We Are Avon is a river-based campaign and movement, rooted in the regeneration of place and restoration of waters, lands and people in the Avon valley.
There is a groundswell of diverse groups and communities in the Avon valley saying a firm NO to river and land pollution and an active YES to the regeneration of our bioregion.
This campaign brings together the people of place in a new story, not as disempowered consumers or victims, but instead as empowered regenerators, custodians and citizens of a landscape.
The River Movement in the We Are Avon web centres the river in our community’s relationship to place through our River Guardianship scheme and Avon Bioregion Charter of Rights.
“A resilient and thriving future for the Avon valley coming back to life. The regeneration of river’s lands, waters and communities.”
River Guardianship
You know your river best and every section has a niche environment with human’s being just one element of the ecosystem.
Embrace a role as a river guardian and nature defender by joining the river guardianship movement. Together, we safeguard sections of the River Avon alongside a dedicated community of guardians.
Your commitment ensures the preservation of our precious waterways for future generations.
Guardian groups are forming from source to sea along the Avon and across the UK and tackling the issues on the ground to improve their local waterways. Let’s make a difference together.
What’s at stake?
Our River Avon in the South West is one of the top 10 most polluted in the country.: approximately half of this is from agricultural practices, and half from water/sewage mismanagement
- Natural watercourses – The Avon’s flow has been severely straightened, deepend and altered to the detriment of its ecosystem integrity
- Access rights – the public has access to less than 3% of riverbanks in the UK
- Fish stocks – in the last ten years, surveys at five key sites on the Avon show significant declines in freshwater invertebrate communities with total abundance down by 77%
- Water resilience: due to an unstable social and environmental situation, there is a threat to water security with drought and contamination
- Mental health crisis – our suffering waterways are a clear reflection of social disconnection
What we can do?
Our mission is to protect and regenerate the waters and lands surrounding the Avon river. We will work across the bioregion to restore the quality of water to “healthy” levels, establish a river charter and regenerate the lands in this valley.
This mission calls us all to stand up collectively to the injustices to the river and to walk together in the active hope for its future health and vitality, on which we all depend.
Our campaign aims:
- Establish and implement a River Charter for the Avon bioregion
- Establish new rights of access along the river Avon
- Engage diverse communities and stakeholders (e.g. boaters, fishing communitis, land-owners, wild swimmers, walkers and citizen scientists) to collaborate for healthy rivers for all
- Support farms and local food systems to enhance river friendly farming and transition away from harmful practices
- Continue to plant trees and manage invasive species in riparian zones and floodplains
- Achieve bathing rights along the river Avon
- Measure and record river health data through citizens science
- Improve the quality of water from its current ‘Poor’ to ”Good’ within the next 5 years
- Create a media series of the stories of our Avon, the history, current predicament and its ongoing regeneration
- Increase fish stocks and support the Bristol Avon River Trust fish and biodiversity plans
- Work with a range of partners in the Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership to take effective river action
- Secure rights for the Avon in local, regional and national policy and decision making
- Organise seasonal events to celebrate and respect the River Avon from our Spring Strategy and Visioning day, Summer Solstice Pilgrimage and Autumn Avon Fest
A River Charter for Avon Bioregion
With support from research from Conham Bathing and the University of the West of England, we are in the process of forming and implementing the UK’s first ever cross-council declatory motion recognising our river’s rights.
There are 17 and counting River Charters across the UK with more being announced every month. We Are Avon core team member Meg Avon is soon to publish regular updates on her river charter research.
We thank Bristol City Council, Bath and North East Somerset Council, South Glostershire council and North Wiltshire council for their participation.
All the rights in the charter point to existing enviromnetal laws. The River Guardianship scheme is integral to these rights being upheld, putting power back into the hands of local people.
Rights of the Bristol Avon and Bioregion
- Right to exist, thrive, and evolve naturally
To maintain and support ecological function of the river at all stages along its life course from source to sea
- Right to flow sustainably
Through naturally functioning patterns that support the resilience of the river’s ecosystem where reasonably practical
- Right not to be polluted
To achieve good ecological health, free from detrimental levels of known and emerging pollutants
- Right to biodiversity integrity
To promote good biological health through the existence and flourishing of diverse species and unique habitats
- Right to regeneration and restoration
To recover ecological function and be resilient to the ecological threats caused by human-derived climate instability
- Right to cultural and community connection
To recognise the value and interconnectedness of all living entities, including human, with the river and the bioregion
- Right to representation and advocacy
To have active and influential voices to speak on behalf of the river