Wild Oxfordshire press release 16th September

We’d like to say a HUGE thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who turned out to test their local streams, canals and rivers for the Totally Thames Water-Blitz on Monday 14th September, part of the Totally Thames Festival. Wild Oxfordshire led volunteers from across the Thames River Basin in an ambitious citizen-science project, testing 1,000 freshwater sites for two critical pollutants: phosphates and nitrates. The day highlighted the work of the many organisations and individual volunteers helping to reduce pollution and protect wildlife that depends on clean water, from the Environment Agency and Thames Water, to individual wildlife lovers.

Sites in at least 8 counties across the Thames River Basin have been tested, from Gloucestershire in the west and across to London, and from Luton in the north to Haselmere in the south, taking in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hertfordshire and Essex on the way.

Results are still coming in and so far results from over 300 test sites have been mapped on the EarthWatch Thames Water Blitz map - It will take a few days for everything to be entered so do check back to this again next week to view progress. As well as involving hundreds of volunteers on the day the event has been covered by social media, with #thameswaterblitz ‘Tweets’ about the event reaching almost 41,000 Twitter accounts with an audience reach of over 103,000.

We're exploring dates and locations for a post-blitz conference here in Oxfordshire, when Wild Oxfordshire, Freshwater Habitats Trust and the Environment Agency will work with the catchment partnerships to provide feedback on all the results, with information on what can be done practically to protect and improve freshwaters. We’ll circulate details of that as soon as possible but we’re currently looking at dates in late November/early December.

Once again many thanks for everyone’s help in this, but don't forget it's not over yet!

Contact: Hilary Phillips, Wild Oxfordshire 01865 407034

Photos: Ben Curtis, testing water in Wolvercote. Photographer Ian Curtis

Notes for Editor

Wild Oxfordshire was established in 1999. We aim to conserve and enhance Oxfordshire’s rich and varied environment and wildlife. We do this through co-ordination and partnership. We run education events such as Oxfordshire Goes Wild, host the county’s Nature Partnership, run training course for Local Environment Groups, provide up to date environmental information through our website and the free Environmental E bulletin, co-ordinate Oxfordshire’s Biodiversity Strategy, the Evenlode Catchment Partnership and much more.

  • Water Blitz map with info on Nitrates and Phosphates
  • Phosphates and Nitrates – when are they a problem?
  • Totally Thames:

Wild Oxfordshire, The Manor House, Little Wittenham, Abingdon, Oxfordshire. OX14 4RA

Reg. Charity number: 1131540