Rivers form the backbone of the landscape, act as the world's arteries, and also support an incredible wealth of wildlife, which is what we are exploring this episode. So, grab a coffee and join us for a positive chat about the wonderful animals that rely on our rivers.

Staying true to our name, Steve is highlighting some of the fantastic bird life that he sees and photographs when out and about around rivers whilst Matthew gives the invertebrates some love with a focus on the fascinating lives of freshwater pearl mussels.

Our rivers are facing a variety of issues which we will certainly cover in a future episode. But this time, we just fancied having lighter, positive chat about our remarkable rivers and the nature they support. We also cover some general river facts and there's a quiz or two.

Get in touch:

As always, please do contact us with any questions, feedback, comments, or just to say hi! You can find us both on Instagram:

Steve - @a.bird.in.the.lens

Matthew - @a.bug.in.the.lens

Timestamps

00:00:00 Very quick catch up

00:00:58 Introducing rivers

00:14:58 River appreciating birds

00:22:44 River-y invertebrates

00:43:44 River restoration

00:52:05 Wrap up

Links

Why rivers are important for everything from biodiversity to wellbeing | New Scientist

Chalk streams, explained - Thames21

Riverfly Partnership — Freshwater Biological Association (fba.org.uk)

State of our Rivers Report 2024 | The Rivers Trust

Impact Report 2023/24 | The Rivers Trust

Freshwater pearl mussel | NatureScot

About us — The Riverfly Partnership (riverflies.org)