The LIFE R4ever Kent project is to host and attend several events this year including the Kendal Mountain Festival
This year is proving to be an incredibly busy – and productive! – year for all the partners involved on the LIFE R4ever Kent project. As a result, we’ll be attending a number of events throughout 2023, including an official project launch at the Kendal Mountain Festival, and our first-ever stand at the Westmorland County Show, as well as hosting several workshops and volunteer days.
First up, there’s a free workshop titled Optimising farm resources: soil, plants, livestock, taking place at The Bryce, Burneside (Kendal) on 11 July. It’s a free day course aimed at farmers in the River Kent (Cumbria) catchment area, by Charlie Morgan Grassmaster Ltd. Charlie Morgan is a farm advisor and independent grassland and forage specialist, delivering technical forage advice based on sound scientific research and agricultural and environmental best practice. To find out more and book your free tickets, visit our Events page.
Over the summer and autumn months, we’re also holding a number of volunteer days giving you the chance to become a citizen scientist for the day and get hands-on with some LIFE R4ever Kent project work. Volunteering opportunities include Electrofishing , and Balsam Bashing. Both organised by the South Cumbria Rivers Trust, electrofishing is a survey method used to assess health, density and species of fish found in a river. There are volunteer days running throughout July and August. Meanwhile, Himalayan Balsam is an invasive non-native species of plant that requires frequent eradication. The next volunteer day is the 5th of September at Rothay.
Next, we’ll be at the Westmorland County Show on the 13th and 14th of September – this is not only one of Cumbria’s best-loved shows but has also been voted one of the UK’s favourite shows and is enjoyed by 30,000 visitors each year! Come along to meet our team and find out more about the LIFE R4ever Kent project, including how you can get involved and what funding and advice is available for farmers and landowners.
In October – on Monday the 23rd – we’ve been cordially invited to attend the Kendal Rotary Club’s weekly meet, where we’ll be chatting to Rotarians and giving a talk on stage about the project.
November is going to be a mega busy month on the project, as we have several workshops and events lined up.
Natural England’s LIFE R4ever Kent Catchment Management Advisors, Richard Park and Joe Rigby, have organised a further two free workshops aimed at farmers and landowners. Titled, ‘Weatherproof Farming: How to Become Resilient to Flooding and Drought’, sustainable farming expert Niels Corfield will share basic methods for becoming more resilient to extreme weather events while increasing profits and maintaining yields. This free workshop is running on the 9th of November and again on the 10th of November. To find out more and book your free tickets, visit our Events page.
