Events
Vitacress Conservation Trust 2010 Environment Debate - 
3rd March
The debate took place at The Turner Sims Concert Hall, The University of Southampton.
The debate was introduced and moderated by Lord Selborne, Patron of the Trust The three speakers, Professor Ian Crute, former Director of Rothamsted Research Centre; Tim Nevard OAM, Executive Director of Conservation Grade Farming and Lord Peter Melchett, Organic Producer and Policy Director of the Soil Association each gave a 10 minute presentation airing their contrasting views on "Eating the Future".
They then took questions from the audience which was made up by over 200 members of the public and invited guests. The discussions that followed were both interesting and thought provoking.
The presentations from Professor Crute and Tim Nevard are available for viewing and downloading.
Professor Ian Crute's Presentation
Tim Nevard's Presentation
The Speakers from left to right
Lord Selborne, Prof Ian Crute, Lord Melchett, Tim Nevard
Tim Nevard Lord Peter Melchett Professor Ian Crute
Professor Gail Taylor, Chair VCT Guests at the Debate
Mayor & Mayoress Test Valley Guests at the debate
Local and national experts unite in battle to clean up England’s Chalk Streams
October 5th 2009: At the third annual Vitacress Conservation Trust (VCT) annual Chalk Stream Headwaters Forum, the attendees at the Forum which included conservationists, scientists and academics called for more robust research into the role of phosphorus in damaging the ecology of some of England’s most highly prized chalk streams and rivers.
“The fragile ecosystems which exist in our most iconic chalk streams such as the Bourne Rivulet in Hampshire are being damaged by phosphates derived from leaking sewers, septic tanks and intensive agriculture” commented Debbie Tann, Chief Executive of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, a keynote speaker at the conference. “Phosphorus is the ‘elephant in the stream’ when it comes to identifying key culprits for the degradation, and I applaud the VCT for convening this forum and shining a light on the issue – also for its generous offer to contribute funding towards the critical research required to identify a long-term solution”.
Dr Steve Rothwell (VCT Trustee) is calling for all interested parties, including the water industry, other conservation bodies, the EA and Natural England to join the VCT in co-funding critical research into the impact of phosphorus on the chalk streams in Hampshire. The VCT has already pledged to provide £30,000 towards the research over a three year period, and is calling for others to close the gap. It is estimated the research, which would be carried out by the University of Southampton, would cost in the region of £80,000 over three years.
This conclusion follows hot on the heels of the Environment Agency’s disclosure that just 26 per cent of the country's 6,000 rivers are judged to be a "good" ecological status under the EU’s stringent ecological rules.
In 2008, the Forum resolved to create a number of Sub-Catchment Management Groups to help conserve the pristine condition of the chalk streams, pulling together local stakeholders to focus on local issues – the first of which is focused on the Bourne Rivulet. The Bourne is a tributary of the world-famous River Test, which was singled out during last week’s disclosures as failing to meet the standards.
The aim of the Sub-Catchment Groups is to prove the value of local stakeholder groups in analysing and structuring improvement plans for key headwaters and to develop some detailed action plans to improve the rivers.
Lord Selborne, Patron and Chair of the VCT said “The impact of phosphorous on the Bourne Rivulet, one of the most beautiful stretches of chalk stream anywhere in the world, is a microcosm for what is happening to all our rivers up and down the country. It is our hope that the Bourne and Upper Itchen Initiatives will be viewed as best practice model that might be adopted on a national scale as an effective way of identifying and addressing environmental issues and solutions.”
Panel of Speakers
Paul Withers, ADAS
Forum presentations available for download:
Forum Proceedings
“Gin Clear of Clear as Mud” – The Future of Chalk Streams
Debbie Tann, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
“Chalk Streams for the 22nd Century” – The Challenge Facing us over the next 100 years”
Tom Davis – Test & Itchen Association
The Bourne Rivulet Initiative
Gail Taylor – University of Southampton and VCT Chair
The Upper Itchen Initiative
Graham Roberts – Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
“The Elephant in the Stream” – The Management of Phosphorus in Chalk Streams”
Paul Withers, ADAS
“Trout that Glow in the Dark” – Survival Rates in Stocked Wild Brown Trout
Dylan Roberts and Dominic Stubbing, Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust
“Potted Shrimps and PEITC” – Gammarus and Watercress Harvesting
Melanie Dixon – VCT sponsored PhD at University of Southampton
Vitacress Conservation Trust Annual Environmental Lecture
The third Vitacress Conservation Trust Environmental Lecture
was held at Southampton University on Thursday7 May 2009.
This year's lecture was given by Chris Packha,. One of the University of Southampton's most high-profile alumni, Chris is widely acknowledged as a presenter, author and photographer with an unrivalled passion for the environment. He has recently joined BBC2's popular live wildlife programme Springwatch
At an exciting and critically important time for environmental issues, Chris both challenged and stimulated thought with his lecture, addressing current attitudes to conservation and what
is influencing practice and policy. He considered the problems of complacency, inflexibility and sentimentalism and how a new generation of ideas and initiatives are challenging such views.
Steve Rothwell, a Vitacress Conservation Trust Trustee says:
"We were delighted Chris agreed to deliver the third VCT Environmental Lecture.
His local roots, global perspective and passion for conservation combined to deliver a most stimulating evening"
Follow this link to footage of the lecture
http://www.soton.ac.uk/emedia/streaming/video.php?id=480
2nd Annual Chalk Stream Headwaters Forum Sets its Sights on National Attention
Vitacress Conservation Trust and partners resolve to focus national attention on the plight of the England’s globally significant chalk steam ecology
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
At the second annual Chalk Stream Headwaters Forum, stakeholders involved in the conservation and restoration of the Hampshire chalk waters came together to share perspectives and knowledge on the critical environmental issues facing the famous chalk streams. The event, which was chaired by Lord Selborne, Patron of the Vitacress Conservation Trust (VCT), heard from experts from academia, business as well as local and national angling and environmental communities. The goal was to carve out a practical route forward for the benefit of this precious and quintessentially English resource.
This year’s Forum heard from speakers from the University of Southampton, The Environment Agency, the Test and Itchen Association and Cain Bio-Engineering on a range of scientific and environmental issues related to the mounting challenges facing the streams, as well as some best practice examples of how local farmers, business and landowners were collaborating with the Environment Agency and English Nature to help restore and protect some local rivers.
The Forum identified some highly pressing issues contributing to the threatened status of our chalk streams, including the urgent need to consolidate and analyse the large bank of disparate scientific data currently in play, in order to draw nationally significant conclusions from them. Therefore it was agreed by the VCT Board that this year’s activities would include work with the University of Southampton to begin collating and analysing the science informing this debate, in order to help solve issues facing the English Chalk Streams.
Chalk Waters Catchment Management Groups
Last year’s forum had resolved to explore the creation of a series of Chalk Waters Catchment Management Groups for the Rivers Test & Itchen and its sub-catchments. The first of these was the ‘Bourne Rivulet Initiative’, which was formed in November 2007 and its Chair, Professor Gail Taylor of the University of Southampton, reported to the Forum on the significant progress made in the intervening period.
The role of this group has been be to interpret the body of scientific research being undertaken on the Stream and its ecology, and to translate and ultimately guide that research into practical solutions that can be implemented on the ground.
Practical outputs so far have included the completion of the river restoration at the Vitacress Salads site at St Mary Bourne, the engagement by local landowner Michael Malyon of the same experts to implement river restoration on a 700m stretch of the Bourne downstream of the Vitacress site, and the creation of a Bourne Rivulet Chalk Stream Knowledge Database housed at Southampton University. The intention is to complete the population of that database and then to transfer its contents to a public website which will be universally accessible.
In fact the Management Group has been so successful it was resolved by the VCT to use its exemplar as a best practice model and create a similar group called the Upper Itchen Initiative to address the fast mounting concerns voiced at the Forum about this particular stretch of historic chalk stream.
Lord Selborne, Patron of the Vitacress Conservation Trust and Chair of the Forum commented “The second Chalk Stream Headwaters Forum proved a lively meeting, with a number of positive messages as well as some concerns. The VCT will, I know, be following up on a number of very constructive proposals made in the discussion period”.
Professor Gail Taylor, Chair of the VCT said “We were delighted by the impressive turn out and spirit of co-operation from such a wide representation of interests in our chalk streams, and particularly proud that the model created by the Bourne Rivulet Initiative was considered a useful template for others to follow”.
Lawrence Talks from the Environment Agency comments, “Chalk streams are an irreplaceable part of England’s natural heritage. The environmental pressures they face are immense. The Vitacress Conservation Trust is an excellent example of how the scientific community, landowners, business interests, NGOs and statutory agencies are joining forces to protect these iconic rivers for future generations.”
Over 150 delegates attended the forum from across a broad spectrum of government, voluntary and business groups, as well as local landowners and community-based organizations.
Forum presentations and white papers available for download
Vitacress Conservation Trust Annual Environmental Lecture
The second Vitacress Conservation Trust Environmental Lecture took place at Southampton University on 1 May 2008.
Professor John Beddington CMG FRS, Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Government Office for Science, gave a fascinating presentation entitled "Sustainability in a Changing World". This highlighted various global challenges and possible solutions to them, covering food, energy and water security in the context of climate change, population growth and alleviating poverty.
The lecture also considered how governments, non-governmental organisations and others need to work together and use science, technology and engineering to help combat the threats posed.
Professor Beddington commented:
“Issues surrounding sustainability and climate change are increasingly coming to the fore for everyone. The challenges we face on matters such as food and energy security are serious.
I am grateful to both the University of Southampton and the Vitacress Conservation Trust for inviting me and I welcome this opportunity to outline my thoughts on some of these issues.”
Hampshire Chalk Stream Headwaters Forum gains consensus on way forward
Vitacress Conservation Trust and partners resolve to collaborate to protect
and enhance Hampshire’s globally significant chalk stream ecosystems.
Wednesday 13 June 2007 marked the first of what is to become an annual
Forum which brought together all key stakeholders involved in the conservation
and restoration of the Hampshire chalk waters for the first time. The
goal of the Forum was to allow multiple local stakeholders to come together
and share perspectives and knowledge on the critical environmental issues
facing the famous chalk streams, in order that they could agree a practical
route forward for the benefit of this precious and uniquely English resource.
Those stakeholders included businesses, government agencies, water supply,
conservation groups, research organisations, anglers and local landowners.
Despite some historic differences between the viewpoints of these parties,
the members of the Forum unanimously agreed to create a formal ‘Chalk
waters Catchment Management Group’ for the River Test and its sub-catchments,
the majority of which fall outside of the protection of designation enjoyed
by the Itchen’s tributaries. The role of this group will be to interpret
the body of scientific research being undertaken on the Streams and their
ecology, and to translate and ultimately guide that research into practical
solutions that can be implemented on the ground.
Lord Selborne, Patron of the Vitacress Conservation Trust and Chair of
the Forum commented “I was impressed by the expertise represented
at the Forum, the depth of knowledge of this complex subject displayed,
as well as with the spirit of collaboration and desire for positive progress
amongst groups with sometimes opposing views. The Forum agreed that it
was only by working together that the collective goal of the protection
and conservation of precious chalk streams could be achieved”.
Paul Knight, Chairman of the Salmon & Trout Association commented
”The forum proved yet again that communication and cooperation between
all interested parties is the best way forward to finding solutions to
environmental problems affecting our rivers. I greatly look forward to
working within the forum in future to help secure the protection and enhancement
of our unique chalk stream habitats and ecosystems.”
Keynote speakers at the event included Dr Pete Shaw of the University
of Southampton; Charles Barter, President of the NFU Watercress Association;
Tina Jeary, Head of Fresh Foods Product Development and Technology from
Sainsbury’s; Chris Rostron of the Wildlife Trusts; Paul Knight of
the Salmon & Trout Association and Meyrick Gough of Southern Water.
Panelists included senior representatives from the Environment Agency
and Natural England.
Professor Gail Taylor Chair of the Vitacress Conservation Trust said
“We were thrilled with the impressive turnout from such a wide representation
of interests in our chalk streams, and delighted by the consensus view
on the day that collaboration in particular between the private, conservation
and angling sectors is the only way forward.”
Forum presentations and white papers available for download
Inaugural Vitacress Conservation Trust Annual Environmental Lecture
On 27 March, the University of Southampton hosted the inaugural Vitacress
Conservation Trust annual environmental lecture. We were delighted to
secure a high profile speaker - Helen Philips, Chief Executive of Natural
England – whose lecture was entitled “Chalk Rivers: A World
Class Environment”. An audience of over 200 delegates heard Helen
speak about the biodiversity and wildlife of chalk rivers in the UK, the
role Natural England is playing in helping to conserve and protect these
important habitats and the work being undertaken in conjunction with the
watercress industry, which is mainly centred on the headwaters of chalk
rivers in the south, to draw-up an operational code of practice.
