Mid March we received the news that one of our most active conservation volunteers, Richard “Joe” Hilton, had succumbed to the cancer that had been attacking his body over the last year.
Joe was a long-term resident of Leith and had developed a deep love for the Water of Leith over those years. Once retired, he dedicated hundreds of hours of volunteering over the past ten years to protect and improve it.
It’s hard to capture the deep respect and enjoyment that having Joe volunteering brought, as he was out so often and had such an interest in the river that it was like having another staff member on the team. From a varied working life, he brought unbelievable skills that meant he could skipper the boat during the Leith basins clean-up, use a strimmer to help us cut the wildflower meadows, and could almost walk on water when wading due to his confidence in the river. He had a lust to learn more as well, and through volunteering developed a mastery in scything and willow weaving.
An example of when he went above and beyond was during Covid, when Joe supported then Conservation Officer, Charlotte Neary, to wade the seven miles from Slateford to Leith during Giant Hogweed season. At the time, we used to just treat the stretch from Balerno to Slateford for Giant Hogweed, with the City of Edinburgh Council controlling Hogweed downstream of the centre. However, they were not allowing any staff on the ground during the pandemic and instead gave WOLCT special permission as “frontline workers” to manage the Giant Hogweed with only one other person due to social distancing.
As Joe was the strongest wader out of the volunteers, he guided Charlotte through the most treacherous stretches of the river between Slateford and Leith, moving vegetation out of the way, helping her lift the heavy pack, and making sure she did not wade into any unsafe sections of river. Without this help, the river would have been left untreated, setting the Trust back years in the control of this terrible plant and putting the community at risk of Giant Hogweed burns when it was at its busiest. Joe was calm, strong, reliable, and he made an epic task achievable and safe.
Johnny, our ranger, remembered Joe so:
“I first came across Joe six years ago when he arrived on a bike that seemed a size too small, in scruffy clothes, wearing his black beanie, and within seconds was enjoying a roll-up and chatting with one of the volunteers. In the same week, in similar clothes, he then arrived in a classic Porsche, slightly confusing my understanding of who he was, but raising my interest as I could sense he was a character who would have stories to tell.
Over the years I’ve known Joe, I feel truly honoured to have had him by my side on so many adventures caring for the Water of Leith and feel gutted there won’t be any more. If I needed an extra pair of hands, whether that was wading in the river, scything a meadow, accepting an award from the Lord Provost, or just turning up at the last minute when he noticed numbers were going to be low for a volunteer beer tasting, he was always there—normally with a huge grin on his face, slightly struggling to hear what was being said due to going deaf, and happy to make a difference, especially if it involved litter.
Even as his health was getting worse, we’d regularly meet up on my days off at the Shore for a coffee, and he’d listen intently about the work that was going on and we’d laugh about the mistakes I’d made. A true legend on the river who will be forever in my memories.”
From Helen, our Chief Executive:
“I want to extend my deepest condolences to Joe’s family and friends, and to reflect on the extraordinary person we have lost. His dedication, skill, and quiet determination helped achieve so much to improve the river. Joe gave his time with generosity, bringing not only hard work but warmth, humour, and a genuine love for the river and the people around it; whether guiding others safely through challenging conditions or simply turning up with a grin, ready to help, he embodied the very best of what community volunteering stands for. We at the Water of Leith Conservation Trust are so grateful to have known him. He will be deeply missed—not only for what he did, but for who he was.”