We believe engaging with the natural environment enables people to grow

Our partnerships with organisations throughout the South West are an important factor in the work we achieve and the projects we deliver.

Together, we are working on valuable initiatives; for example, Upstream Thinking is a fantastic project funded by South West Water, which we are delivering with Cornwall Wildlife Trust to improve water quality in the Fal catchment – specifically, around College and Argal reservoirs.

In partnership with Dartmoor National Park Authority, the Moor than meets the eye Landscape Partnership project has enabled us to vastly improve the access around Fernworthy Reservoir – in particular, the surface and accessibility of the much loved Potters Walk – a scenic wheelchair and buggy accessible route.

The Discover Wistlandpound Project (DWP) is a joint project between South West Lakes Trust, The Calvert Trust Exmoor and Forestry Commission Enterprises, which has funded two wheelchair and pushchair accessible paths. Enabling people of all abilities to engage with the outdoors, this is a fantastic example of three organisations collaborating for the benefit of the environment and public.

Invasive Species

We are working in partnership with South West Water to help protect our lakes from the impacts of invasive non-native species. Click here to read more about invasive non-native species and biosecurity at the lakes.

Invasive non-native species cause detrimental impacts to the environment, can have an impact on activities and some even have human health implications. Our Invasive Species Officer, Nicola Morris, is working with anglers and visitors to the lakes to encourage everyone to work together to prevent invasive non-native species causing damage to the lakes, and in turn helping to protect the activities we enjoy.

Have you heard of the Check, Clean, Dry campaign? One of the aims of the project is to encourage everyone to carry out simple biosecurity measures before and after using the lakes.

Help us protect the lakes and the activities we enjoy by following some simple steps to keep your kit, footwear and clothing free of invasive plants and animals.

 Whenever you leave the lakes, remember to Check, Clean, Dry.

  • Check your equipment, boat and clothing after leaving the water for mud, aquatic animals or plant material. Remove anything you find and leave it at the site.
  • Clean everything thoroughly as soon as you can, paying attention to areas that are damp and hard to access. Use hot water if possible.
  • Dry everything for as long as possible (ideally 48hrs) before using elsewhere as some invasive plants and animals can survive for two weeks in damp conditions.

We are delighted to be part of the AQUA biosecurity accreditation scheme. This regional pilot trial offers tiered awards and provides recognition that we are actively conserving the lakes to maximise native aquatic diversity. Find out more about the scheme.

        

Upstream Thinking: a partnership with Cornwall Wildlife Trust

We have been working on a very exciting catchment scale conservation project around College and Argal reservoirs near Penryn in Cornwall. Upstream Thinking is a five year programme funded by South West Water and is being delivered across the whole region. The Fal catchment project is being delivered by South West Lakes Trust and Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) and has two main aims:

  1. Farm advisors, ecologists and water quality scientists from CWT work with landowners in the catchment to help them improve their practices, with the goal of reducing the run off of harmful chemicals and fertilisers into the reservoirs.
  2. The other aspect of the project involves our volunteer groups (led by Senior Countryside Warden Beth Cross) visiting different sites around the catchment to undertake conservation and habitat management tasks to improve the sites for wildlife. We have worked on a wide variety of tasks including scrub clearance, bracken management, hedging, invasive species removal and building habitat boxes. Volunteers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds have really enjoyed being part of a new and interesting project, with the opportunities to visit different sites and learn new skills.

It will be rewarding to continue this partnership working with Cornwall Wildlife Trust – a landscape level approach to water management and conservation will not only make a real difference to the water quality in the lakes, biodiversity and agricultural sustainability, but also has positive knock on effects for wildlife, fisheries and the enjoyment of visitors to our sites.

The organisations below are just some of our key delivery partners:

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