People

People and Participation

At the heart of the River Axe Landscape Recovery project is a belief that nature recovery must involve people – those who live, farm, work, visit, and learn in the landscape.

Our plan sets out a 20-year programme of engagement, education, and access designed to reconnect people with the river and its catchment. This isn’t just a technical restoration project. It’s a community journey.

Working with Communities

We’ll work with:

  • Schools and colleges, offering outdoor learning and riverside experiences
  • Young people and families, including those living with disadvantage or disability
  • Volunteers, helping restore and care for riverbanks and habitats
  • Local residents, through events, walks, talks and training
  • Landowners and delivery partners, to shape shared solutions and build local capacity

In total, we aim to reach over 35,000 people through our education and access programmes over the next two decades.

Creating Access for All

We know the river can feel hidden or off-limits. That’s why our Site Access Plan includes:

  • Safe, permissive access routes along restored stretches of river
  • Opportunities for guided access and citizen science in sensitive areas
  • Clear information about where and when people can explore the landscape
  • Infrastructure improvements (such as gateways, signs, and viewing areas) designed for all levels of mobility and confidence

Where public access isn’t appropriate – for example, where land is ecologically sensitive -we’ll offer alternative ways to engage, including digital storytelling, events, and educational visits by invitation.

Learning and Inclusion

Every year, we’ll deliver:

  • River-themed activities for over 2,500 children and young people
  • A community trout nursery in partnership with local schools
  • Inclusive outdoor learning programmes for:
    • Children living in the UK’s most deprived communities
    • Young carers and unaccompanied asylum seekers
    • Children and adults with mental illness or disability
  • Hands-on volunteering and training opportunities in conservation and rural skills

Building a Circular Economy

Restoring rivers doesn’t have to mean importing materials or increasing waste. Instead, the River Axe Landscape Recovery project will create a local, circular economy—turning natural by-products into valuable restoration resources and rural livelihoods.

Local Materials, Local Benefit

Our restoration work will make use of:

  • Brash bundles from local hedge laying and coppicing
  • Thinnings from woodland management
  • Locally sourced timber and fencing materials
  • Soil and substrate reused on-site wherever possible

These materials will be used to:

  • Stabilise riverbanks
  • Build leaky dams and fish refuges
  • Create habitat structures within and around the river
  • Reduce the carbon footprint of restoration activities

This approach reduces waste, supports land-based businesses, and keeps investment circulating within the local economy.

Our aim is not just to restore the river, but to build a stronger relationship between people and place – where everyone has a role in caring for the landscape