October 2025

News from the team

Now that the clocks have changed, we’re well and truly heading towards shorter days and longer nights. Much of nature is entering dormancy, although our rivers will be waking up with higher flow rates and the possibility of flooding as we move into the winter storm season. The DCP team are far from entering dormancy and we continue to be busy! We recently held our DCP Strategy Group and Stour Delivery Group meetings, and the Poole Harbour Delivery Group meeting is coming up in early November. It is great to hear from partners about the work that is happening on the ground to reduce run-off, improve water quality and enhance riparian and wetland habitats.  

Other activities that the team have been busy with include, responding to the Dorset Local Plan and working with partners on funding applications to update the Environment Agency’s Medium-Term Plan. This will enable delivery of a range of projects to improve our waterways across the catchments. Lee and Zoë recently met with Tom Flood from the Worshipful Company of Water Conservators to showcase the work of DCP partners and discuss future collaboration. In addition to this Holly and Zoë completed their Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) Introduction to the UK Water Industry and passed the course.  

Holly and Janine will be representing Dorset Catchment Partnerships at the Dorset Coast Forum’s Annual Conference in November. Zoë will be attending the Dorset COP event this weekend. Details about these events can be found in the events and webinars section of the newsletter.

We hope that you enjoy this edition of the DCP newsletter! 

Zoë and the DCP team

Partner update

From headwaters to harbour: natural flood management in the Brit Valley

The Brit Catchment Natural Flood Management (NFM) Project is a pioneering initiative led by the Dorset National Landscape Partnership to reduce flood risk for communities across the River Brit catchment, including Beaminster, Netherbury, and Bridport. Funded through Defra’s national NFM Programme and delivered in partnership with Dorset Wildlife Trust, West Dorset Wilding, and the Environment Agency, the project forms part of a £45 million investment in 40 UK catchments testing nature-based flood resilience.

The project, which runs until March 2027, aims to lessen reliance on costly engineered defences in Bridport by slowing overland flow higher in the catchment and retaining sediment upstream. Key measures include constructing leaky dams, reconnecting floodplains, restoring wetlands, and adapting land use to reduce runoff. To date, 1.5 km of leaky dams, two in-field ponds, and three hectares of land-use change have been completed, improving infiltration and storage capacity, along with 1.8 hectares of floodplain reconnection.
 
A robust monitoring framework underpins the project, with hydrometric sensors installed at 27 locations alongside two rain gauges. With data collected every five minutes, there’s a lot of numbers to crunch. Thankfully, analysis is being undertaken in partnership with the University of Exeter’s Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (CREWW). Community engagement is central: 17 trained volunteers now sample water quality, strengthening the evidence base for long-term effectiveness.

By integrating hydrology, morphology, and ecology, the Brit Catchment NFM Project is demonstrating how nature-based interventions can deliver measurable flood mitigation while enhancing biodiversity and catchment resilience in West Dorset.
 
Funding has been provided by the Environment Agency and Farming in Protected Landscapes.

For more information, visit here. 
 
All images below
Credit: Peter Stone

Wider news

Citizen science and evidence collection
Natural England has published a blog post explaining the importance of citizen scientists, with over 70% of the UK’s biodiversity recordings being made through citizen science. Through partnership working, they will be creating frameworks to understand and identify the best methods and places for citizen science monitoring to take place.

Best practice guidance for marine citizen science data
Credit: Marine Biological Association

Projects funded through water company fines
When water companies receive fines, Defra invest the money collected into the Water Restoration Fund, which funded 51 local environmental projects between April 2022 and October 2023. This blog post details the different projects which were funded, including a spotlight project.
 
2025 Forestry facts and figures
Forest Research have published a summary of the annual forestry statistics in the UK for 2025. It contains information about woodland area and cover, timber and wood products, imports and exports to economics, employment, woodland visits and the environment.
 
River pollution in the Wye
A major pollution of the River Wye has led to the largest environmental UK lawsuit, driven by people who either live alongside the river or regularly visit recreationally. The pollution was reported due to farmland runoff and storm overflow discharges.
 
Natural England - Green Infrastructure Mapping Database
Natural England have updated to the latest version of their mapping database. The update includes a range of new data following the People and Nature Survey, urban habitat mapping, and experimental “Naturalness” mapping.

A screenshot showing urban habitat mapping
Credit: Natural England

Local news

The Water for Wildlife appeal – Dorset Wildlife Trust
Dorset Wildlife Trust has launched the Water for Wildlife appeal to restore rivers, wetlands, and coastal habitats under threat from pollution and climate change. With less than 15% of Dorset’s rivers in good ecological condition, species like otters, kingfishers, and water voles are at risk. Donations will fund practical restoration efforts such as building leaky dams and rewetting floodplains to improve water quality and biodiversity. Public support is vital to ensure Dorset’s waterways thrive for generations to come.
 
A new Dorset habitat bank near Sturminster Marshall
Dorset Council has launched a new habitat bank at The Ferals in Tarrant Keyneston to support both wildlife recovery and housing development. Under new planning rules, developers must ensure nature is left in a better state and can now buy biodiversity gain units from these sites. This initiative helps restore intensively farmed land into thriving habitats while enabling sustainable growth. It’s a promising step toward balancing environmental protection with the urgent need for new homes in Dorset.
 
Nature calls: collaborative strategy launched to protect Dorset’s greenspaces - BCP Council

BCP Council has endorsed the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) to protect greenspaces and reverse wildlife decline across Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole. The strategy prioritises habitats like heathlands, rivers, and wetlands, aiming to make nature areas bigger, better, and more connected. Over 70 organisations collaborated to shape this 10-year vision, including Dorset Wildlife Trust and Natural England. A new delivery group will lead community partnerships to restore habitats and improve access to nature.

Dorset Farm river pollution
A dairy farm in Dorset has been fined £6,000 and ordered to pay over £10,000 in costs after cattle slurry polluted a nearby river. The Environment Agency (EA) traced the pollution, which caused severe ecological damage over several kilometres, back to the farm following a public report. The incident was deemed avoidable, with wetter weather and TB restrictions contributing to excess slurry production. Officials stressed the importance of early reporting and proper slurry management to prevent future pollution.

Have your say

The Changing Status of Freshwater Biodiversity in the UK
The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) have developed a survey aimed towards anyone involved in freshwater biodiversity and water quality research, monitoring, policy, and conservation. The survey will help to develop an online workshop to explore how well-equipped we are to detect and understand the effects of pollutants on the health of UK freshwaters.

Funding

Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme
Funding is available for planning grants for projects which aim to restore natural ecological processes to degraded areas, allowing more resilient and self-sustaining ecosystems. The grant can support preparatory work or the delivery of the works. The deadline for applications is 20th January 2026.
 
Species Recovery Programme - a call for ideas
Natural England are looking for new project ideas, which investigate the recovery of threatened species. This programme works towards the government’s targets around species recovery. The application deadline is 2nd November 2025.
 
Naturesave Trust
Funding is available for projects, which aim to protect and enhance land and sea biodiversity. Applications are encouraged from charities, community groups and organisations. The deadline is 27th November 2025.
 
Farming Innovation Programme
Defra have up to £7.8 million available for:
•      Helping farmers, growers and foresters increase productivity, sustainability and resilience.
•      Reducing the environmental impact of agriculture and horticulture.
•      Applying agricultural research to provide real benefits for farmers, growers and foresters.
•      Using science to develop solutions for the practical challenges in agriculture and horticulture.
 Apply by 5th November 2025.

Events and webinars

Litter Free Dorset - Water Quality event
Litter Free Dorset is hosting a Water Quality Event on 28th October at Rockwater Branksome in Poole. Attendees can meet the team and Wessex Water representatives to discuss new near real-time water monitoring and the launch of the SeaCheck web app. This event is free to attend.
 
2025 Dorset COP (Conference of the Parties)
Dorset COP is a community-led climate and ecological conference taking place on 1st November in Sturminster Newton. This year’s theme is "Turning Environmental Ambition into Action” and will feature workshops, storytelling, and interactive exhibits focused on food resilience, energy, nature recovery, and community power. Tickets are pay-what-you-can.
 
Wild Woodbury Community Open Day | Dorset Wildlife Trust
The Wild Woodbury Community Open Day will take place on 15th November at Wild Woodbury in Bere Regis, Dorset. This free, family-friendly event invites the local community to get involved in tree planting within the community food forest, enjoy wildlife-themed activities, and join guided walks around the rewilding site. 
 
2025 Dorset Coast Forum Conference 
The 2025 Dorset Coast Forum Conference will be held on 19th November, at the RNLI College in Poole. This year’s event marks the 30th anniversary of the Forum and promises a day of insightful talks, networking opportunities, and celebration of coastal collaboration. 

Jobs

• Dorset Council are advertising for a Senior Ranger. Apply by 2nd November 2025.
• The Bristol Avon Catchment Partnership are searching for a Catchment Partnership Officer. Applications close on 3rd November 2025.