River Champions
The Luton Lea is classified as ‘Poor’ by the Water Framework Directive, but little is known about specific, site-based causes of issues, which prevents effective, targeted management.
We are running a project to train volunteers to become River Champions to collect data on stretches of the Lea that are lacking, to build our knowledge of the river habitats, and allow partners working along the Lea to identify and deliver future river improvement works.
River Champions will be crucial in collecting the data required to develop a better understanding of the state of the Luton Lea and evidence the need for works moving forward. Volunteers will be trained to complete outfall safaris, mapping of invasive plant species and riverfly monitoring. Volunteers will also get to participate in group MoRPh surveys.
Who can become a River Champion?
- Aged 18 or over
- Keen interest in the river, or desire to learn more
- Able to volunteer at least one day per month
What does the role involve?
- Attending workshops to receive training on monitoring techniques
- Completing required monitoring at your designated site once per month from April to December 2025
- Collecting equipment from a central location and returning it on time
- Recording the results of monitoring and filtering these back to the project lead
Why become a River Champion?
- Learn new skills and attend free training sessions
- Meet new people
- Contribute to making Luton a better place
- Support conservation works along the Luton Lea
Interested?! We’d love to hear from you!
Fill out the sign-up form below. We will then get in touch to ensure you are suitable for the role and ask you to fill in our registration forms.
