AN exciting new partnership is delivering a training session for people interested in helping to improve the quality of one of Worcestershire’s longest water courses.

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust is partnering up with the Severn Rivers Trust to run a training session on invertebrate identification and sampling methodology.

Both organisations belong to the Riverfly Partnership, a network of nearly 100 organisations working together to protect the water quality of rivers.

Peter Case, water and wetlands officer for Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, said: “The invertebrate communities in our rivers and streams – that’s the pond skaters, dragonfly nymphs, water boatmen, great diving beetles etc – speak volumes about water quality.

“It’s absolutely vital that we have a better understanding of the species present within our watercourses.

The trust, as part of a wider project to implement European funding to improve water quality, is working with landowners and local communities to improve water quality along the Bow Brook, one of the longest stretches of water in the county.”

The session, taking place on Tuesday, April 30, will introduce participants to invertebrate identification and sampling methodology using field based demonstrations.

The project aims to better protect water courses by further understanding riverfly populations and actively conserving these vital communities.

Mr Case said: “In return for loaning the sampling kits to participants we ask they sample their chosen stretch of Bow Brook a minimum of six times a year and submit the results to us.

“The data collected from this research will be compiled by the Severn Rivers Trust and complement Environmental Agency monitoring data.

“It may sound a little daunting but the Riverfly Partnership has simplified the process by using a suite of indicator species, the species that are key to identifying water quality. This makes the course open to complete beginners as well as anyone who already has some experience in this area.”

Spaces are free but very limited and offered on a a first come, first served basis.

Anyone interested should contact Mr Case at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust on 01905 754919 or e-mail pete@worcestershirewildlife trust.org for more information or to book a place.