The Rivers Trust: Big River Watch

The Big River Watch is a simple first step into citizen science, inviting people to take 15 minutes by the riverside and record what they see.

Summary

The Big River Watch invites people to take 15 minutes by the riverside and record what they see.

Launched by The Rivers Trust in 2023 with input and support from the CaSTCo partnership, this easy to use free mobile app includes a simple survey which guides would be citizen scientists through a series of questions about wildlife, plants, and their perceptions of the river’s health.

By asking questions about their feelings towards the river, the campaign also encourages participants to notice and deepen their connection to nature. So far, nearly 14,000 people have taken part in The Big River Watch.  

The pictures in this case study have been submitted by Big River Watchers.

Woman next to the river, looking at her phone. On the screen is the landing page for The Great River Watch.

The context

When it comes to restoring our rivers, we need more information about how they are doing.

We also need more people to become interested and involved with monitoring stretches of rivers around the country and encourage greater uptake in monitoring river health. Spending time in nature and getting involved in something mindful and engaged, like citizen science, is also known to increase well-being, so we have also built in questions to prompt participants to build a deeper connection with the riverscapes they are surveying.

Who

  • The Rivers Trust & The Rivers Trust Movement
  • The nearly 14,000 (and counting) Big River Watchers

Social value

The Big River Watch is an easy and fun first step into citizen science, allowing anyone with a mobile phone to get involved. The campaign, which runs twice a year in Spring and Autumn, aims to:

  • raise awareness of the issues faced by our rivers, and how citizen science can help 
  • raise awareness of how citizen science can also help our wellbeing  
  • encourage nature connection and a sense of guardianship over local blue spaces 
  • encourage people to connect with their local trust, through which they could take further positive action for rivers, such as volunteering, river blitz campaigns, etc.

Methods

Big River Watch is a custom-built mobile app that is free to download.

The app guides you through a set of simple questions to gather observations on wildlife, plants, river morphology and pollution.

The survey also prompts participants to become more mindful of their senses and feelings toward the stretch of the river they are watching.

Flower shape highlighting Impact and Engagement.

Participants self select where and when they survey, and we see a wide variety of locations from urban rivers to wooded streams.

Front of a kayak aimed down the river.

All data collected during Big River Watch is displayed in the dashboard and accessible year round on The Rivers Trust website.

Screenshot of the data dashboard. Shows statistics, bar charts, pie chart, and a map with place markers.

As well as completing their survey, participants are encouraged to take pictures of what they see.

Picture of a river at a bend.

Pictures of wildlife are often sent in …

Swan on the river.

… and we also sadly see pictures of litter and pollution.

Foamy substance on the surface of the water.
Bird on a rock in the river.