It was standing room only this week as 101 Bedfordians packed a lecture theatre to hear about the launch of the exciting environmental 'Don’t Lose the Ouse' campaign.

Coordinated by the Beds Great Ouse Valley Environmental Trust (GOVET), appears to be emerging as one of the most important events in Bedford Borough, given its objectives to:

• protect the Great Ouse from further harm by undertaking high-quality scientific research
• identify the causes of water pollution
• join forces with other sectors and organisations to mitigate the impacts on biodiversity and public health across the county

The event was hosted and chaired by Dr Diana Pritchard (institutional lead for climate and sustainability educational practices, representing the University’s Sustainability Forum and Sustainability Steering Group).

The meeting heard Dr John Strutt, chair of BedsGOVET, reveal the latest results of citizen science testing and the toxic state of the river which, in many sites, contains nitrates, phosphates and fecal bacteria levels exceeding up to x10 the regulatory safe limits.

Attending the event and supporting the campaign were 'Surfers Against Sewage', Parish Councils, river users, environmental and community organisations, businesses and farming representatives.

Ed Robinson, sustainability manager for the brewery, Wells & Co said: “We will continue to support BedsGOVET to secure a cleaner, healthier environment for all residents.”  Students from Bedford College also presented their ideas for free and adaptable curriculum resources to be used by schools for up to Key Stage 3 to create opportunities for children “to be part of the solution”.

George Willimott, course manager for Art and Design at Bedford College believes strongly in giving students real-world challenges to prepare them for the world of work.

The event, establishing the groundwork for future collaborations between the University and BedsGOVET, has already resulted in discussions regarding aquatic monitoring and research.

For more information or to get involved, please reach out to Dr Diana Pritchard at Diana.Pritchard@beds.ac.uk