New team of river rangers will help keep waterways healthy
A WATER firm has launched a team of “River Rangers”, which is dedicated to protecting the region’s waterways and keeping rivers healthy.
Severn Trent’s team of ten rangers will work closely with partners across the region to focus on improving river health and boosting biodiversity along stretches of the Midland’s rivers, as well as educating customers to prevent wipes and sanitary products from reaching rivers, while engaging with community groups and partners.
They will also carry out operational, monitoring and sampling activities, allowing the company to understand the quality of rivers in its region better than ever before, and what’s needed to protect and improve them.
The launch of the new rangers team, who are expected to be in place by the end of summer, follows the firm’s recent announcement of an extra £565m investment on environmental projects it will deliver as part of its Green Recovery programme to support the country’s post-pandemic recovery. The next step of introducing the new team, will further accelerate Severn Trent’s ambitions of delivering environmental improvements across the Midlands, the company says.
Liv Garfield, Severn Trent chief executive, said: “We are always looking at what more we can do to support our communities and to enhance the local environment. Finding new and innovative ways to do this is a key component of our environmental strategy and it’s one of the reasons we frequently achieve the Environment Agency’s highest four star rating for environmental performance. That said, we know we can always do more, which is why we’re so excited to announce the launch of our brand-new team of River Rangers.
“This new team will help us strengthen our industry-leading environmental position and support our partners to help our region’s rivers to thrive, bringing us closer to our rivers than ever before. The team will be embedded within the community talking to customers, farmers and everyone else who has a role to play when it comes to protecting rivers and the environment. The River Rangers will also help build on all of the other great things we’re doing, such as our Great Big Nature Boost campaign, and now, our ambitious Green Recovery programme.”