So yet again another year draws to a close which allows us to reflect on all of the successes of 2025. So yet again I have asked all of my colleauges to send over their favourite moments of 2025!
Rebecca Ford – Project Assistant
My favourite moment of 2025 was the big citizen science training push in late spring and early summer. Once we enter late-spring, a lot of animals and plants become more active and visible, so that’s when we burst into action!
A lot of planning went into a programme of events held over the course of a few weeks (I even crocheted a dragonfly to use as a teaching aid). Over 30 volunteers got out in the field and were taught by experts in ecological identification. We coordinated sessions on surveying water vole field signs, wetland bird species, dragonfly species, butterfly species, and I ran my first ever training session on floodplain grassland plants after gaining my botany qualification. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the people who took part and I’m really looking forward to what 2026 will bring!
A big thank you to the trainers (Helen Norford from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Emma Hughes from the University of Sheffield, Alistair McLean from Sheffield Museums Trust, and Willy Lane from Butterfly Conservation) for lending their expertise and being so generous with their time, to the people at Potteric Carr, The Goldsmith Centre in Sprotbrough, and St Mary’s Church in Fishlake for hosting us, and to all the amazing volunteers who took part.
Sue Goodship – Administration Officer
One of my favourite moments of the year was when the All Hands on the Don project team hosted pond dipping session and bughunting sessions for the Hunafa Scouts group at Cusworth Hall grounds. There were about 30 kids and a fair number of their parents attended too. It was lovely to see the kids (and parents) getting really involved with the nets and magnifying glasses, hunting for (and then safely releasing) lots of bugs and flying insects and learning about the myriad tiny living things in the pond water. The weather was perfect too. We ended the sessions with a well-earned refreshment buffet for our guests.
Charlotte Landry-Jennings – Volunteering Officer
Although it feels like forever ago, one of my favourite moments of the year was building the steps down to the river at Wardsend Cemetery. The Friends of Wardsend Cemetery requested the steps, with the desire to make better and safer use of the access point to the River Don. It was quite a personal challenge as it wasn’t something I’d ever done before. However, with the help of my partner, colleagues and amazing volunteers, we were able to successfully construct a set of outdoor steps! Lots of heavy tool use and sweat have meant that we were subsequently able to train Riverfly volunteers at this location as well as run an electrofishing demonstration for lots of friends and families at the Bioblitz day in the summer. I am proud of all those involved (and myself!) for tackling some heavy labour and giving that lovely stretch of the river a new purpose.
Ben Curl – Project Assistant
A standout memory for me was watching angling coaches John and Steve catch their first pike of the season during our second-to-last angling session of the year. Throughout the year, all the angling coaches have been incredible mentors, teaching me so much, from fishing techniques and species identification to consistently supporting and encouraging the sessions at every step.
Watching Steve pull in a pike on a pole setup with light tops is, from what I’ve been told, almost unheard of, so watching the two of them jumping around and laughing like school children after they had caught the pike made for the perfect send-off to the sessions.
Debbie Coldwell – Natural Flood Managment Officer
A highlight this year for me was seeing our very first sustainable urban drainage (SuDS) planters installed at Holmebrook Valley Park. These units attach to downpipes much like a water butt, if the water butt had an upper layer full of plants! Rainwater is diverted from the roof which waters the plants and is then held in a storage tank below which is slowly released back into the drain, reducing the pressure on the drainage network during a storm.
The SuDS units are a bit different from our usual natural flood management (NFM) work, but a great way to compliment these features particularly in more built-up areas. Seeing them in action during a downpour, spotting pollinators making themselves at home, and hearing the positive feedback from park visitors has been very satisfying and we’d love to roll them out across more of the catchment. That said, it was a close call between this and the many goes on the giant slide at the Yorkshire Rivers Trust conference for my favourite moment of the year…
Rachel Walker – Chief Executive Officer
I find it incredibly hard to pick what my favourite moments are at DCRT, because there are so many of them, but a stand out moment for me was the team kayaking day we had. It’s rare that the team are all in the same place at the same time, so we try to organise a couple of outings a year. Honestly, I was a bit nervous when Matt suggested kayaking, because I had a bad experience as a kid in one. But I wasn’t going to miss out on the chance to be on the river at Kelham and see things from a different angle, so I faced the fear and did it anyway. And it was GREAT! I really enjoyed learning the techniques, it was great seeing the weir up close, and it was a great reminder (not that I need one) of the team spirit of DCRT.
Erika Phoenix – Catchment Partnership Officer
One of my highlights of the year was electro-fishing in the Doe Lea. We’ve recently started to work with partners in the Doe Lea catchment to develop an Environmental Framework for the catchment, with the aim to identify environmental challenges, opportunities and appropriate interventions for the catchment. The catchment has a long history of pollution, being affected by the development of coal mining in the nineteenth century, and in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the river had very high levels of dioxins! So I wasn’t sure what we would find on the day and if there was still a population of Brown Trout in the catchment that had been mentioned to me previously. We found a good mix of fish species during the survey, including Stone loach, Gudgeon, Bullhead, Dace, Perch …. and a large Brown Trout! I really enjoyed exploring parts of the catchment I hadn’t seen before and I was so happy we found a Trout!! We’ll be going back again next year to carry out some more surveys and hopefully find more Trout.
Sally Hyslop – Community Engagement Officer
After months of preparation came the day of our Bioblitz at Wardsend Cemetery – a family event where everyone works together to count all the creatures and critters we can find in just 24 hours. We had the loveliest time meeting families and sharing the wonderful nature in the cemetery with them. We were so impressed at all the little ones that came along to help us count and identify, who all knew so much about nature. Project partners and volunteers shared their time and expertise to help deliver a lovely family event, despite the huge rainstorm which literally rained on our parade (a river history walk), but did not dampen our spirits!!
Matt Duffy – Fisheries Officer
Of course I’m going to pick finding the salmon parr!! Discovering the first concrete evidence of salmon breeding in the Don for over 200 years was a genuinely special moment, not just for me, but for the trust. It felt like a real sign that all the hard work going into the catchment is paying off. It also seemed to capture the public’s imagination, getting people excited and talking about our rivers again, which was brilliant to see.
If I can sneak in a second highlight, my trip to speak at a conference Estonia was unforgettable. It was such a unique way to experience another country through work, meeting people who live there, seeing places I’d never have visited otherwise, and getting a feel for the culture in a much more genuine way. It was a real honour for DCRT to be invited to speak and showcase the work that’s already been done.
Anthony Cox – Volunteering Officer
It only feels like yesterday I had to write a favourite moment for last year but here we are again. This year I have finally started work on the Don Valley Way Extension. The first stile was installed by me, Ben and our work experience placement Oliver in November and over the next few months there will be opportunities for more to go in across Doncaster. It has taken a long time to get permission and having to reroute the entire extension, but we are finally at the stage where we can make improvements. The Don Valley Way extension will be completed by the End of March so keep an eye out for an extra 14.6 miles to walk!
I would also be remised if I did not mention our work at Hexthorpe Ings. We have been working on the site for 2 winters now and will continue the site in the new year. We have made huge difference clearing vegetation on the site to reduce water absorption on the site to create vital wetland habitat. The most impressive thing however is the very long willow spial fence on the site. We started building the fence in September and it looks amazing! You can come along and get involved as well by coming along to one of our Hexthorpe Days that can be seen in the events calendar or by clicking here.
I would also like to use this as an opportunity to embarrass Ben. This year Ben was awarded a prize for being the Doncaster Apprentice of the year for his work with us at the trust. We are all very proud of him for his work on the All Hands on the Don Project and he has since continued his employment at the trust as Project Assistant. To counteract the embarrassment of Ben I should also mention that during a bio blitz at Wardsend Cemetery I did fall in the river doing a electro-fishing demonstration in front of at least 50 people and was dripping wet all day. Click here to read about Bens time as an apprentice with us.
Finally, I organised and ran my first ever work experience placement at the trust. I have worked with work experience placements in the past however they had always previously been organised by another member of staff, so it was a good learning opportunity for me to organise one. I had known Oliver previously from my volunteering in the Scouts and I will regret saying this, but he was a pleasure to work with. He took on any task I asked him to do with great enthusiasm and received high praise from my colleagues at DCRT, and the wider Yorkshire Rivers Trusts as he attended our recent conference. You can read more about Olivers time with us by clicking here.
In conclusion we have had yet another incredible year at DCRT working to protect and restorer your rivers! We are really looking forward to another year of projects, community work and fun in 2026!
Collated by Anthony Cox
