Thank you to Dave O’Gara and Deborah Hind for writing this piece and for sharing their experience with us. Dave and Deborah volunteer on the Ladybrook River in Happy Valley, Stockport, within the Mersey River Catchment.
“Happy Valley is a Local Nature Reserve located at the edge of the Greater Manchester urban area. It is an oasis of calm and tranquillity away from the roads and noise in this busy suburb of Stockport. Ladybrook, also known as Norbury Brook and Micker Brook, flows through the Ladybrook Valley, a Landscape Character Area stretching from High Lane in the east to the junction with the Mersey Valley at Cheadle in the west.”
Both Dave and Deborah are retired and have long been involved in local conservation groups. They volunteer with The Friends of Ladybrook Valley, Bramhall, helping to maintain the valley and improve its biodiversity. It was therefore only natural that they both independently took up the opportunity to attend Riverfly monitoring training organised by the Mersey Rivers Trust (MRT) just over two years ago.
“We have worked together since, carrying out monthly surveys and occasional additional checks when pollution events are reported. Aside from ongoing sewage pollution, we have had a couple of sporadic incidents recently, and we seem to be the go-to people to take a look and report it if necessary.”
Deborah and Dave
Their involvement has deepened their understanding of the river and its wider environment.
“It has been good to learn about life in the Ladybrook and its relationship to the rest of the valley. We take great delight in spotting wildlife and especially river birdlife — our favourite being kingfishers, but we also often see dippers, wagtails, herons and little egrets. Otters have been reported too, though not yet seen by us!”
More recently, Dave and Deborah attended Outfall Safari training organised by MRT and quickly carried out their first survey along the Ladybrook in Happy Valley.
“We logged and investigated pipes discharging into the river. Local knowledge of the area, and help from the Friends Group, greatly assisted with identifying and locating the outfalls.”
“This gives us further information about issues that might affect the invertebrates. It also means we have a more rounded approach to the area and a real sense of ownership.”
All survey results are recorded using the Cartographer and Epicollect systems, making reporting easier and more efficient. Dave and Deborah are grateful for the ongoing support from Abbie and Warren at MRT.
“When working on-site, surveying the water and riverflies, we are often asked questions by people about what we are doing and are frequently complimented on our work. Rivers and water quality are topical subjects and are often negatively reported in the media, so it’s good for the public to see that monitoring work is being carried out locally.”
“Overall, we feel that it is a privilege to be involved in the Riverfly Partnership and that we are really making a difference.”
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