River Tone Risks Beyond Human Eyes: Launch Event
Sign up to this event to join over 25 other people from up and down River Tone and be part of a pioneering community research project to create the first ever digital risk map for River Tone showing the world not as we humans see it, but from the perspective of Red Deer, Kestrel, Earthworm, Otter and Atlantic Salmon. Over the coming 6 months, you'll work in small groups, together with your allocated species, and step into their world. In late spring, all the species will reconvene to plan a systemic response to the risks identified.
For the full project info, please see our Project FAQs document.
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In this first event, we'll introduce you to the project team, explain the project in detail, give you an idea of the type of output we'll be working towards. We'll also have time to get to know each other, through sharing River stories, memories and insights from your part of River Tone. It should be fun and informal.
In this event, we'll also allocate you your non-human animal you'll be collaborating with over the 6 months!
We'll also conduct our first evaluation survey so we can track how things like our "risk perception" and "animal empathy" might change over the course of the project.
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This project is open to anyone from the River Tone catchment - from Elworthy to Burrowbridge, Luxhay to West Bagborough. Come and join this bold attempt to reconnect River Tone with their people and animals, and make new friends along the way.
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This launch event is followed by 4 in-person events in Taunton. Here's the key dates:
17 February First half day gathering in-person, “animal collaboration and river stories", in Taunton with food.
16 March Second half day gathering in-person, “building animal worlds”, in Taunton with food.
27 April Third half day gathering in-person, “planning systemic responses”, in Taunton with food.
25 May Final half day gathering in-person, “collective action and reflections", in Taunton with food.
We very much encourage "buddying up" with a friend, neighbours or forming a small group to help cover attendance if you might struggle to make all the events.
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We'll also be hosting an optional event:
30 June Open hybrid public event “the story of River Tone Risks Beyond Human Eyes”.
Come join us in the summer and share your stories with the rest of the world!
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This project is kindly funded by the EPSRC's Ecological Citizen(s) Network and led by the University West of England and ASRA, in partnership with Friends of Longrun Medaow and Somerset Wildlife Trust