Supporters Day 2022
We warmly invite you to join us for our annual get together for all of our supporters to celebrate the people and projects that are making Eden’s rivers better places for people and wildlife.
It’s a packed day of talks and trips that will give you an insight into the work being done by ourselves and our partners to enhance and protect rivers in the Upper Eden catchment. Lunch and refreshments are provided.
Tickets to our Supporters’ Day are FREE as we want to make this day accessible to everyone.
If you would like to help towards the costs of making this day possible, then there is an option to make a donation when you book your ticket(s) – thank you for your support.
Morning: Maulds Meaburn Village Institute
10.00 Welcome and Introduction from Elizabeth Radford, CEO . Where we are post-pandemic and into the next five years.
10.15 “Changes in river restoration approaches in 25 years of Eden Rivers Trust ” with Lev Dahl, River Restoration Manager
11.00 Coffee and tea
11.30 “A personal reflection on the landscape and communities of the Westmorland Dales” – Douglas Chalmers.
We’re delighted to welcome Douglas Chalmers, the outgoing CEO of the charity, Friends of the Lake District as our keynote speaker this year. He will share a personal reflection on the landscape and communities of the Westmorland Dales from when it became part of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, taking us through the early years and what the future might hold for the region.
Douglas has been Chief Executive of the Friends of the Lake District since 2015, prior to that he worked at the CLA (The Country Land and Business Association) for 14 years as Director of Policy and Public Affairs and Regional Director for the North West during the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001.
He has been involved in a wide number of rural groups, including the Cumbria and North and East Lancashire Rural and Farming Network, the Cumbria Local Nature Partnership, the Cumbria Local Access Forum and the Lake District National Park Partnership. He hails from Aberdeenshire where he grew up on his family’s farm and studied agriculture (Animal Science).
12.30 Presentation of the Ploughlands Legacy Award
12.40 Lunch (please let us know any dietary requirements)
Afternoon: Field trips – various locations within the Westmorland Dales area then back to Maulds Meaburn Village Institute for afternoon tea
13.40 – 15.30/16.00 Field trips. See descriptions below. You will be asked to choose one trip when you book your ticket(s). Places are limited, early booking is advised.
16.00 Cream tea
16.30 Close
Choose from one of the following afternoon field trips
1. Cultural heritage walk in the Westmorland Dales with Hannah Kingsbury, Cultural Officer, Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership
Take a guided walk around Maulds Meaburn, investigating the medieval origins, and its development as a farming settlement. We will look at both natural and cultural heritage, including discussion about tofts and crofts, and later farmsteads, buildings like the former smithy, school and chapel, and evidence of the mill. A short easy route that will all be on quiet roads. Option to join the river dippers at the end of the walk.
2. Crake Trees Manor – Natural Flood Management in real life. A walk around the project site with landowners Mike and Ruth Tuer and ERT’s Natural Flood Management Project Manager, Jenny Garbe
As part of the Westmorland Dales Hidden Landscape Project, Eden Rivers Trust has been working with the landowners at Crake Trees Manor to restore habitat and provide Natural Flood Management solutions to help mitigate downstream flooding. Take a walk around the site with the landowner and ERT staff to see how these habitats are developing and the benefits they provide for people and wildlife. A relatively long, but easy walk. Sturdy walking boots or wellies are required.
3. Pools, riffles , ponds and wildflower plugs : Greystone and Littlebeck River Restoration with ERT’s Lev Dahl
Between 2017 and 2021, Eden Rivers Trust, in conjunction with the landowners Chris and Rob Addison, restored in-river and floodplain features along 500m of the river Lyvennet. Take a walk with the ERT project officer to hear more about the challenges of working on such a dynamic river, and the wildlife that benefits from it. A short walk, but with a stile and a river crossing. Wellies essential.
4. Barnskew: river restoration maturing nicely. Take a look at a restoration project from the early 2010s with Jenni Payne (ERT)
Nearly ten years after the river was returned to its original course, this site is now a beautiful example of a successful restoration project. We will follow the Tale Trail route of Elma and the Giant around the permissive path to discover the benefits of blue/green space for both people and wildlife. A flat, but uneven footpath, through long vegetation that is accessed from the road via a steep stile at each end. Wear long trousers and sturdy boots or wellies.
5. What lives the Lyvennet?
Join Elizabeth Radford for river dipping on the Lyvennet in Maulds Meaburn – is there a difference below and above the weir? A short walk from the village hall we will dip for riverfly and other beasts. Wellies are essential if you want to take part in sampling. If yuo don’t fancy getting your feet wet, you can also stay on the bank and investigate what we catch with very little walking involved.
6. Farming in the Westmorland Dales – venue to be confirmed. Come and learn about the challenges and opportunities of farming in the Upper Eden with Andy Dyer. The walk will include some rough ground, so sturdy boots or wellies are a must if it is raining.
