20 years of projects : a whistle stop tour of some of the key moments in our 20 year history

You may have heard us mention a few times this year that it’s our birthday… 30 years and going strong for some of the original member trusts, and 20 years since we formed The Rivers Trust and the beginnings of our movement. The Rivers Trust Movement is driven by a common goal of wild, healthy, natural, rivers valued by all. To do so we rely on many things, the passion and drive of amazing colleagues notwithstanding, projects form the backbone of work for many member trusts and The Rivers Trust alike. Some have more visibility than others, some have more flashy outputs: successful species re-introduction verses ‘guidance’… And some have the most uninspiring and ridiculous names – “What does it mean?” is a question I have asked myself and others many times since joining this organisation.

None the less, projects of all different shapes and sizes enable us to get vital interventions into the ground, re-wild, re-wet and re-wiggle. They teach us, and make us, work towards stronger partnerships, test and showcase what works (and what doesn’t), and help us advocate for the changes we want to see. We couldn’t possibly list them all because there are too many to even count! So, here’s a whistle-stop tour of some of the projects and moments which have shaped our movement over the last 20 years.