Tweedbank: Tweed Forum announces new River Champion
John Clayton, an ecologist and citizen scientist from Tweedbank, was awarded the title in recognition of his work monitoring and conserving river flies in the River Tweed catchment.
Aquatic insects (invertebrates) are a vital food source for young salmon, trout and other fish in the Tweed. They also help break down waste such as leaves and twigs and indicate the health of a river.
After working as a river ecologist for many years, Mr Clayton continued to care for this environment in his retirement, monitoring six sites along the Tweed and recording data on invertebrate populations for the database. Riverfly Partnership Data Center.
Mr Clayton said: “I am truly delighted to receive this award, not just for myself, but also because I hope it will promote the importance of Project Riverfly and the monitoring programs in which I am involved.
“The River Tweed is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and SAC (Special Area of Conservation) and the invertebrates are an intrinsic part of the whole ecosystem.
“They are known as the river canary and are a sensitive indicator of water quality.
“I encourage anyone who loves the river to get involved to help monitor these important species.”
The Tweed Forum River Champion award celebrates its seventh year.
The award recognizes the work of a person from the Borders or North Northumberland who has worked to protect and improve the River Tweed watershed.
Tweed Forum Director Luke Comins said: “Aquatic insects are really crucial to the overall health of the river system. John’s work, and that of other citizen scientists who help monitor invertebrate populations, is therefore vital.
“In addition to showing where habitat may need improvement and water quality examined, his work also sparks interest in science and sustainability in the local community.
“He is passionate about the river and we think he is a very worthy winner of this year’s Tweed Forum River Champion Award.”
The Tweed Forum River Champion is chosen from public nominations and may include work in the Tweed catchment on wildlife conservation, flood prevention or land management.
Previous Tweed Forum River Champion winners include Frank Turnbull of Coldstream (2016), Jim Sinclair of Galashiels (2017), Eric Hastings of Drygrange (2018), Tom Rawson of Melrose (2019), Edward Cawthorn of Berwick Upon Tweed (2020) and John Tullie of Teviothead (2021).
