There’s always something happening along the Water of Leith, and over the last few months our volunteers have been out and about across the river, getting stuck into a huge range of practical work.
Tackling invasive plants
One of the biggest jobs has been tackling invasive plants, particularly Himalayan balsam and Giant hogweed. Our volunteers have been out pulling balsam by hand, digging out Giant hogweed and, where appropriate, helping with its control through spraying.
Some of this work takes us into places that are difficult to reach from the path, so our volunteers have even been wading through the river to get to plants growing on the banks!
From Heriot-Watt and Riccarton to Balerno, Cockburn, St Mark’s, Larch Grove, Redbraes and Bell’s, the aim is the same: to stop these invasive plants taking over and give our native wildflowers and riverside plants more space to thrive.
Keeping the river and paths looking their best
Of course, it isn’t all about invasive plants. Volunteers have also been busy picking litter, clearing rubbish and helping with general maintenance along the river and walkway.
Our regular clean-ups have taken place right across the river, including at Bell’s Walkway, West Mill Road, Colinton, Murrayburn, Longstone, West Bowling Green Street and Redbraes.
The Leith Clean Up events have also brought people together to tackle litter and help keep the river corridor a welcoming place for everyone.
It can be muddy, wet and sometimes surprisingly hard work, but there’s something very satisfying about seeing the difference a few hours of volunteering can make.
Finding out more about the wildlife
Our volunteers don’t just look after the river – they help us understand it too.
This summer, volunteer surveyors have been out looking at plants and wildflowers in meadows and open spaces including Bell’s Meadow, Balgreen, Children’s Meadow, Bog’s Meadow, Coalie Meadow and Juniper Green.
We’ve also been looking more closely at pollinators and how well different wildflower areas are supporting insects, including a visit to Murrayfield Stadium to explore the wildlife-friendly spaces there.
Our Riverfly volunteers carry out regular surveys of the tiny creatures living in the river at Longstone, Balerno and Redbraes. These aquatic invertebrates can tell us a surprising amount about the health of the river and help us keep track of changes over time.
A busy summer at the Visitor Centre
It’s been a particularly busy summer at the Visitor Centre, with families, walkers and cyclists stopping by for an ice cream, coffee and cake, a browse around the exhibition and shop, or simply to find out more about the river.
Our Visitor Centre volunteers have coped brilliantly with the extra bustle. Giving around 60 hours of their time every week, they welcome visitors, serve in the café, keep the shop stocked, share their local knowledge and, importantly, make sure there is almost always plenty of home baking on the counter!
That adds up to more than 1,000 volunteer hours between April and the end of July alone. We’ve also recently welcomed several new volunteers to the team, so you may spot some new faces next time you visit.
All that hard work helps make the Centre the warm and friendly place it is – while the café and shop are also an important source of income for the Trust, bringing in around £1,700 every week to help support our work looking after the Water of Leith.
Making a difference together
Alongside all this practical work, our monthly community volunteering sessions continue to bring people together to care for their local stretch of the river. We’ve also been working with partners to identify new opportunities to make the river corridor better for wildlife. It’s a lot of activity, spread across a lot of miles of river – and it simply wouldn’t happen without our volunteers.
Thank you to everyone who has given up their time, got muddy, pulled balsam, picked up litter, counted riverflies, surveyed wildflowers, served coffees or simply turned up to help.