100 Hours with Aire Rivers Trust!

Betsy Matten (now proudly BA Hons.) writes about her placement with our Trust.

As part of my final year studying BA Geography with Quantitative Methods at the University of Leeds, I undertook a 100 hour placement with the Aire Rivers Trust (ART). ART immediately stood out to me, as a human geographer looking to gain insight into the world of environmental conservation, so I reached out and asked if I could get involved. From the very beginning, I was introduced to a variety of exciting projects, as well as many members of the team, a group of incredibly passionate and kind individuals.

Betsy Matten standing in a a field with ART volunteers, some cows and Himalayan balsam

During my time with ART, I managed to get out on some practical conservation days, working on important tasks with the amazing local volunteers! From scrub clearance to hedge laying, it was eye opening for me to see the work taking place on the ground to protect the Aire and its natural ecosystems.

Meeting the ART volunteers was a real highlight of the placement for me, showing such dedication to their local river and its tributaries. At a time when the topic of nature and the environment can evoke feelings of anxiety, this was a much needed reminder that there are many passionate people working towards a better world! 

My key project with ART involved working closely with the Catchment Coordinator, Ruth McBain, who really supported me throughout the placement. This project was focused on Catchment Management Planning. I undertook research around best practice across the UK, and began to compile information which could be used for ART’s updated plan.

A proud achievement for me was the publication of a web page and interactive map I created on the ART website. This page aimed to direct potential new volunteers to the best ways for them to get involved. The map involved the collation of many of the existing local action groups along the Aire, including contact details and a blurb to assist viewers in choosing the most suitable group for them. This webpage can be found here: https://aireriverstrust.org.uk/friends-of-the-river-2/ 

I thoroughly enjoyed every part of my placement. During a very stressful period of my education, the ART work provided me with engaging and inspiring days to break up the endless library sessions! In addition to this, my portfolio on all of my ART involvement received a high first class mark.

Thank you so much to the brilliant team at ART, for an invaluable 100 hours, I loved it!

Himalayan Balsam pulling season

Each summer, Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) appears again along riverbanks throughout the Aire catchment, and for our volunteers, that means balsam-pulling season is back.

At first glance, this tall plant with its bright pink flowers may seem attractive, but it is actually a problematic ‘invasive non-native species’, that negatively affects our rivers and watercourses. An invasive non-native species is a plant or animal that has been introduced to a country or area, spreads rapidly and causes harm to its new environment.

A stand of Himalayan Balsam in flower

Volunteers at the Aire Rivers Trust therefore spend the early summer months taking part in one of our most important and satisfying conservation activities – balsam pulling, also known as ‘balsam bashing’.

Why is Himalayan Balsam a problem?

Originally introduced to the UK as an ornamental garden plant, Himalayan balsam spreads rapidly along river corridors, canals and transport networks like railways and roads. It grows quickly from spring onwards, forms dense stands, and crowds out native vegetation, reducing biodiversity and leaving little space for wildflowers and other important riverbank plants.

In winter, unlike many native species, Himalayan balsam dies back completely, leaving bare soil exposed along riverbanks. Without deep-rooted vegetation to hold the soil together, banks become vulnerable to erosion during periods of high water and flooding.

Each plant can produce hundreds of seeds, which burst out of the seed pods in mid-late summer and spread far and wide, being carried downstream by rivers. This means that the plants (and the problem!) spread each year.

The power of volunteers

Despite being problematic for wildlife, Himalayan balsam is one of the easier invasive species to tackle. Its shallow root system means it can be easily removed by hand, simply pulling the plant from the bottom of the stem, before it sets seed. Every summer, volunteers from the Aire Rivers Trust head out to riverbanks, smaller becks and woodlands across the catchment to remove balsam and give native plants a chance to thrive again. These sessions are not only beneficial for local wildlife but are also a great opportunity to spend time outdoors, meet like-minded people and make a visible difference to the local environment.

A volunteer removing balsam from the riverbank
A small group of volunteers working to remove balsam from the riverbank
Solo volunteer balsam bashing

A catchment-wide approach

Managing invasive species requires working together and repeating the task each year. Seeds can travel long distances along rivers, so successful control relies on communities, landowners and volunteers working together across the entire catchment, over consecutive years. Many Rivers Trusts across the UK have shown that sustained annual balsam-pulling efforts can dramatically reduce the plant’s presence and allow native habitats to recover.

A group of volunteers celebrating their balsam bashing efforts
Himalayan balsam pulling is an easy activity suitable for all ages

Get involved

So far this year, we have pulled balsam at Fagley Beck in Ravenscliffe, Hawkstone, Chellow Dene and Pitty Beck, with more areas coming up in July. Some of these volunteer days been a part of our Roots in the River Project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thank you to the National Lottery, and a huge thank you to all of our volunteers for making this possible!

Whether you volunteer regularly or are looking to join us for the first time, balsam pulling is a great way to help nature in your area. No specific experience is required, and our team will help you with identifying and safely removing the plant. Sign up to volunteer here: Volunteer with Us – Aire Rivers Trust

River Worth Water Rangers

Roots in the River: Celebrating Spring and connecting with nature!

Welcome to our blog series as part of our Roots in the River project, where we will be sharing different stories and experiences as the seasons pass by. First up – celebrating Spring and connecting with nature!

Having passed the spring equinox on Friday 20th March, spring is officially here! Over the past few weeks, we have seen shoots appearing, the first flowers of the year blooming, and that cold edge in the air has gone. Spring offers a great opportunity to get out into nature, connecting with the natural world to reap the well-being benefits it can offer. As the cold and shorter days of winter have passed, engaging communities with nature becomes easier, as many people are ready to be outside again, and the natural world becomes a more inviting place to be. Rivers are a great place to bring people together. For those of us involved in conservation work, surveying, or simply walking the same stretches of river regularly, spring is when everything starts moving again.

The wonderful North Beck in spring, near the Tinker Bridge in Keighley. © Anna Williams

Connecting with nature has been shown to provide us with many benefits, such as improved mental wellbeing, greater meaning and purpose in life, and more pro-environmental behaviours (University of Derby). Nature connection can be very simple, it is about the feelings you get whilst in nature. Spring is one of the easiest times of year to feel a real connection to nature, especially when walking by a river. The senses seem to wake up along with the landscape. The more time you spend in nature, especially in spring with longer days and warmer weather, the more you realise that nature connection comes from noticing small things, using your different senses to recognise them, and think about how this makes you feel. Standing by a river at this time of year, you are reminded that nature connection is not complicated, it involves simply being present long enough to see, hear, smell, and feel the natural world around you.

People wildlife spotting through binoculars on a river bank
Aire Rivers Trust staff connecting with nature and spotting wildlife at the RSPB St Aidens reserve on the River Aire. © Ruth McBain

Spring can also provide an excellent time to feel inspired! Through our Roots in the River project, we have recently run some river workshops with the Art4All groups at Keighley Healthy Living, where we explored different river themes and took inspiration from various photos and a visit to the River Worth. The groups are currently producing some wonderful river related artwork that will be displayed at an exhibition at the KHL centre on Saturday 25th April.

Blackthorn in flower with lake in the background

Next time you walk near your local river, or are passing by some nature, take time to notice and pay attention to any wildlife around you. You might notice new buds and shoots on ash, beech or oak trees, leaves emerging from alder, field maple and silver birch, or blossoms blooming on blackthorn and crab apple. Look out for pollinators too as they begin to move around to feed on newly grown flowers. Peacock, comma and red admiral butterflies can be spotted this time of year, and you could also spot beetles, spiders and ladybirds. You may also spot some special migrant bird visitors that return to the UK after spending the winter in warmer areas, including blackcap, chiffchaff and wheatear.

A beautiful blackthorn tree (Prunus spinosa) in full blossom. © Ruth McBain

At the Aire Rivers Trust, practical volunteer days, guided walks and surveying activities can help people notice things they might otherwise pass by. Why not join us on one of our very rewarding volunteer days, which run on Thursdays and Fridays, or help us with our citizen science monitoring programme. Find out how you could get involved to help nature here: https://aireriverstrust.org.uk/volunteer/

Other ways you can connect with nature this spring:

Find out more about the nature connection research here: https://www.derby.ac.uk/research/themes/zero-carbon/zero-carbon-nbs-research-centre/nature-connectedness-research-group/

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Outfall Safari

Qualifying to row the Atlantic

Jake Still is training for a huge challenge – rowing solo across the Atlantic in just under 500 days’ time, fundraising for The Rivers Trust and Aire Rivers Trust with every stroke. This is the second of his guest blog posts, documenting the long journey to even reach the start of the race. Read his first update if you missed it, here.

Words: Jake Still

What does it take to qualify for the World’s Toughest Row?

Words by Jake Still

To get the start line of the race, you must complete the required training hours on the water. As a minimum, rowers must complete 120 hours, 24 hours must be during the night and at least one session must be over 36 hours. As a solo rower, this will mean I will have to learn to successfully anchor offshore because it would be impossible to do this without having to sleep. Ultimately, these hours are about getting used to living on board rather than rowing. Afterall, I will be spending at least 40 days at sea and everyday things like sleeping, cooking, hygiene and even going to the toilet are no-longer trivial tasks when you’re on a boat that will rock about.

Before I took Azula (the name of my boat) out to sea, I began my early training on Lake Windermere. This was so I could familiarise myself with basic navigation, steering and handling without having to deal with tides and other hazards on the coast. Sessions were short (around 4 hours) and I would mark some waypoints and make sure I practiced heading on the right course of ground either manually steering with the oars, or by learning to use the autopilot. For coastal training, it is very important to be proficient in navigation. Compared to sculling on a river, it is a lot different on an ocean rowing boat because every movement feels sluggish.

The hardest part of training session is the logistics of getting Azula into the water! Specifically, the rudder which must retrofitted after launching and usually means having to get into the water to attach. Luckily, I had an old diving dry suit to avoid getting wet!

A man in a white teeshirt looks at the camera as he rows a large white boat solo on a lake

While I was training on the Lakes, I was also taking Azula around West Yorkshire to public events to showcase her and tell people about the challenge I am undertaking. I took her to Baildon Carnival, Farsley Festival and to Adore’s Weavers Court Care home in Yeadon. It was exciting to be engaging with my local communities and answering all their questions and explaining everything on board Azula. I also brought an erg (an indoor rowing machine) and challenged the public to row as far they could in one minute. It was great to see people all ages have a go, from as young as 4 up to 70 and there was plenty of competitive spirit among the communities, especially among fellow cadets and friends. One girl came back multiple times to try and best her score.

A row of pensioners pose in front of the boat with Jake

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At the end of July, Azula found her new home in Hartlepool Marina, where she will mostly stay over the course of the next 18 months. For my first open sea session, I did a 3-day training camp with Duncan Roy (Ocean rowing trainer/coach) and not only did he teach me the skills to safely train out at sea but to thrive on it. Water sessions included being able to get in and out of the Marina, being able to deploy the anchor (for emergencies or resting), passage planning routes and navigating them and using the VHF radio to cross the Teesside Shipping Channel (home to vessels of 200m+ length). It was amazing to be out in the open sea and feel as though crossing an ocean is becoming more of a reality. On day 2, I got to see the Teesside offshore windfarm up close and was lucky enough to see some seals popping their heads out like meerkats. To finish the day off, I had the opportunity to anchor offshore and sleep out on the water. Felt a bit like camping back in Scouts, minus the bobbing about on the water. Also had to use the bucket for the first time. Thankfully the water was flat and there were no spill issues. The only awkward bit was manoeuvring your bottoms through your harness gear and equipment.

A man stands on a white boat with oars in a calm ocean with blue skies and a windfarm visible behind

The next steps for me are to continue getting more experience out on the water and build up my skills and confidence over the Summer and early Autumn and at least qualify for the race.

You can follow Jake on social media (@jakedarcystill) or support his goals on the donation plaform Givestar.

First, La Gomera

At the end of 2025, data scientist and rower Jake Still plans to embark on an almighty rowing challenge while fundraising to support the restoration of his beloved rivers back home. Spending up to 50 or so days at sea alone, he’s aiming row across the Atlantic solo. This is the first in his series of guest blog posts, in which he’ll keep us updated with his training and eventual race progress.

The World’s Toughest Row Atlantic 2024 race is nearing the end with the last few boats still to come in and officially marks 10 months to go until I launch from San Sebastion in La Gomera. Earlier in December, I had the opportunity to travel down to La Gomera to see the race start line. It was exciting to be down there and see the marina with all the boats lined up in the water and how amazing to see the support from the locals with the race banners spread across the various local businesses such as restaurants.

If you can, it is advised to travel to La Gomera before your race year because it has been very helpful to familiarise myself with the process getting to the island and the knowing where everything on the island is. It is a little thing to help take pressure during my race year. To travel to La Gomera you have to fly Tenerife and then take the ferry across. The ferry was an interesting ride and my first taste of being rocked by deep water waves in the Atlantic as it travelled between the islands, a teaser to what will happen daily on my little rowing boat.

A person overlooking a city skyline and river at night from a boat with blue lighting.

Visiting the start line La Gomera is one of the rare moments when you get to experience the largest fleet of ocean rowing boats. It was very beneficial seeing many different crew boats because each crew had their own unique setup and seeing the different approaches helps to generate ideas for what additions/work I need to do on my boat to prep her for the Atlantic. It was lovely to catch up with some of the crews I had met throughout 2024 either through doing sea survival courses together or training up in the North Sea at Hartlepool. Got the chance to hop on their boat and ask them lots of questions and deep dive into their kit. One of things I wanted to check was how spares were being secured. It was great to see them set off in La Gomera and having met some of the crews made the 2024 race more special to watch them as they traverse across the Atlantic and seeing them finally arrive in Antigua was amazing.

Inclusive community boating event in Leeds dock.

It was not only just current rowers there. There were lots of past rowers and future rowers, some who had raced in the previous year and others who enjoy coming back every year. It was fantastic speaking to them too about their own stories and how they found their crossing. La Gomera is very special for ocean rowing because of the World’s Toughest Row and it is great to be a part of this awesome community.

We wish Jake well with his training and eventually on his epic challenge. You can follow his progress via occasional blogs on this site.

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