Tales from our River Bank

Over a hundred people attended an evening of talks, films and art from wildlife film makers, educators, conservationists and artists to learn about the health and biodiversity of the River Avon.

Avon Wildlife Trust supported the event and told us about a new Beaver project they are running.

A local vet not only drew attention to the impact that pet treatments can have on river ecology but more broadly to the potential damage from the wide range of chemicals and other products we put down our sinks, toilets and drains. Many products are tested for their impact on humans but research on their effect on river life and the wider environment is very limited. We all have a part to play in reducing damage to water quality and river environments. One thing that Grow Batheaston has done is organise a stream clean in St Catherine’s Brook.

For many the highlight of the evening was hearing how biologist and film-maker Aleks Domanski and artists Marion Hill and Julie Starks have been working with children at Batheaston Church School. Inspired by learning about the wildlife in and around the river, the children created artworks. Many of them have been hung along the footbridge by the Riverside car park.

The evening finished with the film 'Balancing the Scales', about how fish co-exist with other forms of life within a river eco-system. The film was made by the Beaver Trust, and narrated by Joanna Lumley.

The evening was run in collaboration with the Wild Waters Festival that took place along the River Avon, the Festival of Nature and Batheaston Parish Council's own events.