Conference Poem

A conference summary poem by David Adams, RRC Board

'What are we doing to and for our rivers?'

Beavering about with

Fresh water tools

For bio-diversity

Floods of ideas

All mixed up

Water and land

With the natural and

National Trust

Re-wilding catchment

Problems

Problems, problems

Leading to opportunity

By letting

Go and fishing

In chalk streams

It’s the new

Messy. Forced baseline

Impressionist versus

Figurative. How do

We let go? Are we

Ready?

Different but not

Higher risks. Doing

Nothing is the higher

Risk. So

March through

The marshland

But

What is

Stage zero?

Nothing in the tank

To resource it

Bring in the

Beavers! A haven

For wildlife. Four streams

Instead of one

Bats, birds and

Fish. It moves the

Floods. But

Control seems

Necessary. Know what

You’ve got. Money, money

Money versus flood

Schemes

It’s down to the

Return on investment

It’s the narrative

Spell it out

At all levels

River banks or

Money banks

Look at

The old

Brook

First. Get

The balance

Right.

Net zero by

Twenty thirty

That’s only

Nine years!

Carbon offsetting

Commuting, computing

Cars and

Construction

It’s not just

Creating the right

Habitats

Capture more in

Flood plains. For

Salt marshes.

No pot of gold

Re-connect the

Systems. Allow

Natural processes

It’s cash again

Grants, charities

And private sector

Increasing

Unpredictable

Short-term funding

Outcomes not outputs!

Evidence, evidence

Evidence.

Challenges again

Adapt or die

Now!

Forty-four to ninety

Seven billion

Pounds gap

NEIRF natural

Environment

Re-identified fund

Old joke - is neirf

Eneirf. Pitch

To the dragons!

Den what?

Share the learning!

Layering the payments

To create compelling

Arguments.

Carbon codes

Soil, hedgerows, marshes

Sharing risk with

Performance. Water

Quality. It’s new, its

New!

Long live the

Acronyms. Twenty-twenty three

Company disclosure

Begins.

Conservation covenants

To secure

Change. Some arbitration

May be needed.

Check out Jacobs!

In the UK after

The US. Carbon

Offsetting???

The right things

Not the wrong

Things.  DEFRA on

Side? Segmented and siloed

Planting trees for

Tax benefits but

Integrated no!?

And does a simple

Farmer get the loot?

Just marketise with

The financial sector