Meet the River Meon Conservation Volunteers

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Warnford, West Meon & Woodlands Garden & Countryside Club invites you to join us for a talk on:

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Thursday 9th April 2025 – 7.30 pm

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in Warnford Village Hall.

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“Meet the River Meon Conservation Volunteers”

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by Pam Eastwood, Penny Bridle, & Stephen Short 

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Our very own team of River Meon Conservation volunteers will be talking about their work conserving the river.

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They are a group of volunteers who are working hard to improve our River Meon, our very own chalk stream. The River Meon is a very rare and valuable chalk stream habitat. There are only about 200 chalk streams globally, of which 85% are found in southern and eastern England. The water should be crystal clear, flowing over gravelly beds, rich in minerals and remain at a fairly constant temperature all year round.

 

Chalk streams are home to a variety of wildlife, including fish such as brown trout, grayling, Atlantic salmon, bullhead and brook lamprey; invertebrates such as mayflies, dragonflies and damselflies as well as white-clawed crayfish, water voles, kingfishers, and even otters!

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The river drains a small, rural catchment area, dominated by mixed farming and horses with increasingly urban areas at its southern extent. The waters of the river and the chalk aquifer have been important to people for thousands of years.

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The River Meon is facing a number of threats including over-abstraction, nutrient enrichment and the intentional and accidental release of non-native species.

 

The River Meon Conservation Volunteers feel that it is vitally important to preserve and improve this chalk river habitat for the benefit of wildlife and humans alike.

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Pop it into your diaries right now!​