{"id":12,"date":"2024-08-07T15:55:45","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T15:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/castco.wpenginepowered.com\/?page_id=12"},"modified":"2026-01-28T21:11:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T21:11:27","slug":"12-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/castco.org\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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People<\/strong> at the heart of river recovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Rivers need better evidence to drive real change. CaSTCo (the Catchment Systems Thinking Cooperative) brings together more than 30 organisations to co-develop a shared framework<\/a>, principles<\/a>, and tools for collaborative monitoring<\/a><\/strong>, all backed by real-world testing<\/a> by catchment collaboratives. By aligning citizen science with professional expertise, CaSTCo is helping communities and decision-makers turn trusted data into healthier rivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Start your collaborative monitoring plan<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A Collaborative Monitoring Framework<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Collaborative monitoring is more than collecting samples: it\u2019s about turning local effort into evidence for change. Working in eight Demonstrator Catchments<\/a> as well as with national partners, CaSTCo has tested what works in practice and built the resources to support it: from the Methods Audit<\/a><\/strong> that helps compare approaches, to the Open Data Hub<\/a><\/strong> for sharing results, the Methods Library<\/a><\/strong>, and key concepts like Monitoring Tiers<\/a> and Weight of Evidence<\/a>. Together, these elements underpin the framework, making it possible for communities and professionals to generate trusted data that drives action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Explore our Knowledge Base<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Collaborative Monitoring Plan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STEP 1<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Make a plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We need monitoring plans that can effectively answer our questions. <\/strong>Before you start, consider what your group wants to know, how you will utilise your data to create change, and what resources you have available. The remaining steps below should be incorporated into your plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ve created a guide and downloadable template to help you navigate the questions that will inform your plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Explore and download the planning guide<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Collaborative Monitoring Plan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

STEP 2<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Define your purpose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Clear purpose keeps your monitoring focused. It helps you decide what questions to ask, what methods to use, and how to measure success. There are simple ways we categorise monitoring purpose. You can have more than one! Learn more about defining monitoring purposes<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n