It's been a busy month for our volunteers, with an extra volunteer activity session especially organised to bring two groups with similar environmental goals together on a recent sunny Sunday morning. FoRCE teamed up with the Friends of the River Medway (FoRM) to tackle some of the items on our never-ending task list, and it was great to welcome some new local volunteers as well as the FoRM pilgrims and our own regular participants.
Litter Picking
Two or three times a year, when the tide permits, we get out on the river foreshore to collect the litter that inevitably accumulates there. The tide was not favourable on this weekend, so we focussed our litter picking efforts on Esplanade Gardens and Churchfields: this work is still really beneficial to the river, as discarded waste can release microplastics as it degrades, which will eventually make their way into the river via the soakaway drainage beneath the park.
We picked up a significant number of cigarette ends, which are particularly harmful as their plastic-filled filters disintegrate rapidly, and of course they also pose a fire risk when hot weather has left the ground extremely dry. We also found a disposable barbecue (not properly disposed of) on the grass, another potential trigger for fire, so we'll be sending out reminders via our social media platforms about using our precious green spaces responsibly and safely. In the summer months, we organise an evening activity session in addition to the year-round weekend ones, giving you more opportunity to help us make a difference: why not check out our activity calendar and pick a date to join us!
Collaboration
As the saying goes, "Great things happen when we work together": FoRCE's efforts do not, of course, exist in a vaccuum, but stand alongside intiatives by other volunteer groups, charities, local councils and governments in and around Kent. Working together can take many forms, from practical action and collaboration to networking and resource sharing. That's why we were delighted to welcome participants of the Friends of the River Medway's annual "From Source to Sea" pilgrimage and bring all these things together on our home turf.
During the session, it was great to chat to Zofia, Executive Director of FoRM, and Cleo from the South East Rivers Trust, about how groups with a vested interest in the conservation of the River Medway can support each other in achieving our goals.
As well as our regular practical activities to reduce waste in the river, we're particularly interested in local efforts to rejuvenate salt marsh areas, some of which is situated right beside Esplanade Gardens and contributes to carbon storage and flood defence, as well as providing a habitat for marine and bird life. We're also working to reopen Rochester Pier to the public, and look forward to continuing our effort to restore this historic local asset.
Churchfields Bank
A little further from the river, we're working hard on our Churchfields Bank project where there's still a lot to be done paring back excessive plant growth and improving the railings, benches and other fittings.
Three of our volunteers took the opportunity to continue pushing on with this, clearing overgrowth away from the path to make the steep ascent up the Churchfields steps easier and more enjoyable. We'll soon be getting back to giving the metalwork around the area fresh coatings of smart black paint to better protect them when the winter weather rolls around again.
If you haven't been to Churchfields for a while, why not pay a visit and see what we've been up to? Our visitors guide to Churchfields has everything you need to know before making the ascent and taking in the incredible views over the river and the landscape beyond.
You can find out more about our partners in caring for the Medway by visiting the websites of Friends of the River Medway and the South East Rivers Trust. There's also a complete list of the partnerships FoRCE has fostered on our partnerships page, and of course, we couldn't do what we do without the support of our Friends and Members - we'd love it if you'd considered becoming one of them!