Introducing The UK River Summit 2023
The public is invited to the first UK River Summit, hosted on the banks of the River Test on 13th June 2023. The event brings together some of the country’s most influential environmental speakers and experts to talk about the state of our rivers in the UK and the action needed.
Beginning at 9:30 am, a panel of speakers will discuss various topics across, water scarcity, agricultural and sewage pollution, the environmental impacts of industrial practices in the countryside, and much more, followed by a Q&A.
Summit speakers include Actor and Founder of Activist Anglers Jim Murray, Penny Gane Head of Practice at Fish Legal, Dylan Roberts Head of Fisheries at GWCT, Jamie Cook CEO of Angling Trust, and Nick Measham CEO of WildFish, with more to be announced.
Following the success of the first River Summit and Festival in September 2022, based in South of France and taking place on 14-16 September 2023, Organiser, Claire Zambuni's ambition was always to bring this concept back to the U.K.
Save the date and purchase a ticket via the button below:
What to Expect
Claire Zambuni, Founder of The UK River Summit said, “We have gathered river people from all different walks of life and professions, enabling conversations and finding solutions. Being at the heart of the water quality debate in everything we do, we saw this as a valuable opportunity to open up this critical discussion to a wider audience. With so much anger and outrage in the media surrounding our waterways, we hope this event will not only facilitate lively debate but also collaborative discussion among different stakeholders, all of whom have a passion for our waterways. We invite the public to learn first-hand the issues our rivers are facing and distill our anger to make a positive change.”
She continued, “The Orvis ‘Ginger Beer’ Beat in Kimbridge is a fitting venue to host a Summit about the state of our rivers in the U.K, highlighting Chalk streams as important habitats for wildlife, which support a massive range of species, making them rare havens that must be protected. We are grateful to Orvis UK for supporting the event by opening this venue to the public, giving everyone a chance to be part of the conversation.”
Guests will then be provided with a wild food riverside lunch by Nick Weston and his team at Hunter Gather Cook, with a bar by Lakedown Brewing Company, followed by an afternoon on the river test with workshops from event partners; Hunter Gather Cook, Swarovski Optics and Orvis UK.
Swarovski Optik is one of the events founding partners and will be in attendance at the event.
Peter Antoniou, Country Manager UK and Rep of Ireland, Swarovski-Optik said, “SWAROVSKI OPTIK is a family firm, with strong roots in Tyrol Austria, an area of exceptional beauty, and considers it its duty to care for the environment, protect nature, and preserve the wealth of different species. The appreciation of nature is therefore an essential part of its company philosophy. We are very proud to be part of the UK River Summit and look forward to meeting likeminded people who appreciate and care for our rivers and wildlife.”
The Venue
The Orvis ‘Ginger Beer’ Beat in Kimbridge is the perfect setting to host a Summit about the state of our rivers in the UK and we are incredibly grateful to Orvis UK for supporting the event by providing this.
The River Test is regarded as the most famous chalk stream in the United Kingdom. Physically it is the longest, being 39 miles from source to estuary and flows through some beautiful countryside from its source in the hamlet of Ashe to the sea at Southampton.
The river is said to be the home of modern fly-fishing and it is high quality game fisheries that have made the River Test justifiably famous. Its chalk water and abundance of weeds are ideal for salmon, trout and grayling.
Tickets Now Available for River Summit and Festival in France, September 2023
The event will also be returning to France on 16th September 2023. Join us for a celebration of rivers and wild food in L'Oasis, an ancient walled garden, lined with fig trees where three rivers meet, in Chalabre in the foothills of the French Pyrenees.
Tickets cost £100 and include:
Citizen Science (15th September) - A chance to participate in collecting water samples in the stunning local area
The River Summit & Festival (16th September) including;
- The River Summit Panel Discussion from 10am - 12pm
- A lunch provided by local chefs from 12pm - 1pm
- A full afternoon of local artisan and environmentalist workshops
- An three-course evening fire-cooked feast with Chef, Nicolas Kersting
- Local musicians with drinks and dancing until late (A bar provided by BDQ Beer Co.)
In the Meantime...
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