FFCM Message Board  Main Forum   River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 Support Search RSS runboard.com       Sign up (learn about it) | Sign in (lost password?) Page:  1  2  Paul FFCM kingfisher Global user Posts: 84 Reply | Quote River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 I met up with Ashe Hurst, a River Keeper who works for the Thames21 charity today to help with a river clean-up along the stretch of the River Cray that runs through Foots Cray Meadows. As the temperature reached a scorching 32ºC today, Ashe decided against us donning chest waders in fear of sheer heat exhaustion! But making our way through the shallower parts we filled a few bags of litter that we removed from the banks and the river itself & cleared a couple of damaged overhanging branches. I've been keen to offer some practical help on The Meadows for a while this seems like a good place to start. I fully intend to make today's clean-up the first of many for me & will post the dates I have in mind here first in case any of you wish to join me. Hopefully we'll have more likely volunteers to join us at a later date when this message board address becomes more widely known through correspondance & publicity. Ashe informs me there's over 20 species of fish in the River Cray, some of which I spotted today - 2 Pikes, lots of small Chub & a shoal of about 6 large black Bream. Tench & Trout also frequent the River apparently... --- 4/Jul/2006, 7:47 pm Send PM to Paul FFCM FFCM Secretary jay Global user Posts: 19 Reply | Quote Re: River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 It is great that FFCM are slowly managing to start doing practical 'hands on' actions I know other groups in the area have events and things going on but until I joined FFCM I didn't know about them so I think there must be lots of other people that don't know either. I think the more groups the better if they all work together and for similar aims. One of the FFCM organised events will be a River Walk & Talk with Ashe sometime in September, shortly followed by a River Clean up, which I hope will be well attended - at least by the FFCM --- 16/Jul/2006, 2:32 pm Send PM to FFCM Secretary Paul FFCM kingfisher Global user Posts: 84 Reply | Quote Re: River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 A river clean-up around the Five Arches area was carried out on the Saturday just gone. There was a good number or volunteers (over a dozen) and a sizeable group of Thames21 River Keepers (Ashe, Linda, Mel, Geoff & myself). I believe there were notifications in some local newspapers about the event but next time there's one on The Meadows I'll be sure to publiscise it both here and on our main website. Was mostly the reed beds and the other plants at the sides of the River Cray that held any litter - we managed to fill quite a few bags worth of rubbish. Ashe & Geoff got out to the islands in a 2-man boat to clear the rubbish that had made it that far into the lake area, being careful not to disturb the nesting Swan there. If anyone is interested in helping me in the future with further clean-ups then either leave a message here or e-mail me at ffcm06@gmail.com - Paul. --- 30/Apr/2007, 11:29 am Send PM to Paul FFCM Paul FFCM kingfisher Global user Posts: 84 Reply | Quote Re: River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 Was out litter-picking the River Cray & it's banks last Sunday & the Sunday before that. The water level is looking very deep at the moment after the heavy rain we had over the bank holiday weekend. Filled several bags of rubbish along with some more unusual items I found in the river (a sporty white leather jacket, an old radio & 2 traffic cones!). Spotted an unusual-looking insect when I was removing one of the cones, think it was a Dragonfly or Damselfly nymph. --- 5/Jun/2007, 1:47 pm Send PM to Paul FFCM FFCM Secretary jay Global user Posts: 19 Reply | Quote Re: River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 If people are interested in joining the VRK or just helping out every now and then what are the contact details, should they go to Thames21 directly? --- 7/Jun/2007, 12:28 pm Send PM to FFCM Secretary Paul FFCM kingfisher Global user Posts: 84 Reply | Quote Re: River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 Yes they should. Ashe Hurst is the River Keeper Co-ordinator for Bexley and can be reached on this e-mail address: ashe.hurst@thames21.org.uk For more infomation about Thames21 visit their website here: Thames21 Their calendar of events will provide you with dates & locations of river clean-ups. --- 7/Jun/2007, 1:52 pm Send PM to Paul FFCM Heath10 wren Global user Posts: 6 Reply | Quote Re: River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 Paul, apologies for not mntioning your volunteer work as a river keeper with Thames 21 in addition to your work and commitment to the Friends of Foots Cray Meadows at last weeks AGM. This is a significant aspect of teh Freinds and th group does need to keep supporting and promoting te work of Ashe and Thames 21 in this small part of the rivers of the Thames region. We do need to rustle up some more suppott for you during your solo river clear up patrols especially with the removal of th larger items such as traffic coines. I will order a new set of wellies - should they be steel toe capped? 14/Jun/2007, 2:29 am Send PM to Heath10 valeriexx wren Global user Posts: 2 Reply | Quote Re: River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 Yeah, I'd love to come and help to clean the river. As I live nearby, and use the Meadows every day to get to the station, I feel that I should contribute. I still have the number from the Newshopper magazine of the man who's in charge, but of course, if this is as effective then that's good. Just say when - I helped to clean the Thames one day a couple of months ago during the 100 Days - it was fun, actually. 30/Aug/2007, 9:20 am Send PM to valeriexx Paul FFCM kingfisher Global user Posts: 84 Reply | Quote Re: River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 Hello there & welcome to the message board, I believe we now have 4 River Keeper volunteers who cover Foots Cray Meadows but we're always keen to enlist anyone else who'd like to help out. Some of us, such as myself, who have full-time jobs get out there for a few of hours a week (usually at the weekend for me) but a few others give-up much more of their spare time than that; it's really up to the individual. I would recommend getting in touch with Ashe Hurst first as he will be able to provide you with some basic health & safety training. Once this is done I'd be more than happy to meet-up during a river clean. Let me know if you need Ashe's mobile number or e-mail address & I'll send it to you through this boards private messaging facility. Hope that helps. --- 30/Aug/2007, 1:48 pm Send PM to Paul FFCM valeriexx wren Global user Posts: 2 Reply | Quote Re: River Cray clean-ups with Thames21 Thank you, Paul, yes I would like to have Ashe's contact details. 1/Sep/2007, 5:29 pm Send PM to valeriexx Add a reply Page:  1  2  Powered by AkBBS 0.9.5b  -  Link to us   -  Blogs   -  Hall of Honour   -  Chat Click here to get your own free message board You are not logged in (login)      Board's time is: 26/Nov/2009, 11:13 am