The TTW Water Guardians (now also known as Citizen Scientists) invite you to an afternoon celebrating Wellingtons Waterways. The afternoon will involve ‘watery thinking’ from 2pm to 7pm on Saturday 19 July 2025. This will be held at the Wellington Arts Centre, Eight Acre Lane Wellington TA21 8PS.

This event accompanies a week long exhibition in the Pop-Up Shop in Fore Street.

How are we connected by water? How can we make our rivers clean and safe again in the UK? How is a river alive?

Question and Answer session – 2pm to 4.30pm

There will be talks with time for questions and answers. Speakers will be:

• Gideon Amos MP. He will talk about his campaign to improve the health of the River Tone, part of which was the successful campaign to gain bathing water status in French Weir Park;
• Zoe Connelly, Evidence and Engagement Officer for Westcountry Rivers Trust. She will talk on the work of the Water Guardians – citizen scientists who test for water quality in their local patch, and on the wider ambitions of the Trust;
• Vicky Whitworth of Kit Brook Restoration Project and Friends of the River Axe. She will talk about the headwaters of the Axe catchment, including riparian mammal surveys, landowner engagement and the role of riverflies as indicators of healthy river ecologies;
• Gill Westcott of Friends of the River Exe. She will talk about their group to protect the Exe, and some of their activities, including the Assembly of River Beings – a ‘creative exploration of how we might speak on behalf and give voice to the wider community of beings of the Exe’.

Film and discussion session – 5pm to 7pm

Screening of the film “I am the River, The River is Me” which is a documentary journey down the Whanganui River in Aotearoa/New Zealand, the first river in the world recognised as a legal person. (88 mins)

The film will be followed by discussion about the “Rights for Nature” movement. This movement is growing in strength around the globe, including in the UK, with legal personhood being claimed for several rivers in the UK including as the Sussex Ouse, the Wye and the Cam.

Refreshments will be available and everyone is welcome. Tickets can be obtained from Eventbrite. Tickets are free, but if possible a donation of £10 (cash on the door) will help to cover costs and support the work of the Water Guardians.

There is more information about Water Guardians on our Water page.