History to the Riverfly Partnership
The Riverfly Partnership was established in November 2004, following the momentum of the Riverfly Interest Group and related initiatives.
1976
- Trichoptera Recording Scheme established by Ian Wallace in collaboration with the Biological Records Centre (BRC)
1980’s
- Cyril Bennett pioneered angler flylife monitoring on the River Wey in Hampshire
- Entomological courses for anglers run by Steve Brooks and Peter Barnard at the Natural History Museum London
1990’s
- John Spedan Lewis Trust for the Advancement of the Natural Sciences (JSLTANS) run riverfly identification courses at the John Spedan Lewis Trust field centre in Hampshire initiated and delivered by Warren Gilchrist and tutors Cyril Bennett and colleagues.
- Serious pollution incidents highlighted on the River Wey by the Frensham Fly Fishers, as a result of invertebrate monitoring work by Cyril Bennett.
- Ephemeroptera Recording Scheme established by Craig Macadam in collaboration with BR
- The Natural History Museum/English Nature (NHM/EN) Partnership established to promote the recording and surveying of invertebrates
- Frake A and Hayes P, 2001. Report on the millenium chalk streams fly trend study. Environment Agency and Wiltshire Fishery Association, Environment Agency, Exeter, 21pp documentedhe perceived decline in riverflies on the Southern chalk streams
- Steve Brooks and Bridget Peacock lead the NHM/NE Partnership for invertebrates identifying riverflies as a target area
- Riverfly identification and monitoring workshops held as part of a collaboration between the NHM/NE Partnership, JSLTANS and the Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera Recording Schemes at the John Spedan Lewis Trust field centre at Leckford in Hampshire. Tutors include: Warren Gilchrist, Cyril Bennett, Peter Barnard, Steve Brooks, Craig Macadam, Ian Wallace and others
- NHM/NE riverfly work is a subject of Amateurs as experts an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project run by the Institute for Environment, Philosophy and Public Policy at Lancaster University
- Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust (first registered in 2000), became operational - as the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates
2003
- Riverfly Workshops, coordinated by the NHM/NE Partnership run elsewhere in the country training participants in riverfly monitoring and identification
- Plecoptera Recording Scheme established by David Pryce in collaboration with NHM/NE and BRC
- Riverfly Interest Group established by Buglife and NHM/EN Partnership, chaired by Matt Shardlow, Conservation Director of Buglife with key partners Environment Agency (EA) and Salmon and Trout Association (S&TA) amongst others.
2004
- Riverfly Workshops, coordinated by the NHM/NE Partnership, are run elsewhere in the country training participants in riverfly monitoring and identification
- Riverfly Interest Group holds first national riverfly conference Riverflies a beacon of environmental quality at the Natural History Museum 25 November launching the Riverfly Recording Schemes (known at the time as CAMSTARS) and establishing the Riverfly Partnership.
- The Riverfly Partnership establishes a Steering Committee of representatives from key partner organisations, with additional focus groups e.g. for freshwater monitoring, publications, conferences.
- The Freshwater Biological Association host the Riverfly Partnership website www.riverflies.org
2005
- Riverfly Workshops run elsewhere in the country training participants in riverfly identification and monitoring, coined the Anglers Monitoring initiative (AMI), with EA collaboration
- Official pilot Year 1, AMI with EA collaboration with Frensham Fly Fishers, Ryedale Anglers, Taunton Fly Fishers, Eden Rivers Trust and Rhymney Federation of Anglers amongst others
2006
- Wallace I. 2006, Simple key to caddis larvae. Field Studies Council (FSC) AIDGAP series, developed as part of the Riverfly Partnership initiative, published
- Official pilot Year 2, AMI with EA collaboration
- Riverfly Partnership Mayflies Calendar 2007 by Bennett C, Macadam C published by the Riverfly Partnership with sponsorship from Orvis, EA and S&TA
2007
- Riverfly Partnership delivered 2nd national Riverfly conference How good is your riverω March 25 at the Natural History Museum London, nationally launching the Riverfly Partnership Freshwater Monitoring Programme, coined the Anglers Monitoring Initiative (AMI)
- River invertebrate monitoring for anglers by the Riverfly Partnership published within the FSC AIDGAP series.
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) endorsed AMI
- Pryce D, Macadam C, Brooks S. 2007, Guide to the British Stonefly (Plecoptera) families: adults and larvae. Published by FSC AIDGAP series as part of the Riverfly Partnership initiative
- AMI expands with workshops run across England and Wales
- Several serious pollution events highlighted by the AMI activity of the Rhymney Flylife Monitoring Group, two of which led to successful EA prosecutions of the companies responsible
- Riverfly Partnership logo and branding designed by Cellcreative.
- As a result of work by the Riverfly Recording Schemes and Buglife, eight species of riverfy qualify for conservation status on the new Biodiversity Action Plan Species list ensuring government commitment to support conservation measures for these species. The species include:
Ephemeroptera: Nigrobaetis niger Iron blue, Potamanthus luteus Yellow mayfly
Plecoptera: Brachyptera putata Northern February Red, Isogenus nubecula Rare medium stonefly
Trichoptera: Glossosoma intermedium Small Grey Sedge, Hagenella clathrata Window Winged Sedge, Hydropsyche bulgaromanorum Grey Flag, Ironoquia dubia Scarce Brown Sedge
2008
- With funding secured from EA, S&TA and private sponsors amongst others, RP relocates from NHM to The Salmon and Trout Association offices at Fishmongers Hall, London. Bridget Peacock is appointed Director. S&TA, EA and NHM manage the Partnership, reporting to and guided by the Steering Committee. Cyril Bennett and Dai Roberts coordinate the Freshwater Monitoring Programme in England and Wales respectively
- Barnard P. & Ross E. 2008 A guide to the adult caddisflies or sedge flies (Trichoptera) FSC AIDGAP series, developed as part of the Riverfly Partnership initiative
- Macadam C. & Bennett C. in prep A pictorial guide to the British Ephemeroptera for publication in 2009
- The Riverfly Partnership become an official partner to the Royal Entomological Society National Insect Week 23-29 June
- AMI is established in all EA Areas and 18 of the 22 EA regions
