Thames21 Limited

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

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 Himalayan Balsam bashing this month.Balsam is an invasive species and we don't want it growing on our river banks because it out completes native plants and increases the risk of bank erosion. We will pull the plant out from the banks so that it cannot self seed and grow again next year. Where to meet:Meet outside the Unitas building in Montrose Park.Nearest tubes are Burnt Oak or Colindale stations. 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">https://www.thames21.org.uk/get-involved-2/corporateteamdays/</a>

Join us for a unique wellness walk along the exposed Thames foreshore at low tide — a rare chance to explore the riverscape, slow down, and reconnect with nature. Starting at Broomhouse Dock and winding our way to Bishops Park. The walk will be casual and slow-paced, allowing everyone to reconnect with the river that runs through the heart of London — it’s a chance to pause, reflect, and immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Thames. This is an excellent opportunity to find your local access point to the River Thames, explore the foreshore, and make new friends. Everyone is welcome!&nbsp; ✨ Expect:🌊 A peaceful walk along the exposed Thames foreshore🌱 Guided moments of mindfulness and reflection 🗓️ Date: 26th June🕒 Time: 10 am📍 Start: Broomhouse Dock → End: Bishops Park🎒 Bring: The foreshore is very muddy, so please wear appropriate footwear (wellies or sturdy boots), water to drink and your curiosity! Free to join – all are welcome. Come as you are. Leave feeling grounded. If you have any questions, please contact Steph at stephanie.fernandes@thames21.org.uk.

🌿 Mindful Moments by the River: A Wellness Walk

Broomhouse Dock

Join us for a wonderful day of creativity and nature at Chestnuts Field Wetlands with Thames 21 and High 5 Workshops! Whether you're a pro artist or a complete beginner, this relaxed sketching session is the perfect chance to explore the beauty of the ponds and the nearby Dagenhambrook.&nbsp; What to bring: we will be providing materials but please bring&nbsp;your own if you desire. We will be sketching from picnic blankets on the&nbsp;ground so please bring a little cushion if you want to be more comfortable.&nbsp; Let’s unwind, create, and connect with the natural world together! Access Information:Some parts of the walk will be on unpaved terrain, and the site may be muddy, so please wear sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothing. We will also be crossing roads when traveling between the parks, so care is advised. There are disabled loos located at the Town Hall but as we are doing a circuit, they will not always be nearby. If you have any specific access requirements or questions, please contact Lula at lula.wattam@thames21.org.uk in advance so we can make necessary adjustments to ensure the event is accessible for everyone. Come along to learn, connect, and celebrate the importance of our local green spaces. We look forward to seeing you there!

The site of a SuDS in Walthamstow behind Walthamstow Town Hall

Chestnuts Field

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:This will be in either The Meads or Montrose Park. TBC nearer the time.Nearest tube: Burnt Oak or Colindale 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">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 Millwall Slipway on the Isle of Dogs (E14 3QS) on the afternoon of Saturday 21st June for a community river clean-up. 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

Location: Tump53 Nature Reserve, Water Lily Walk, London SE28 8ASDate: 21st June 2025Time: 9:30 - 3:30Contact: Toby Dighero (toby.dighero@thames21.org.uk) This course has been developed through the <a href="https://www.thames21.org.uk/connecting-communities/empower-rivers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: black;">EMPOWER Rivers Project</a>.&nbsp;Join us for our second Water Quality Monitoring training course that will be delivered across the Marsh Dykes and Thamesmead catchment. This is following on from the Waterblitz event which took place in 2024 within the <a href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/2eb0906cde634edc95e1683eb16011ad?item=7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: black;">Marsh Dykes and Thamesmead Catchment</a>. You will also learn about other projects in the catchment, how your data will be used to benefit these projects, and how you can get further involved. This is a 1-day course approximately starting at 9:30am and finishing at 3:30pm. The course consists of a morning session inside at the Tump 53 Nature Reserve, Greenwich followed by a lunch break, a practical session by the waterway where you will get to use some of the water quality monitoring kit, and then a final session back inside.&nbsp;Topics covered will include:<ul><li>The multiple pressures impacting London's rivers</li><li>The different types of pollution</li><li>The importance of citizen science in monitoring water quality</li><li>The various water quality monitoring methodologies available and their purposes</li><li>The kit we offer and how to use it</li><li>Health and safety protocols</li><li>Where and how to upload your data</li><li>What the impact from your data will be</li></ul>&nbsp;We currently have several locations in the catchment where we need regular water quality monitoring carried out. <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?ll=51.50523486177563%2C0.12036916773412898&amp;z=14&amp;mid=1EHpVT5R4p658Du9L1vHxTj0gOc0QVT8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: black;">Check out this map to see the available sites with the blue pins</a>. We will have a few water quality monitoring kits to give out to people who are interested in becoming a citizen scientist. This monitoring will be expected to be carried out at least once a month - if you can't stick to this then we may request that you return the equipment to us so we can give it to someone else as we get a lot of requests from people!&nbsp;More information will be sent out closer to the date. &nbsp;Please sign up as soon as possible as places are limited!

Become an AquaTracker: Water Quality Monitoring Course (Marsh Dykes and Thamesmead)

Tump 53 Nature Reserve

This Great Big Green Week, take action to help your local rivers and streeams! We need your help to manage Himalayan Balsam along the Gallos Brook. This invasive plant spreads easily along riverbanks, outcompeting native plants and destabilising the banks, causing erosion. Hand pulling is the best way to tackle this problem plant and we will do this from the bank and from in the river channel, wearing waders. Please wear outdoor footwear with a good grip, and bring wellies and gardening gloves if you have them. Other equipment (waders, bouyancy aids, more pairs of gloves) will be provided. The meeting point is Islip Village Hall, from where we will walk down to the site (~5 minutes). Please arrive promptly for your session so you can take part in the safety briefing. Pre booking is essential for health and safety reasons. Any under-18s must be accompanied by an adult. Hot drinks and refreshments will be available at Field House, Lower Street. Toilets are available at the back of the Church and at Field House Look forward to seeing you there!

Islip Village Hall

An Introduction to River Restoration Training Course Please note this is a two-day course. Friday 13th June, 11am – 4:30pm AND Friday 20th June, 10am - 4pmFirs Farm Community Hub, Playing Fields, Firs Ln, London N21 2PJFree to joinBooking is essential Do you want to get more involved in river restoration in London? On this course you will: ·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Learn how rivers function·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Explore the issues that impact London’s rivers·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Learn how to assess the health of a river·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Find out what river restoration looks like in London This two-day course will provide an introduction to the skills and knowledge you need to contribute to river restoration in London. It will give you an insight into what is involved in planning, constructing, monitoring and maintaining a river restoration project and inspire you to look at your local river in a new way. If you have any specific access requirements please get and touch and we will do our best make this event accessible for you. Contact: sam.bentley-toon@thames21.org.uk This course is delivered as part of <a href="https://www.thames21.org.uk/connecting-communities/empower-rivers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">EMPOWER Rivers.</a>

An Introduction to River Restoration Two-Day Training Course

Thank you for booking our special London Rivers Week 2025 East London photo walk. We look forward to seeing you on this journey.

Thursday 5th June – 11am-12pm Environmental charity Thames21 invite you to join us for a special East London Thames photo walk. We will be teaming up with social-documentary photographer and community artist Sylvie Belbouab to run a special photography workshop whilst walking the ‘Royal Wharf’ walk. We will not be walking along the Thames foreshore but will take in the Thames’ views and its surrounding ecosystem from ‘above’ the foreshore. We will start the walk from Pontoon Dock Station, walk through the Thames Barrier Park then along the Royal Wharf and through Lyle Park. The walk will provide an opportunity to experience the Thames from an East London perspective. In fact, the Thames Barrier Park mirrors the Thames and offers a fantastic spot to take pictures from. The entire walk is expected to take one hour. Maybe more, maybe less; depending on the turnout and the pace. Attendees are welcome to join for as much or as little of the walk as they choose. Please be prepared with comfortable and weather appropriate clothing and shoes, healthy snacks and plenty of water. Toilet and snack breaks will be incorporated into the day. Sylvie will be documenting this journey with her camera &amp; will encourage you to do the same. There’s no need for special cameras; you can bring your smartphones. Sylvie will be able to offer technical advice on camera settings, exposures and composition, as well as encouraging those attending to share their technical photographic knowledge and interests with one another during the walk. Location start: Pontoon Dock StationWhat 3 words: ///leader.bunny.crowdsTime: 11am-12pm Contact Thames21's Liz Gyekye @ liz.gyekye@thames21.org.uk for more information.All U18s must be accompanied by an adult.

London Rivers Week 2025: East London Thames photo walk  

Pontoon Dock Station

This Great Big Green Week, take action to help your local rivers and streeams! We need your help to manage Himalayan Balsam along the Gallos Brook. This invasive plant spreads easily along riverbanks, outcompeting native plants and destabilising the banks, causing erosion. Hand pulling is the best way to tackle this problem plant and we will do this from the bank and from in the river channel, wearing waders. Please wear outdoor footwear with a good grip, and bring wellies and gardening gloves if you have them. Other equipment (waders, bouyancy aids, more pairs of gloves) will be provided. The meeting point is Islip Village Hall, from where we will walk down to the site (~5 minutes). Please arrive promptly for your session so you can take part in the safety briefing. Pre-booking is essential for health and safety reasons. Any under-18s must be accompanied by an adult. Hot drinks and refreshments will be available at Field House, Lower Street. Toilets are available at the back of the Church and at Field House. Look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for booking your place at our River Litter Detectives event at Queenhithe. We will send out more details closer to the event date. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact: stephanie.fernandes@thames21.org.uk.

Come along and join Thames21 as a river citizen scientist on the River Thames. We will be collecting the litter we find and categorising it into sewage derived litter, plastic items, and other litter. This will help us to determine the quantity of litter turning up along the river side and to investigate which litter category is the biggest problem. We look forward to welcoming you to our event which will cover everything you need to know to carry out a litter survey or clean up with Thames21 Citizen Science Volunteer for Thames River Watch. Both new and existing Thames21 volunteers are encouraged to attend and investigate plastic pollution on the Tidal Thames. We will be carrying out this River Litter Detectives session at Queenhithe. We are aware that Queenhithe is a specially protected area, and we have permission to be there. Please note that access to this site is a little challenging, requiring climbing a step-ladder, and over a wall. If you would like any further information about this, please contact stephanie.fernandes@thames21.org.uk. 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 <a href="https://www.thames21.org.uk/get-involved-2/corporatevolunteering/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: inherit; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">https://www.thames21.org.uk/get-involved-2/corporatevolunteer</a> Please make sure you have suitable footwear (wellies or boots) and weather appropriate clothing for the day.If you have any questions please contact Steph at stephanie.fernandes@thames21.org.uk.

Thames21 Limited

Thames21 Limited

Himalayan Balsam Bash, Islip, MORNING

London Rivers Week: Sketch the Wetland

Himalayan Balsam Bash, Islip, AFTERNOON

An Introduction to River Restoration Two-Day Training Course

River Litter Detectives - Queenhithe

London Rivers Week 2025: East London Thames photo walk

Become an AquaTracker: Water Quality Monitoring Course (Marsh Dykes and Thamesmead)

Isle of Dogs Community Clean Up

🌿 Mindful Moments by the River: A Wellness Walk

Action for Silk Stream

Action for Silk Stream - River Action day

Action for Silk Stream - River Action Day