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You can support the Water of Leith Conservation Trust by joining or making a donation.

Click here to join or click here to make a donation to the Trust.

Contact Details

Address: Water of Leith Visitor Centre, 24 Lanark Road Edinburgh EH14 1TQ

Telephone: 0131 455 7367

Fax: 0131 443 1682

Email: admin@waterofleith.org.uk

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Community Action

Protecting Edinburgh's river is work that involves the whole community. Our Education and Group Visits programmes mean everyone can learn more about this fantastic natural asset. Our Practical Action Days allow business, school, and community groups of all sizes to help improve the valley for people and wildlife, whilst having an active day, which is great for their health.

Community groups and local business get involved in many projects along the river including:

  • River clean-ups
  • Invasive species removal
  • Path maintenance
  • Vegetation control
  • Removing log jams
  • Native wildflower planting
  • Creating education areas
  • Habitat creation projects

Check out this video of the Geocachers 2010 clean-up for a flavour of what is involved!

How your community group can get involved

In 2009/10 31 groups from all sectors of the community helped us on the river. Many were involved in the BIG ANNUAL CLEAN-UP, a spring clean for the river from Balerno to Leith between April and June. Around 20 groups join our volunteer teams a try to remove all the rubbish and debris in and around the river. But action does not stop after June. We need help all year round to keep the valley 'clean, green and beautiful'. So, if your community group wants to help, contact our Community and Volunteers Officer for more details.

Corporate Volunteering

Teams of volunteers from business across the city help us to deliver environmental improvement projects in the Water of Leith Valley, why not get your company involved? An Environmental Action Day gives staff the chance to make a positive difference to a familiar local environment. Conservation work can also provide a great backdrop to staff training and development. This in turn can boost team moral, motivation, help with stress management and be a lot of fun. Its an excellent opportunity to demonstrate that your business has a commitment to corporate and social responsibility by allowing your staff to work with the third sector in their local outdoor environment.

Download Corporate Volunteering flier for more details

Thank you!!!

We must say a huge thank you to the following 31 groups who helped last year on clean-ups and conservation tasks, around 517 people have been involved with these tasks with hours spent totalling an impressive 2068 hours. 

  1. Scottish Government Landscapes & Habitats Division – Clean-up at Bonnington - 12
  2. Geocachers – Clean-up at Saughton Park - 31
  3. Coltbridge Community Group – Clean-up at Coltbridge - 28 (Last years Trophy winners!!)
  4. Warriston Crescent Residents Assoc – Clean-up at Warriston - 16
  5. Colinton Amenity Society  Clean-up  Colinton- 30
  6. Tippereth Composters – Clean-up at Colinton - 8
  7. Bonaly Primary School – Clean-up at Colinton - 12
  8. Dean Village Ass – Clean-up at Dean Village - 20
  9. Stockbridge Community Council – Clean-up at Stockbridge & Canonmills - 8
  10. Standard Life PLC – Clean-up at Stockbridge & Canonmills - 10
  11. Inverleith Cubs – Clean-up at Stockbridge & Canonmills - 16
  12. Craigmount High School – Clean-up at Steadfastgate - 15
  13. Green Team & George Watson’s – Himalayan Balsam Pulling from Roseburn to Stockbridge - 15
  14. Green Team & George Watson’s -Himalayan Balsam Pulling  Juniper Green - 14
  15. Roseburn Primary School – Clean-up in Roseburn Park - 75
  16. The Rock Trust – Clean-up & Vegetation Control at Visitor Centre - 7
  17. Scottish Funding Council – Clean-up at Saughton Park - 20
  18. Green Team Work/Activity Day Japanese Knotweed Pulling – 6
  19. Royal London Group/HBOS Clean-up at Kinleith and Japanese Knotweed Pulling at Currie Sheds 14
  20. HBOS Clean-up and Vegetation Control at Bonnington - 16
  21. Leith Fort Community Group – Clean-up & Walkway Vegetation Control – 15
  22. Youth Fishing Initiative - 10
  23. Royal London HBOS - Clean-up & Himalayan Balsam Pulling, Murrayfield - 20
  24. The Rock Trust, Path work – 7
  25. Institute of Chartered Accountants Maintenance/Vegetation Control Clean-up & Mill Lade Clearance, Bell’s Mill - 20
  26. RBS - Clean-up & Path Maintenance/Vegetation Control, Visitor Centre - 15
  27. The Green Team, Japanese Knotweed, Currie - 12
  28. SIAS LTD – Land preparation for planting @ Bell’s Weir Haugh – 13
  29. Craigmount High School – clean up, path  / step scraping  9
  30. The Green Team  - drain clearance, invasive species control and removal of den – 9
  31. The Rock Trust – Clean-up, Path work, Dead wood provision - 6