Action Group
The Culm Himalayan Balsam Action Group (HBAG) is a new initiative that's come out of discussions in our Working Groups. Himalayan Balsam was introduced to the UK in 1839 from Northern
From What Is to What If?
Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition movement, shares his thoughts, prior to joining us for our Climate Resilience Workshop on 29 April. I am obsessed with the potential of our imagination
Culm Perspectives: a response to the Environmental Evidence Review
In the following opinion piece, Richard Horrocks (pictured above at a river activity day) responds to the River Culm Environmental Evidence Review. Richard's career was spent with the Environment Agency and he
Lower Culm water quality – new Scorecard thanks to Culm CSI volunteers!
On Wednesday 17th March an interactive audience joined us for the Culm Citizen Science Investigations (CSI) event, to celebrate the work of the fantastic volunteers throughout the Culm catchment who collect and
Culm wildlife – what’s been spotted? How can you get involved?
Wildlife spotting emerged as the second favourite activity* people participate in when out and about around the Culm and its tributaries. But what types of wildlife can people expect to see and
Cows, potatoes and climate change
Have you ever wondered how cows and potatoes might be affected under climate change in the UK? Scientists at the Met Office have, in a recent paper published this month. The
Beavers for the Culm – the latest intelligence
In 2014 a pair of wild beavers living on the River Otter gave birth to kits (young) for the first time and there was a risk the government would step in
Working Groups – Round One!
The last 4 weeks have seen a flurry of activity across the Culm catchment as our first round of Working Groups got underway. At each session, after quick introductions, we got down
Working Groups – dates and joining details
January 2021 sees the launch of our first round of Working Groups, which will be the engine rooms for developing the Blueprint for the Culm - our long-term masterplan and investment plan
Using trees to slow down water
One of the mantras of working with nature to tackle the effects of climate change is to “slow the flow”. When rain falls, the ideal scenario is that most of it
Looking backwards, looking forwards
2020 was a challenging year but, working with nature and local stakeholders and communities, the journey to make the Culm river and catchment better for wildlife and people, as well as becoming
Mapping the Historic Character of the Culm
Dr Antony Firth of Fjordr Ltd recently gave us a fascinating presentation about Fjordr's work researching historic features along the length of the River Culm, including the larger part of many of
Next Steps for the Forum
November saw the culmination of the first phase of the project, with the launch of the Connecting the Culm Forum following a series of events to raise awareness of the issues
Forum Launch Week
The week of 18 - 24 November sees the launch of the Connecting the Culm Forum and a host of ways to get involved and have your say. This post is a
Citizen Scientists get active on the Culm
A team of volunteers is now routinely monitoring water quality on the Culm, thanks to the Connecting the Culm project and the Westcountry Rivers Trust Citizen Science Investigation (CSI) scheme. The
Climate change and its likely impacts in Devon
This article starts with an overview of climate change globally and then moves (see section 5 onwards) into a description of its likely impacts in Devon. It includes videos of presentations by
The Blueprint Policy Map
One of the main functions of the Blueprint for the Culm is to coordinate work in the catchment so that people and organisations focus their efforts sensibly. By sharing plans and
Discover the Culm event video
The "Discover the River Culm" online event held on 22 October 2020 brought together a galaxy of specialists to detail their knowledge and insights into the science and heritage of the
Soils Matter
A new video from the Westcountry Rivers Trust gives some insights to the importance of soil health, the challenges that different soils pose, and how climate change is likely to impact
Taking care of our white-clawed crayfish
Nicky Green has been working with crayfish in Devon and Somerset for almost twenty years. Her interest has grown over the years to the point that 'crayfishing' is now a full-time