As my train pulled into Vauxhall station on Sunday morning, I could tell that many of the people on it were going to the same place that I was. Large groups of people were dressed head to toe in blue; nodding, smiling at each other, striking up conversations. Out on the street I joined throngs of people all filtering towards Albert Embankment, where the largest ever gathering of people coming together to march for our rivers, lakes and seas was assembling.  

There were banners, placards, props, hats and costumes, music being played, speeches being given, slogans being chanted. The Wildlife Trusts were among the hundred-plus organisations supporting the March for Clean Water, and I joined colleagues from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Essex Wildlife Trust, London Wildlife Trust, and South and West Wales Wildlife Trust to march through the streets of London on behalf of our waters.  

Other marchers included a raft of environmental charities and sporting organisations, campaigners, local community groups, wild swimmers and some perhaps less expected but very powerful voices, from the Women’s Institute to the GMB, a workers union representing hundreds of water sector employees angry about the environmental performance of their employers.  

We walked alongside and over the Thames; a river once declared ‘biologically dead’ and with life now returning. Although we have been successful in tackling the industrial pollutants of the past, today our rivers teem with harmful nutrients from farming and sewage. Our coastlines are smothered with algae thanks to the nutrients flowing from inland, and both our marine and freshwaters are polluted with a cocktail of new pollutants seeping out from landfill sites, discharged by industry, or escaping from our homes in our wastewater. These new pollutants include ‘Forever chemicals’, microplastics and pesticides. At times the deluge of pollution degrading our waters can seem overwhelming.  

However, moments like this one give us hope. At the march’s culmination in Parliament Square, people gathered in their thousands to listen to a rally of rousing and inspiring speakers , whilst sister marches large and small took place at locations across the UK.  

The rally in London opened with a recital of author Robert MacFarlane’s beautiful poem, Riversong, written especially for the March, as images of rippling water, dippers, and damselflies played on the large screen. Charles Watson, River Action’s founder spoke the names of the many waters of the nation that were represented in London - either by marchers, or literally, as attendees had been invited to bring with them the waters of their local river, stream, pond, brook or beach and contribute it to a glass vessel that was transported through the capital in a symbolic assembly of the country’s waters.

I’d collected waters from the River Itchen, the chalk stream in whose catchment I am resident, and who provides not only drinking water to Hampshire’s population and a home to myriad species, but immense beauty for the communities who live along her. My chalk stream was joined by many others, globally rare and unique ecosystems; the Test, Meon, Kennet, Lambourne, Pang, Purwell, Piddle, Chess, Misbourne, Ver, Wensum, Wissey, Lark, Linnett… They too were joined in the vessel by the streams of the west country, the beaches of the south coast, the fens of East Anglia, the Lakes of Cumbria, the Lochs of Scotland, the mighty rivers of the Welsh borders, the tributaries of the Thames, and many, many more.   

We heard from speakers ranging from Olympic rowers to founders of community campaigns, from unions to youth ambassadors. We heard of course about what needs to change in the water sector, but it’s clear that sewage is not the sole problem our waters face.  

Martin Lines, chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network spoke about the role that farmers also have in cleaning up our waters. But – as in the water industry - much of the profit in the farming sector is syphoned off, leaving farmers with little to invest in environmental improvements. He called for support for those farmers trying to do the right thing, to help them to deliver improvements, and for supply chain actors like Supermarkets to be held to account for their role in driving the intensive practices that lead to water pollution. 

The Wildlife Trusts’ president Liz Bonnin focused on connection – from the connected nature of natural ecosystems that we have placed in jeopardy, to the connections that we form by coming together for nature. She encouraged us to share positive stories of success, so that we can continue to learn how to deliver the solutions our rivers need – and also to share the passion of everyone coming together on days like this, so that we don’t let the scale of the challenge overwhelm us. Liz brimmed with pride when introducing a series of young speakers, all of whom work with Wildlife Trusts as young trustees, volunteers, and nature advocates. 

Ramandeep Nijjar called for people to build on the momentum of the March, saying “One single story told the right way can create waves of change”, Benjamin Fallow shared a painting showing how our rivers could be if not polluted – but currently, every single one is. Aneeshwar Kunchala told the ‘grown ups’ in the building across Parliament square that they need to listen to the voices of those gathered at the March. Callum called for natural solutions to capture rainwater and prevent sewer spills, with sewage pollution being one of the issues that had prompted many marchers to descend on the capital.  

The march demonstrated the public support and strong feeling on the issue of healthy waters, so those in power must now turn that demand into action. We want to see ambitious support to farmers to deliver water-friendly measures on farm, securing reduced runoff and healthy soils. Water quality isn’t the only issue, so we also need to help farmers better face into the challenges that too much and too little water – flood and drought – will bring under a changing climate. And we must move to restore and recreate wetlands, which capture pollutants and buffer extremes of flows, whilst of course providing fabulous wildlife habitat. Here, beavers can help to bring back life to our rivers, creating diverse water systems that allow many other species to thrive.  

The UK Government, newly in role, appears to be in listening mode. It has announced a Water Commission that will look at how we can more effectively plan and deliver water management across sectors of the economy - but it will focus heavily on the water industry. We’ll be advocating for it to look more holistically at the challenges of achieving clean water, as well as more plentiful water and great wildlife habitat – because as we heard from Liz Bonnin, all these things are connected.