Winners of the 2018 Wild Trout Trust Conservation Awards

Glenn Smithson receives the award for the Lark team

Around 100 people gathered in the ballroom of the Savile Club in London to celebrate the tremendous contributions of individuals and groups to improving river habitat. It is always an uplifting experience to see the dedication, determination and expertise that is demonstrated in the projects competing for the annual Wild Trout Trust Conservation Awards. 

The awards are judged by Dr Paul Gaskell and Shaun Leonard of the Wild Trout Trust and Martin Jaynes of the River Restoration Centre.

Paul Gaskell said:
‘It was a privilege to be introduced to these works – and thank you for the inspiration that the efforts and results create in our community of river-protectors and helpers.’

The winners of this year’s awards are:
WINNER, Contribution to Wild Trout Conservation Award:
The River Lark Catchment Partnership for the Bell Meadow Project, Suffolk.

Suffolk is not known for its wild trout population, but they are present in the Lark. The River Lark Catchment Partnership have done a superb job at both a catchment and a reach scale to ensure that the trout and the food webs that support them thrive in the River Lark.

The RRC said: “Glenn is an advocate, and knowledgeable practitioner of river restoration in his spare time. He is a member of the historical Lark Angling Preservation Society and has carried out restoration on the Lark. He also works with the Wild Trout Trust nationwide. Glenn is a key partner in the River Lark Catchment Partnership where he works with multiple organisations to deliver restoration, including the Dig&Dump project, and enhancing chalk streams using a range of techniques. As well as this, he has attended lots of events to engage with the public to teach, influence and engage people in river restoration. Glenn helps out with organising people, materials and evidence in order to deliver projects, and helps with applications for Flood Risk Activity Permits.”