Help us revive our rivers and work with nature to reduce the impact of flooding

Rewiggling rivers, along with restoring wetlands and floodplains is the best way to make our land more resilient to flooding. With your support we can do more of this work.

This winter we’ve seen severe flooding across the region and especially in the Trent Valley. Our nature reserves near Burton, which are designed to hold excessive amounts of water, have even been overwhelmed. Pathways and car parks have been damaged.

As our climate warms it’s inevitable that we will see even wetter winters, more rainfall for our land to hold. For decades we’ve made it our mission to return our rivers to their once meandering courses, with pools and backwaters reaching out into the surrounding landscape, and shallow banks allowing them to flood the land surrounding them, instead of communities downstream. 

Humans have historically channelled rivers and streams, making their banks steep and water flow fast. Floodplains and marshes were drained to force more usefulness out of land for industry and agriculture. But we now know we need the floodplains and marshes, they play a crucial part in restoring healthy river systems and will reduce flooding.

With your help we can:

1. Restore rivers and wetlands, creating more space for water and nature.
2. Work with more landowners and farmers to show how they can take simple measures which will make a big difference.
3. Campaign to clean up our rivers, educating local leaders to call for adequate laws that protect them from sewage and pollution.

Thank you

By helping us with this appeal you are supporting Staffordshire Wildlife Trust’s ongoing and crucial work protecting wild spaces and wildlife in your area. We really appreciate whatever you can give, every penny counts.

Donating now is the simplest way to help. If you wanted to go a step further, here are some other ideas of ways you can support local nature:

Become a Wild Fundraiser

Our wild fundraiser pack is packed full of tips and ideas to get you started in your fundraising. Be sure to let us know you’re collecting for this appeal by writing “Donations collected for SWT Kickstart Nature's Recovery Appeal” when you submit them.

Start fundraising

Make your garden, street or community wilder

Every action we take to make our communities wilder will add towards creating a wilder county and country - by 2030 we aim to have 30 per cent of land managed for nature. Check out these simple, free things you can do this year at home, school, or together on your street.

Take action for nature