Can a river have a voice?

06th May 2022

Saving water is an increasingly important thing for us all to do. For those living alongside bodies of water, the river, lake, or sea becomes an integral part of their lives. And the effects of climate change and the increasing demand on supply is becoming dramatically evident to them. Isabel and Sally, from The Bioregional Learning Centre (BLC) in Totnes, had a wonderful idea for encouraging communities to protect their river by saving water together.

As part of a longer-running BLC project called Voices of the Dart, Isabel and Sally designed workshops that brought Dartmouth, Totnes, Buckfastleigh and Ashburton together through the one thing they all have in common – the River Dart. They worked in partnership with many organisations, including ourselves, to provide up-to-date data about water usage and climate change in those specific areas, as well as creative ways of engaging with the river. Swimmers, sailors, fishermen, walkers, members of local environment action groups and town councils – all sorts of people turned up. One minute their hands were red with mud from the Dart, and the next they were discussing questions like:

“How do I get to know a river? How can we bring the Dart back into being a central part of the life of the towns again? How can we value water better beyond seeing it as a commodity? Where does our water supply come from? And where does it go once used?”

The focus of each workshop was naturally different in each place, from river flooding events, infrastructure, and water quality to wildlife and drought events. But, regardless of these differences, one thing was obvious in all, and that was the care people have for the river and their willingness to take action to protect it.

 

A huge way all the communities can do this is by saving water, not just on an individual basis, but collectively as a whole town…. or river. A number of brilliant ideas were put forward for how this could be done including: running a cross-community, river-long, water-saving competition; and reviewing public water-using appliances like toilets, laundrettes and in businesses like hair salons and restaurants. The more people thought about where water is used in their communities, the more they realised just how much we all depend on it.

It felt very fitting to end the sessions thinking of other lives, places and objects that are affected by the river. A creative writing activity helped bring these voices to life. Here is just a snippet of some of them:

“I connect the high moor, bleak and open, to the sea, waves and plankton. I am the changing and unchanging passage of water. If I could have you know and understand one thing about my life as the Dart it would be how vital and inspiring, yet unnoticed and taken for granted I am.” – River Dart

“I am a river drift of tawny, sifted particles of granite. If I could have you know and understand one thing about my life with the Dart it would be it is that I am no one shape, the river assaults me, moulds me, picks me up and deposits me downstream. I am a barometer of change.” - a small beach of river sand

“I jump above the surface of the water. If I could have you understand one thing about my life with the River Dart it would be that breathing is just as important below the water as above the water.” - flying fish

We can’t wait to see how these communities tackle the water-saving challenge given to them at these workshops!