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June 2025

  • Date published

    Thursday, 26 June 2025

News from the team

As I move into a new role within Wessex Water as a Conservation Advisor, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone I've had the pleasure of working with. It's been incredibly rewarding to be involved in such a wide range of projects, from peatland restoration and the Poole Harbour Nutrient Management Scheme to the exciting work with beavers. There’s so much inspiring and important work happening across the Stour and Poole Harbour catchments, and I’ve really valued the chance to be part of it.
 
Best wishes…Sally

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Welcome to our June newsletter. As always, it includes interesting partnership, local and national news articles. The team have been very busy, as usual, with various meetings, site visits and other events.
 
Sadly, after two and a half years, Sally is leaving the DCP team. Sally has been a reservoir of information to me over the past four months, whilst I have been settling into my new role. I’d like to thank Sally for all that she has done during her time in post and wish her all the best for the future.
 
I am pleased to share the news that the annual return to the CaBA national steering group has been completed. We’ve reported on 10 Poole Harbour catchment projects, eight Stour projects and six projects in the West Dorset Rivers and Coastal Streams catchment. Many thanks to those of you who have supplied information about your projects across the catchments. The amount and variety of work that is being delivered to protect and enhance Dorset’s rivers and wetlands is very impressive and is a testament to the dedication of all the partners involved in project development and subsequent delivery.
 
Enjoy the newsletter!
Zoë

Partner update

Peat Fest South West 
The Dorset Peat Partnership is involved with a regional festival this summer and autumn. We are collaborating with the Art & Energy Collective, who were awarded a National Heritage Lottery Fund grant in May and their delivery partner RE-PEAT.

To celebrate our peatland connections in Dorset, we will be holding a community workshop event for young people called For Peats Sake! Love Your HEATH on Wednesday, 30th July.  This event will be part of the Dorset Heaths week programmed events, and we will be delivering the day with the partners who work to manage Upton Heath and RE-PEAT, who will be providing some creative workshops. Full details of the event are on the poster below.

In the autumn, we will be participating in the Nature Fest on Swanage seafront hosted by Planet Purbeck on Saturday 20th September. More details will follow. 

The Peat Fest organisers have now confirmed details of the celebratory Peat-Fest South-West launch event on Sunday 27th July, 11am - 3pm, which is coincidentally Bog Day.

This event will take place at Sterts Arts and Environmental Centre, Upton Cross, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 5AZ.

Full details of all the events are available on the Peat-Fest South-West webpage.

 

Wider news

Old carbon routed from land to the atmosphere by global river systems
A new study has revealed that ancient carbon, stored in landscapes for thousands of years, can find its way back to the atmosphere as CO₂ released from the surfaces of rivers.
 
Rivers transport and release methane and carbon dioxide as part of the global carbon cycle. Until now, scientists believed the majority of this was a quick turnover derived from the recycling of recent plant growth, organic material broken down and carried into the river system in the past 70 years or so. This new study indicates the opposite, with 60% of emissions being attributed to long-term carbon stores accumulated over hundreds to thousands of years ago.
 
Jack Bishop, Coordinator for Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership, was a contributor to this research. You can read the research article here and the press release here.

Big River Watch results
The Rivers Trust have published the results of the Spring 2025 Big River Watch. A total of 2,261 surveys were completed, with over 3.9k people reporting findings on wildlife, pollution, litter, artificial barriers, and more. All the collected data can be viewed on the Big River Watch Data Explorer. 

What keeps farmers awake at night
Grounded Research is running an ongoing research programme gathering real-time insights into UK farmers’ biggest concerns, from economic pressures to environmental challenges. With over 1,000 responses so far, it aims to inform better agricultural policy and support by amplifying farmers’ voices.

Report an environmental problem
The Environment Agency has launched a new online reporting service for water and odour pollution, enhancing the traditional telephone hotline. This user-friendly tool enables the public to report incidents more accurately by using interactive maps to pinpoint locations and will soon support photo and video uploads to provide visual evidence.

Woodlands for Water
A partnership project between The Rivers Trust, Woodland Trust and the National Trust ended in March 2025 after more than three years. The Woodlands for Water project planted and restored trees near watercourses across England to create riparian wildlife corridors and buffer strips. Details of what the project achieved have been published. 

 

Local news

Climbing for chalk streams
George Seligman, chair of Wessex Rivers Trust, will be attempting the Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for chalk streams in the Wessex region. This challenge follows 13 years as chair, as he plans to step down from the position later this year.

Weymouth seahorse colony
Two harbour walls located at Weymouth Peninsula were due to be repaired and replaced in winter 2024; however, the essential maintenance has been postponed to autumn 2025. This is due to a colony of seahorses found breeding and raising their young in the seagrass near the peninsula. To protect the species, works will begin once the species have moved back into deeper water for the cooler months.

 

Get involved

BCP Waste Strategy
A public consultation is open until Sunday 29th June, where you can have your say on the updated 2026-2036 BCP Council Waste Strategy. The strategy details the council’s seven ambitions, which include sustainable waste disposal and sustainable waste targets. The plan works towards the government’s waste target of sending less than 10% to landfill by 2035.
 
Biodiversity Net Gain consultation
Defra have launched a public consultation about improving the implementation of Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. Share your views before Thursday, 24th July.
 
Funding flood resilience and coastal erosion consultation
Defra have a consultation open, asking for feedback on their two main proposals: their proposed approach to funding new flood resilience projects, and the proposed approach to prioritising flood resilience projects. Have your say before Tuesday, 29th July. 

 

Funding

Local water resources option screening
The Environment Agency have a screening study available for a group of two or more neighbouring farms, to assess and rank water resources options to increase water supply resilience. Applications close on Sunday, 20th July.
 
BCP Thriving Communities Fund
Through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, BCP Council have funding available to support capital improvements in the community, which support the outcomes in the BCP Corporate Plan, one of which is a sustainable environment. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, 2nd July.
 
Woodland Creation Offer
The Forestry Commission have up to £10,200 per hectare of funding available to support projects which create new woodland. As well as this, additional payments are available when delivering wider environmental benefits to support the woodland creation. Submit your application by Monday, 30th June.
 
Climate Action Fund
A minimum of £500,000 of funding is available for partnership projects which aim to link climate action with local, regional or national-level communities. Applications can be submitted until late 2025. 

 

Events and webinars

Big Butterfly Count
Between the 18th of July to the 10th of August, the 2025 Big Butterfly Count will be taking place. This citizen science event involves spending 15 minutes counting the number and species of butterflies spotted. Discover further details to participate here. 

Holly Blue, credit Butterfly Conservation

Landscape Leaders: Farmer Cluster Training Programme
The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust have created a free online course which explores Farmer Clusters and the environmental opportunities and challenges they respond to. Find out more about this course here. 

 

Jobs