Thames21 Limited

Thames21 is an environmental charity that works with communities to build climate resilience through the restoration of rivers and wetlands.

Thank you for your interest in becoming an Urban Riverfly Monitor! For more information about the Urban Riverfly scheme, which was developed by the Riverfly Partnership, please click <a href="https://www.riverflies.org/urban-riverfly" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. Date: Thursday 28 August 2025Venue: James Leal Centre - Ray Park, Ray House, Woodford, Wells, Woodford Green IG8 7GL (more info about how to get there can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://www.redbridge.gov.uk/leisure-sport-and-the-arts/james-leal-centre/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">here</a>).Timings: 09:15 - 16:00 (more details are in the below table). Please note, timings are slightly flexible so we may finish slightly earlier than 16:00.&nbsp;Structure of the day:09:15 = Arrivals, registration and refreshments09:30 = Intros, health &amp; safety and biosecurity10:00 = Introduction to Riverfly monitoring (RMI)10:20 = BREAK (tea/coffee)10:30 = Target groups - identification, life history &amp; ecology11:10 = BREAK (tea/coffee)11:20 = RMI fieldwork - theory11:45 = BREAK (early lunch. You can instead eat later if you like!)12:15 = RMI fieldwork - practical session in the river14:30 = Clean equipment and kit15:15 = ID quiz (back inside the pavilion)15:20 = Online database and RMI in practice13:45 = Questions and feedback16:00 = Finish Getting there:&nbsp;The centre is a 15-minute walk from Woodford Station (Central Line) and an 8-minute walk from the Ray Lodge Primary School stop (275 bus). If you're driving, there is a paid car park at the centre, which costs £5.80 for the day&nbsp;Lunch:&nbsp;Please bring your own lunch with you, or there will be time during the break to buy some from the café at the centre.&nbsp;Clothing:&nbsp;Please dress appropriately for the weather: If there is rain in the forecast, bring a raincoat. In general for riverfly monitoring, please wear long trousers and wear or bring a long-sleeved top/fleece/jumper to protect yourself from nettles or giant hogweed. Please also wear sturdy shoes for the walk to the site for the practical session.&nbsp;Waders:&nbsp;Please let me know what your shoe size is ASAP&nbsp;so I can make sure I bring enough waders to fit everyone. I won't be able to let you keep these waders unfortunately - they will just be loaned to you for the training day. Also, please let me know if you are going to bring your own waders.&nbsp;&nbsp;Equipment:&nbsp;All equipment for the RMI practical fieldwork will be provided on the day - I will give you/the person representing your group your monitoring kit to take home with you. This kit includes: a large net (approximately 1.5m tall so I would advise not cycling if you are the designated person in your group who is taking the net home), a 16 litre bucket, a large white tray, a nine-section divided tray, a large pipette, a couple of small pipettes, a couple of plastic spoons, a magnifying glass and a paintbrush. Let me know if you have any questions by emailing me at harrison.tremain@thames21.org.uk

Urban Riverfly Training at the James Leal Centre (Roding Beam and Ingrebourne) 

Summer fun on, in and beside the river is so great for us: it keeps us fit and healthy, and and helps us connect with our friends, nature and ourselves. However, with river pollution constantly in the news, many are worried about whether it's a good idea to take to the water at all... This event, run by environmental charity Thames21, is to help you understand river water quality, and what it means in practise for swimmers, other watersports users, wildlife and our four-legged friends. The short talk will cover:<ul><li>Whether and when the river is clean enough to swim, paddle and row in,</li><li>How to keep yourself safe and well when river swimming or doing other watersports,</li><li>Where to find up-to-date information about river conditions,</li><li>Where pollution in the river comes from, and how it affects wildlife,</li><li>Simple steps everyone can take to help their local river.</li></ul> The talk will be around 40 minutes, with time afterwards for a Q&amp;A session. About the speaker: Claire Robertson has lived in Oxfordshire for over six years, (three of those on a narrowboat), and is a keen wild swimmer and kayaker. She is the Oxford Rivers Project Officer at Thames21, and also has a PhD in freshwater ecology. With Thames21, she works to improve Oxfordshire's rivers through campaigning, better protections (like designated bathing waters) and habitat improvement, and she helps people better understand rivers through citizen science and open data.

What's in the water? Understanding the Thames at Wallingford

Wallingford Town Hall

Join us for our Action for Silk Stream monthly volunteering days. They will be held on the last Thursday of each month. We will be at one of our project sites this month. Activities include litter picking, vegetation management, planting trees, or a mixtures of all - come back later to see what we will be doing! Where to meet:TBC What to Bring:Dress for the weather and the task – long trousers and sleeves are advisable as there are nettles and brambles.Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of fluids.We will bring tea/coffee and biscuits.We will provide all other equipment (including wellies) needed for the event and we look forward to welcoming you! Email helen.cardy@thames21.org.uk if you have any questions.Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please make sure you have weather appropriate clothing for the day.Please get in touch if you have any questions about accessibility. We will do our best to make this event as accessible as possible.&nbsp;This is an event designed for the community to engage the local public with the river and not for corporates. If you are interested in a bespoke corporate volunteer day. Please visit our website&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thames21.org.uk/get-involved-2/corporateteamdays/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: inherit;">https://www.thames21.org.uk/get-involved-2/corporateteamdays/</a>

Action for Silk Stream - River Action Day

Watling Park

Join us for our Action for Silk Stream monthly volunteering days. They will be held on the last Thursday of each month. We will be balsam bashing. This means pulling out the invasive plant Himalayan Balsam, from the river bank where it is taking over meaning that our native species cannot thrive. Where to meet:Rushgrove Park, Rushgrove Ave, London NW9 6RD - to the south of the playground on the path.What 3 Words ///hook.firmly.saintsNearest tube: Colindale or Hendon CentralOverground Thameslink: Hendon What to Bring:Dress for the weather and the task – long trousers and sleeves are advisable as there are nettles and brambles.Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of fluids.We will bring tea/coffee and biscuits.We will provide all other equipment (including wellies) needed for the event and we look forward to welcoming you! There are no toilets nearby so please bear this in mind before you leave! Email helen.cardy@thames21.org.uk if you have any questions.Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Please make sure you have weather appropriate clothing for the day.Please get in touch if you have any questions about accessibility. We will do our best to make this event as accessible as possible.&nbsp;This is an event designed for the community to engage the local public with the river and not for corporates. If you are interested in a bespoke corporate volunteer day. Please visit our website&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thames21.org.uk/get-involved-2/corporateteamdays/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.thames21.org.uk/get-involved-2/corporateteamdays/</a>

Action for Silk Stream - River Action day

Do you want to help keep the River Thames clean and healthy? Join us at Surrey Docks Farm by the riverside next to Trinity Wharf Stairs at Durand's Wharf, London SE16 5HA&nbsp;on the morning of Sunday 27th July at 10am-12pm for a community river clean-up and discovery of foreshore history with local historian Jane Parker. Come along for a chat, this will be a fun, relaxed event and everyone is welcome to come learn, explore and enjoy! We will be providing all necessary equipment, and wellies to borrow.If you have any queries, please contact matt.dawson@thames21.org.uk&nbsp;

Surrey Docks River History & Community Clean Up

Thank you for booking your place at our volunteer celebration on Thursday 5th September 2025. We're looking forward to celebrating with you then!

Expect an evening of celebrations with an award ceremony to present the Celia Hensman River Leader of the Year Award, as well as three new awards, recognising the fantastic achievements you, the volunteers, have made over the past year. The event will be on the banks of the River Thames at <a href="https://ahoy.org.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Ahoy Centre</a>, Borthwick StreetLondon SE8 3JY We'll be providing food and a welcome drink to all guests. More details coming soon!

Thames21 Annual Volunteer Celebration - we are turning 21!