Volunteers

You will need to be able to get to the sites, and walk to the river to do the samples. We have chosen places that are as accessible as possible but they do require uneven and muddy terrain, as well as the mobility to get a river sample and do observations. The sampling is designed for adults, but there is no upper age limit!

We will be sampling three stretches of the Upper Medway (see above), with designated spots as we have particular characteristics in mind when we chose our sites. You have a choice as to what stretch of the river is more convenient/interesting for you and it might be possible to organise for you to take particular sites within this as well.

We ask that you work in pairs to make it safer. We will create groups per stretch and we will help you find someone to work with. If you have someone who you want to sample with, that is absolutely fine as well.

We will be covering the risk assessment in the training and if you bear this in mind there are not any issues with bringing others with you.

We will have arranged access with all private landowners and in some cases we will have named volunteers and do introductions if necessary. If the landowner requires it, we can give you a badge or letter to take with you in the unlikely case this happens. 

The sampling and invertebrate observations do not require you to get in the water. You might need to be nearer for the biodiversity observations, but no further in than the knee (and not everyone is required to do this). 

The idea is to establish a time and day that works for the groups and that is relatively consistent, as we need this consistency for our methodology and results. 

No, you don’t need experience or expertise. This is a citizen science project and we will provide the training and support for you to be part of the project. 

No, you don’t! We need you to be willing to do the samples and observations, which we will give you training and support for, and to write down the results or add them in an app. 

Yes, we will be giving you training. We have two dates to choose from – on the 9th and 10th of March. 

The training is scheduled for the 9th and 10th of March 2024 at Ashdown Forest Centre.

We really hope you can take the training as this is also the opportunity to meet others who will be taking part of the project and to get organised in groups. If you cannot make the training and you are keen and ready to volunteer we can find a way! Do sign up and let us know this is the case. We will also create training videos which will help you get a sense of what is needed and refresh your memory.

The project will run until the end of September, though the sampling might end sooner. However, this is a seed project which means we are hoping to get more funding to continue our work. 

We hope you do! The idea is that you sign up to do the training and volunteer until the end of this first phase. 

We have a volunteer coordinator at hand to help, as well as – if you agree- a group chat – where this can be resolved by another person taking over your shift. This is the same in case you need to go on holidays, are ill or any other eventualities. 

We take data protection seriously. We will ask your permission to share your phone number with your group in order to organise shifts but we won’t share your details with anyone that is not part of the project management without your permission.

The Upper Medway, as most rivers in England, is not in good health and is one of the least tested and studied. This project, with your help, will establish a much needed baseline of what is the health of the river in terms of particular aspects of pollution and its biodiversity. This is crucial to generate evidence, and add to the pressure for change, but also to establish what the problem is and where the river is most affected.  

We won’t ask you to take risks in doing the sampling, so if there is severe weather conditions, we will find a more suitable time to do the sampling. 

Mostly, you will work independently but we like to be part of the project as well so we may come along! There are two master students involved who need to do some sampling and who might also come along from time to time. 

We hope you get a sense of satisfaction in contributing to establishing the health of the river, and in making a first step for change. You will also have the training and know how to measure river pollution levels and biodiversity observations. You will have a better sense of what is happening to the river and what it means. You will also  meet like minded people in your community who are working towards the same goal. 

The project will be a mix of independent work – with a buddy – as well as opportunities to come together – through the training as well as a final workshop to celebrate and make sense of the work that has been done so far. 

We will provide the equipment needed and train you to use it. 

We will provide a list of the sites as well as a description of the access and parking nearby.

There are locations that can be covered without a car, but many will require access to a vehicle/transport (bike). If you don’t drive it might be good to choose sites that are within walking/cycling distance.