World Water Day this week coincided with the launch of this spring’s Thames WaterBlitz, in which FarmED is taking part by testing the water in our streams and scrapes.
The WaterBlitz is organised by EarthWatch Europe, an environmental charity with science at its heart.The event will be held between 7th – 10th May, the eleventh event in the Thames Valley.
EarthWatch says: We believe that we cannot truly understand what is going on in our rivers without collecting evidence to demonstrate how healthy, or unhealthy, they really are. We will use data collected by you during the WaterBlitz to identify clean waters, to pinpoint pollution hotspots, and to help inform where, who, when and how remedial actions should be taken.Having repeated measurements is vital to provide robust, scientific evidence, which can be used to make real changes. Thanks to your contribution we're starting to build a real understanding of what’s happening across the region.
In urban areas around the world, our natural water is suffering from pollution and other human impacts. You can help us protect our water by providing vital information on water quality, local land use, and nearby environment. We could never collect this much information ourselves, so we are asking you to help us.
EarthWatch is running WaterBlitz events in Dublin, Paris and Luxembourg for a second time and encouraging people to share details with friends, family and colleagues - just forward the following link to find out more and register for their free water testing kit: https://earthwatch.org.uk/waterblitz. You an also share on social media using the hashtag #WaterBlitz.
Separately, it’s also not too late to sign up for a webinar which takes place tomorrow: Healing Communities and Ecosystems with Water Restoration.
Elemental Ecosystems director, Zach Weiss, will share his experience to create water retention landscapes, and will show how these earthworks can lead to dramatic ecosystem restoration, and the restoration of water supply and wildlife habitat. Zach will share how water retention spaces can reverse longstanding cycles of drought and soil loss, and actually create a feedback loop of ecosystem restoration that benefits people, animals, and fertility. Zach will also present a brand new global platform for water cycle restoration and practical training during the webinar, in which you can take part.
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TbmOFDbgRxCrFq8FXamaCQ
WaterBlitz is an outdoor activity and you will not need to come into contact with other people, so can follow the latest COVID-19 government advice.