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Guardians of the Tweed

@tweedguardians.bsky.social
18 followers 53 following 43 posts

Hi, I'm Erica, the citizen science and volunteer coordinator for the Tweed Foundation, which is a charity engaged in biological research, monitoring and habitat enhancement of the River Tweed and Eye Water catchments.

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Reposted by Guardians of the Tweed
The Riverfly Partnership @riverflies.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
🍂 The autumn equinox is here. As the days become shorter and temperatures begin to drop, our rivers are changing too – for riverflies, this is also a time of seasonal transition.
Autumn is arriving. So do riverflies change with the seasons?Earlier in the summer, you might find some large larvae in your sample. Spring and summer peak times for many species to emerge as adults, so those larger are nearly ready to go. You might be lucky enough to spot one emerging from your sampling tray!As autumn arrives, riverfly numbers and diversity may naturally be lower at some sites. Many species have already emerged, while others are present as eggs or very small larvae. So your autumn sample may look quite different from one taken earlier in the year.Seasonal change is part of the picture when we interpret what we find in our rivers.
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Reposted by Guardians of the Tweed
ARK - Action for the River Kennet. @riverkennet.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
After the discovery of a second Demon shrimp on the Holy Brook, ARK are raising awareness of the importance of Check Clean Dry: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... @riverflies.bsky.social
bbc.co.uk
Invasive demon shrimp discovered in Wiltshire waterway
The "highly invasive" shrimp are larger than native species and can damage ecosystems.
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
📰 The September Tweed Foundation volunteer newsletter has gone out! Not subscribed? You can read and subscribe by following this link rivertweed.org.uk/newsletter/t... #CitizenScience #RiverHealth #RiverTweed #ScottishBorders #TweedFoundation #GuardiansOfTheTweed #Volunteering #VolunteerWork
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
🧪Volunteers have been busy over the past few days taking part in the Great UK WaterBlitz. Today I teamed up with Connecting Threats artists in residence to complete surveys on the Leader Water🌐You can see results as they come in on the Freshwater Watch website www.freshwaterwatch.org/pages/great-...
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Today I saw a blue-winged olive hatch. It was amazing to see it shed its skin while in the water and in no time hatch out and fly away 😀 No footage unfortunately #bluewingedolive #riverflies #mayflies
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
1 week to go until Great UK WaterBlitz & Big River Watch. For Big River Watch, download their app, spend 15 min by the river & answer a few questions #BigRiverWatch To get a Great UK WaterBlitz kit for next survey in April, register your interest with @earthwatcheurope.bsky.social #GreatUKWaterBlitz
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
📢A spot has opened up on the Tweed Foundation's next riverfly training course 📆 Tuesday 15 September 10am-5pm in Norham 🌐 You can find out more details on our website (rivertweed.org.uk/tweed-founda...) 📧 If you would like to join please send me an email echapman@tweedfoundation.org.uk
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
An alderly larvae recorded during the St Abbs Bioblitz on 15 August.
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Tweed Foundation August volunteer newsletter out now. Check it out! Summary of what we have been up to and current volunteer opportunities and training. rivertweed.org.uk/newsletter/t... #volunteering #riverhealth #rivermonitoring #riverfly #balsambash #inns
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Throw back Thursday: Back in November I joined Buglife and a couple of volunteers to conduct a MoRPh survey, which looks at the physical habitat in and around the river. We'll be going back to this site next week. There has since been tree planting so it will be interesting to see the change
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
A huge thank you to Peeblesshire Trout Fishing Association for their generous donation of £3,000 to TweedStart, along with a book of junior fishing permits for our ambassadors. Ben McCallum Education and Engagement Officer The Tweed Foundation
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Would you like to join the Tweed Foundation’s network of Guardians of the Tweed? Our next Riverfly Monitoring Initiative training session is 11 Aug in Drygrange. The course is free & you can register here www.eventbrite.com/e/drygrange-...
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Tweed Foundation and Berwick and District Angling Association had a productive second visit at Hutton Bridge to pull Himalayan balsam. Many thanks to those who came out to help. Our next and final session this year is on Tuesday evening at Bluestone Ford. We would love to have your help.
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Back from annual leave and went out this morning to check a few Himalayan balsam sites. We will leave the plants that have gone to seed but there are still a few younger plants we can pull this year. Join me at Hutton Bridge on Thursday. www.facebook.com/share/1D4pjo... #invasivespecies
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
We have been making great progress pulling Himalayan balsam along the Whiteadder. We are going to go back and check on 30 July 18:30 Allanton to see if we missed any small plants, which may have grown up by then. Join us for a lovely evening by the water. #inns #balsambash #HimalayanBalsam
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
St Boswell's burn has a history of pollution incidents and recently some remediation works have been completed. As we now have a riverfly monitor group that will be conducting monthly surveys, we will be able to see whether the health of the burn improves or if further incidents occur.
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
A couple of weeks ago I attended the Scottish Fisheries Coordination Centre's introduction to electrofishing course with Gallow Fisheries Trust. It was very interesting and I look forward to helping our biologists and getting our volunteers involved.
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Himalayan balsam pulling a few weeks ago at Allanton Bridge with Berwick and District Angling Association 💪 #invasivespecies #inns #balsambash #Allanton
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
East Berwickshire now has a great team of citizen scientists ready to monitor river health throughout the region. @riverflies.bsky.social If you would like to join a riverfly monitoring group in Eyemouth, Reston, or elsewhere in the Eye & Tweed catchments let me know
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Tweed Foundation's June volunteer newsletter is now out! Read it here: mailchi.mp/1f7cd932644d...
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Himalayan balsam pulling events start next week! HB is an invasive species that out-competes native plants & destabilises riverbanks. Gloves & tea/coffee are provided. To register go to our website for all the links rivertweed.org.uk/tweed-founda... #inns #HimalayanBalsam #BalsamBashing #BalsamBlitz
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
A satisfying pile of Himalayan balsam pulled this morning with the Berwickshire Marine Reserve at Coldingham Bay. This is one of many piles.
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Now is your chance to become a citizen scientist to help monitor your local river. Training & survey equipment provided. This Saturday the Tweed Foundation & Buglife are running a riverfly practical training session in #Eyemouth. For more info & to register to go rivertweed.org.uk/tweed-founda...
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
All ready for the Volunteer Fair at Berwick Library
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Volunteer spotlight: I have recently gone back to uni to do a biology degree & wanted to get some experience & the work with the Tweed Foundation seemed like the perfect opportunity. I have enjoyed the work I have got to do so far & am looking forward to the next projects. - Ellen
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
This 50cm trout was caught on the Tweed. After putting it through spot pattern recognition software, we learned that the same angler caught this fish 2 yrs ago, when it was 44cm. For more detail on spot pattern recognition contact Tweed Foundation biologist Cody at cmcfarlane@tweedfoundation.org.uk
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Volunteer story: Fishing has been a passion of mine for over 50 yrs. I care deeply about the health of our rivers in challenging times of climate change. Riverfly monitoring is an important indicator of the state of our rivers & excellent way to involve local community -Sheena #NationalVolunteerWeek
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
The Tweed Foundation organises Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) practical training sessions across the Tweed and Eye catchments. The BBC joined us for our last session in Peebles. You can read their report here: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Our next session is on Saturday 13 June in Eyemouth
bbc.co.uk
Peebles river detectives part of network tackling pollution
Hundreds of volunteers survey Scotland's watercourses and report any issues of concern quickly.
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Himalayan balsam in an invasive non-native species that out-competes native plants. Join the Tweed Foundation and Berwick and District Angling Association (BDAA) to reduce Himalayan balsam density along the Whiteadder Water #balsambashing #himalayanbalsam #inns www.eventbrite.com/e/himalayan-...
eventbrite.com
Himalayan balsam pulling party - Allanton
Himalayan balsam in an invasive non-native species that out-competes native plants. Join us to reduce its density along the Whiteadder Water
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Tweed Foundation biologist, Cody, & Scott Hamilton promoting Trout & Grayling Logbooks & spot pattern recognition. Both invaluable for helping understand trout & grayling stocks across the catchment. To submit online arcg.is/1u98bW2 Paper logbook or to send photos cmcfarlane@tweedfoundation.org.uk
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Another fantastic Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) practical training session with Buglife. A huge thank you to everyone who took part. I look forward to working with you to monitor your local river. #GuardiansOfTheTweed #riverflymonitoring #TweedFoundation #waterquality #riverhealth #riverflies
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Riverfly monitoring is a great way to get outside, learn more about your local river & its health, & meet likeminded people. Come & join us! All the details are on eventbrite www.eventbrite.com/e/eyemouth-r... #riverflies #GuardiansOfTheTweed #EyeWater #RiverHealth #invertebrates #citizenscience
eventbrite.com
Eyemouth Riverfly Monitoring Initiative (RMI) practical training session
Riverfly practical training session for people who have already completed their theory training and want to become a riverfly monitor
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
I went to check on the Himalayan balsam growth on Friday, as I finalise the Tweed Foundation’s Himalayan balsam pulling parties. It varies across sites, which helps decide where we'll start. Stay tuned for dates #inns #invasives #invasivespecies #balsambashing #HimalayanBalsam #Whiteadder
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Two weeks ago I ran a #riverfly practical session with Buglife. We had an enthusiastic group of volunteers, a lovely teacher, a beautiful day & lots of interesting #inverts. Our next course is in #Peebles on 23 May, then #Eyemouth on 13 June. To register go to rivertweed.org.uk/tweed-founda...
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
We're having at great day at the Haining in Selkirk as part of Bright Green Nature's nature festival. Come say hello and check out all the other amazing stalls. #Selkirk #bioblitz #naturerestauration
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
The Tweed Foundation's volunteer newsletter is now available. Our volunteers have been very busy, so why not check out all their great work, and see how you can get involved mailchi.mp/8ee256559682... #tweedfoundation #guardiansofthetweed #citizenscience #scottishborders #volunteering #riverhealth
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
What a fantastic morning yesterday walking along the Teviot as part of the Tweed Foundation and River Tweed Commission's bird count ☀️ To find out more about this work check out storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/... Our next count is on 8 October. Let me know if you want to help out
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Our volunteers have made it into the @bordertelegraph.bsky.social Our riverfly monitoring happens from April through October, so please get in touch if you would like to get involved. www.bordertelegraph.com/news/2606522...
bordertelegraph.com
Keen volunteers play key role in monitoring River Tweed health
KEEN volunteers have played a key role in monitoring the health of the River Tweed as part of a month-long initiative.
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
About six months later and it is time to download temperature data again. This time I was on the lower Tweed. And what a stunning day 🌞
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
#ThrowbackThursday to a lovely autumnal day on the River Till back in October while downloading temperature data. You can learn more about temperature monitoring done by the Tweed Foundation in our storymaps storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/... #Northumberland #RiverTill #ClimateChange
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Yesterday we went down to the Leader Water to do the Great UK Water Blitz @earthwatcheurope.bsky.social and the Big River Watch @theriverstrust.bsky.social. There's still time to take part in the Big River Watch so now is your chance to spend a bit of time by the river, any river
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Reposted by Guardians of the Tweed
Freshwater Biological Association @freshwaterbio.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Are you keen to improve your river restoration knowledge? We have a #RiverRestoration training course in Penrith 7 & 8 May 2026. The course will introduce a variety of naturalising and restored river and floodplain systems. Interested? Please find out more & register: www.fba.org.uk/shop/p/river...
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Today we did a few site visits on the Whiteadder for potential Himalayan balsam pulling events. Here's a picture of some young plants we found. If you would like to help reduce this invasive non-native species, let me know. #whiteadder #inns #balsambash #invasives #volunteer
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Guardians of the Tweed @tweedguardians.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Hello Bluesky world 👋 I'm Erica, the Tweed Foundation's citizen scientist and volunteer coordinator. I have created this account to share all the fun and amazing volunteering opportunities available with the Tweed Foundation. You can find our more on our website rivertweed.org.uk/tweed-founda...
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