Forth Rivers Trust

This project is supported thanks to Clackmannanshire Council & the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by @naturescot.bsky.social🌿
Let’s keep the momentum going for a healthier river Devon!

📍Location: Path junction near the entrance to Muckhart Community Woods.
📧 Email Elijah at e.graham@forthriverstrust.org if you need directions.
Let’s tackle the last of the Himalayan Balsam before the seed pods pop!
#InvasiveSpecies #GetInvolved

Final balsam pulls:
🗓 Wed 6 Aug | 🕙 10am–2:30pm
🗓 Sat 9 Aug | 🕙 10am–2:30pm
Come for as long (or short!) as you like. Long sleeves, sturdy shoes & lunch needed—we’ll bring hot drinks, biscuits & midge spray!
#VolunteeringOpportunity

Check out the space we’ve reclaimed for native flora & fauna thanks to community effort! Every strim and pull counts. 🙌
Let’s finish strong...just 2 sessions left this season to join in!
#EnvironmentalAction #BalsamBashing

We’ve made great strides this season clearing Himalayan Balsam from the River Devon at Muckhart Community Woodland! Huge thanks to our dedicated volunteers and to @tcvnational.bsky.social's EPIC Ochils groups for their amazing support. 💪🌱
#BalsamPull #RiverRestoration

This work is made possible thanks to support from the Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund, managed by @naturescot.bsky.social
#NatureRestoration #StenhouseReservoir #Biodiversity #Wildflowers #Butterflies #Wetlands

In the wetland areas on site, they spotted a Common Toad nestled within Carex rostrata, Cursed Crowfoot, and Pale Toadflax - check out the photos. There’s so much potential to enhance and connect these diverse habitats.

Highlights included vibrant wildflowers like Wild Thyme, Rock Rose, and Heath Spotted Orchid, along with butterflies and moths such as the Narrow-bordered Five-spot Burnet, Ringlet, and Dark Green Fritillary.

🌿 Stenhouse Habitat Survey🌼

Charlotte and Niall were out surveying the habitats around Stenhouse Reservoir last week and came across some beautiful species!

...and please do leave your warmest wishes for him below.

All the best of luck Jonathan, from everyone at team FRT! 🐟🌿💙

Jonathan has written a fantastic farewell blog summarising his experiences with the Trust, titled '12 years by the river', with a foreword from Amelia Heath, now our sole director. We highly encourage you to give it a read - forthriverstrust.org/12yearsbythe...

Today, we bid a fond farewell to Jonathan Louis, who is moving on to pastures new after 12 years with Forth Rivers Trust. To say he has had a positive impact on the team is an understatement and he will surely be missed, though we wish him all the best for his next steps.

Tonight! Community INNS workshop at The Dave King Partnership Centre (East Calder) from 7-8.30pm. Map INNS, learn about how to tackle them, & enjoy hot drinks and biscuits. See you there!
Funded by West Lothian Council thanks to ScotGov's Nature Restoration Fund, managed by @naturescot.bsky.social

Joining us? Please register your attendance with Elijah by emailing e.graham@forthriverstrust.org. Full details above.

This work is funded by West Lothian Council w support from Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund, managed by @naturescot.bsky.social
#BalsamBashing #INNS

Still time to join our 'balsam bashing' session this Thursday in Almondell & Calderwood Country Park from 10.30am-2pm.

Help remove invasive non-native Himalayan Balsam to prevent its spread...it's satisfying, good for local biodiversity, & we’ll support you with hot drinks and biscuits!

This training was supported thanks to @naturescot.bsky.social Peatland ACTION - fantastic course!

Staff Niall and Mario attended a peatland restoration course up North last week, run by Crichton Carbon Centre. All aspects of the project design process were discussed, including different types of erosion features, how to map them using GIS, and the implementations needed to stabilise them.

Please join in! Let us know you are coming so we can share the start location - it may change between sessions! This work is funded thanks to Clackmannanshire Council on behalf of the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by ‪@naturescot.bsky.social‬. #GetInvolved #BalsamPull #INNS

We will wait at the entrance to the path to the woods. Late? Email e.graham@forthriverstrust.org for a contact number.
Following this, we will be regularly working our way downstream, running from 10am–2:30pm on:
• Sat 19 July
• Wed 23 July
• Wed 30 July
• Sat 2 Aug
• Wed 6 Aug
• Sat 9 Aug

🌿DEVON BALSAM BASHING 2025🌿
Help control invasive Himalayan balsam along the River Devon with us... weekly volunteer sessions kick off Wed 16 July, 10am at Muckhart Woods.📍 maps.app.goo.gl/ztCiRhVTgu9K...
Wear long sleeves/trousers + bring lunch & water. #VolunteerWithUs #BalsamBashing #RiverDevon

Our 1st series focuses on nature finance, including the LENs framework - we explore how it was established, and how FRT became involved. Listen to the first 3 episodes now - forthriverstrust.org/the-sustainable-catchment-podcast/

The Sustainable Catchment Podcast Visit the post for more.

Check out our podcast...

As part of the exciting LENs launch in Scotland this week, Forth Rivers Trust are releasing our brand new podcast - The Sustainable Catchment Podcast!

We found 2 brown trout + 2 stickleback, and discussed how electrofishing shows a snapshot of fish species present, helping us understand better the river habitat quality + species that live there. Thank you to UKCEH for having us along, to Loch Leven's Larder for the food, and to those who attended!

🔬 Loch Leven Matters - Science Evening
Great Friday night in Kinross helping with @ukceh.bsky.social's science evening! After tasty food from Loch Leven’s Larder, we headed to Greens Burn to demo electrofishing. #LochLevenMatters #CommunityLearning #Electrofishing #SalmoTrutta #LoveYourLocalRiver

One example where we can use this includes trimming Himalayan Balsam below its first node to help curtail growth in areas carpeted by the plant. A big thank you to our instructor Willie Johnston for his time and expertise! #BrushcutterTraining #TrimmerTraining #LANTRA #Upskilling #OutdoorSkills

🌿Trimmer and brushcutter training day 2🌿
Day 2 of the team's training consisted of some practice with the trimmers and trying different trimmer machines. It was fantastic getting to learn this new skill and we look forward to putting it into practice!

before looking over some trimmers allowing us to discuss blade types and to try our hands at changing trimmer heads. Tomorrow we get to put our knowledge into practice with some trimming and brushcutting! #BrushcutterTraining #TrimmerTraining #LANTRA #Upskilling #OutdoorSkills

6 of the Trust team were in a sunny Stirling today for the first day of their Lantra trimmer and brushcutter training. We ran over health and safety considerations and basic machinery maintenance...

Want to help protect rivers from plastic? Start here:
🧤 Join a litterpick
🚯 Say no to single-use plastics
🗑️ Bin your wipes (yes, even the “flushable” ones!)
🗣️ Speak up for your local river

Every action counts. Let’s beat plastic pollution together. 💪
#LoveYourLocalRiver

Still in our office as a grim reminder that fish live with this stuff! Would you want to breathe through that? 😱
Plastic is persistent. So we need to be too.
#BeatPlasticPollution #WorldEnvironmentDay