Riverfly Monitoring is our flagship citizen science project. Our volunteer monitors sample river bugs at agreed locations around the River Aire catchment to assess the effects of pollution on life in the river.
Riverfly populations are one of the key indicators of long-term river health problems, as the insects living in the river fall quickly if pollution is present and take a long time to recover after a pollution event.
We are not currently recruiting new Riverfly Monitors, but when we re-start recruitment, we will be running locally-based training to develop new volunteers to achieve their Riverfly Monitoring Certificate. Our training is a mixture of hands-on and classroom learning, delivered to groups of enthusiasts like yourself.
Our volunteers are trained to a standard agreed by The Riverfly Partnership, thus ensuring consistency and accuracy, and you will receive a Certificate of Competence demonstrating your achievement.
Have a read of our guide to becoming a Riverfly Monitor with the Aire Rivers Trust.
If you would like to know more, please get in touch with Sam.Riley-Gunn@AireRiversTrust.org.uk .
The video to the right features a monitor from Action for the River Kennet carrying out a kick sample. The Field Studies Council, who produce fold-out ID guides to support species identification, also have a kick sampling for beginners video. When you undertake training with one of our accredited tutors, you will cover both the theory and practical aspects of how to carry out Riverfly Monitoring effectively and safely.
