Our spring clean has gathered real momentum over February and March, with volunteers delivering over a dozen practical conservation sessions across multiple stretches of the river.
February: Building the foundations
We kicked things off in mid-February with a series of land-based sessions, as high water levels kept us out of the river. Across six conservation tasks, volunteers focused on improving key areas: At Gorgie Road, work centred on restoring the walkway to its full width, extending brash fencing to reduce litter blowing into the river, and removing graffiti. Over at Longstone, volunteers planted an impressive 210 trees near Saughton Prison — the beginning of a new bird-friendly copse designed to boost biodiversity in the area. In the Murrayfield area, teams carried out extensive litter picking, removed graffiti from flood defences at Baird Drive. At Ford Road we cut back invasive laurel to create space and light for native plants and the pathways were widened behind the old nursing home, while tacklng fly tipping, removed old fencing, and reclaimed sections of pavement.
Early March: Expanding the effort
As we moved into March, activity ramped up with four practical tasks in a single week. At Stockbridge volunteers cleared weeds and helped restore areas affected by construction works. In Leith, the monthly boat clean removed rubbish from the basins — including an armchair — while also improving paths around West Bowling Green Street. Meanwhile, at Redbraes, invasive snowberry was cut back and litter cleared to improve the habitat.
A major milestone came with the first in-river wade of the year, where volunteers removed nine bags of plastic waste from the river between Deanhaugh Path and St Bernard’s Well — clearing debris that had built up over winter.
Mid-March: Into the river
With conditions briefly improving, volunteers managed two full days of wading as part of the spring clean. Teams worked across key stretches from: Gorgie Road to Longstone Island. Murrayfield Ice Rink to Pansy Walk
During these sessions, large quantities of plastic waste were removed, alongside bulkier items — including a washing machine!.
On land, work continued at pace volunteers carried out litter picking, vegetation management, and ongoing maintenance. A smaller weekday group also repaired and extended willow fencing in a children’s meadow, helping protect and enhance spaces used for outdoor learning.
Even with rising river levels limiting access again, volunteers adapted quickly. At St Mark’s Park, efforts focused on clearing paths, removing old fencing, and cutting back invasive snowberry.
In Leith, the Coalie Coalition group continued their dedicated stewardship of the area — planting bulbs, sweeping paths, litter picking, and painting over graffiti to improve the look and feel of the neighbourhood
Across February and March, our volunteers have:
Delivered 15+ conservation and clean-up tasks
Worked across 10+ key locations along the river
Removed significant volumes of litter and fly tipping
Cleared invasive species to support native biodiversity
Planted trees and bulbs to enhance green spaces
Recovered large items from the river during clean-ups
Most importantly, they’ve shown incredible commitment — turning out week after week in all conditions to care for the river and its surroundings. We’re hugely grateful for the time, energy and community spirit shown so far. With more clean-up sessions ahead, we’re excited to keep building on this fantastic start to spring.
