TRENT RIVERS TRUST
This year’s AGM will take place at the Quality Hotel in Ashbourne at 7.00p.m. on Thursday 15th November. The Trust will conduct its normal AGM business after a presentation which will be given by the Derbyshire/Peak District Wildlife Trust. Two of the Wildlife Trust’s experts will give a presentation each on the Water Vole Project. This is a project that the Trent Rivers Trust has supported this year not just to encourage the water vole and the protection to the bank side that comes with it but also for the project’s impact on the invasive mink. A second speaker will update us on the threats to freshwater fisheries posed by American Signal/ White Clawed Crayfish.

The Wildlife Trust is proposing a scheme to monitor the activity and spread of invasive crayfish. To this end they are offering free training to any volunteers that would like to get involved in this project. Anglers could learn a lot from this project while at the same time making a valuable contribution to maintaining the health of the river.

Attendance is open to all and you are welcome to bring any friends or colleagues that may be interested in hearing the speakers, or in keeping up to date on what the Trust is doing or indeed in contributing in some way to the work we are doing in the catchment.

Salmon Stocking
This year we will be stocking salmon parr at four locations. Two on the River Dove: Eaton Dovedale and Abbotsholme. One on the River Churnet. The final location is revealed in the Salmon in the City article below. A total of 160,000 parr will be stocked.

The stockings on the Rivers Dove and Churnet will take place from 12 noon on Wednesday 3rd October. You are very welcome to attend the stocking and even more welcome if you are prepared to help carry some of the buckets of fish to the river. If you would like to attend please contact David Hunter on 01636 830653 to get directions and to confirm that there are still places available.

Salmon in the City
This is an exciting development that we have been working very hard on over the past few weeks. Noon on 4th October will see the Mayor of Derby, Councillor Pauline Latham, stock a small number of salmon parr into the River Derwent from the steps behind the Derby City Council offices above the Longbridge weir.

This will be a high profile event with media and council officers in attendance. The purpose of this riverside event is to highlight Derby’s environmental aspirations and to launch a project with the specific intention of giving free passage to salmon into the heart of the City of Derby and beyond.

Proposals are already in place for the construction of a fish pass on the Longbridge weir as part of a proposed redevelopment of the riverside area, which would include development on both the East and West Banks, a foot bridge and major enhancements to the City area.

A fund will be launched to achieve the aims of Salmon in the City and it is hoped that the city regeneration project and Salmon in the City will run alongside each other and have complementary aims. Some of the initial ideas include the installation of a viewing platform, a counter with cameras which can provide images to be projected on the Big Screen, internet access which can run alongside a proposed salmon in the classroom project.

The Trustees would be proud to have you in attendance at the launch of this prestigious project. Please contact David Hunter on the number given previously

Roundup of 2007..so far
You probably noticed that Toyah Wilcox was present at last year’s stocking. She was there to film a contribution to the BBC Saving Planet Earth series. Clips from the episode were seen on national television as well as a dedicated programme broadcast in the West Midlands.

The Trustees have attended several other events including the Spring Watch event at Osmaston Park, The Eco Fest at Markeaton Park and of course Chatsworth Game Fair.

David Hunter has represented the Trust at BAP groups throughout the catchment as well as at the meetings of many other organisations, continued to liaise with Bob Marsden the Catchment Sensitive Farming Officer for DEFRA. The Trust has continued to give its input to the Humber Liaison Panel the group responsible for advising on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. For the full update please attend the AGM.