Hey Everyone, very short notice, but please can I ask you to share this event💚
This free online event is not to be missed if you:
* Want to know more about your local wildlife and precious chalk streams
* Eat Salmon
* Go on riverside and countryside walks or swim outdoors
* Are a dog owner
* Are an angler/go fishing
* Are an educator, intuitively or professionally
* Are interested in a career or volunteering in wildlife conservation, nature recovery, land management
* If you own or rent property and/or land (especially if it’s by the river Itchen or Test)
* Want to get up to speed quickly with how the Itchen Salmon Delivery Plan aims to help!😀
Event Link (I do not take credit for any of the information below. This is from the event page):
https://lnkd.in/epYhSXit
Thursday, 26 September
The Plight of Hampshire's Chalk Stream Salmon
Part of the Watercress and Winterbournes collection
Atlantic salmon are an iconic chalk stream species, but we now risk losing them entirely. Learn about the work being done to save them.
By Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust
Date and time
Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:00 - 20:30 BST
Location
Online
About this event
Event lasts 1 hour 30 minutes
The Atlantic salmon is, without a doubt, one of our most iconic chalk stream animals. Beloved by anglers and renowned in folklore, this fish is a crucial part of our chalk stream ecosystems - in fact, the fish that frequent these special rivers have now been recognised as genetically distinct from the wider UK salmon population.
Unfortunately, we could soon be facing a future without this incredible species. In recent years, salmon numbers on the Rivers Test and Itchen have fallen so low that the population is now deemed unsustainable. As of December 2023, the chalk stream sub-population was classified as 'Vulnerable' by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
In this talk, Vicki Gravestock from the Environment Agency will explore what it would take to save Hampshire's chalk stream salmon. Join us to learn about:
* What makes our chalk stream salmon a unique population.
* The stages of the Atlantic salmon life cycle.
* Salmon population trends for the Rivers Test and Itchen.
* The causes of salmon population decline.
* How the Itchen Salmon Delivery Plan aims to help.
This event is part of Watercress and Winterbournes, a Landscape Partnership Scheme that is protecting, enhancing, and celebrating seven local chalk streams.
Image credit: Linda Pitkin/2020VISION
https://lnkd.in/epYhSXit
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2wI remember this... 20 years a go! Great initiative.