River Chess Discovery Day
On May 27th The Chiltern Chalk Streams Project held a very successful Chalk Stream Discovery day on Chesham moor. The event was held to celebrate accumulation of work on the Chess Valley Walk funded by the Green Recovery Challenge Fund.
Credit Nick Middleton
The Chess Valley Walk runs from Rickmansworth to Chesham and passes though Chesham Moor. New signage, information boards, footpaths and benches have been installed along the walk over the past year. The event aimed to encourage local residents to find out and enjoy these new features, encouraging them to learn about chalk streams and this fantastic, rare habitat on our doorstep.
Different local organisations came together on the day to celebrate their involvement on chalk streams. River Chess Association, Chiltern Rangers, Restore Hope, Chesham Environmental Group and River Chess Smarter Water Catchment led activities and engaged with the public on their projects.
The Chiltern Chalk Stream Project led a family walk on the day looking for wildlife along the stream and in the wooded wetland area. The families were encouraged to look out for signs of the River Chess’ historical past.
On the day local author Liv Bolton also led a walk to encourage others to get out and enjoy the outdoors. She included tips along the way from her book The Outdoor Fix.
The most popular activity of the day was river dipping! With experts on hand families could discover the wildlife in the water. Families discovered a wide variety of invertebrates including a mayfly nymph and a stonefly nymph which are new to this stretch of the river!
Credit Nick Middleton
Rivers Week
In September, organisations from around the Chilterns are planning events to celebrate Rivers Week (18th-24th September). Learn about your local chalk stream on a guided walk, help restore our rivers by joining a practical conservation task or add to our understanding by becoming a citizen scientist. See the full programme for details.