Letting Rivers Reclaim the Landscape: Landscape Ecology UK Early Career Workshop 2025
Martha Cosgrove - MSc Environmental Anthropology, UCL - reports from this year’s early career workshop that took place on 7th and 8th of April
Earlier this month, students, researchers and practitioners gathered in Oxfordshire for the 2025 Landscape Ecology UK Early Career Workshop, themed around The Restoration of Freshwater Habitats. Across two days of talks, field trips, food, and lively discussion, we explored the challenges of restoring river landscapes.
From systematic reviews and seminar discussions to the muddy boots of floodplain meadows and makeshift dams, we left not only inspired, but also with a better understanding of the many conflicting interests shaping river restoration today.
Day One: Talks, Systematic Reviews, the Ludgershall Habitat Bank and BNG
The first day introduced us to the practicalities and politics of river restoration through a Catchment-Based Approach. Beginning with talks from Dr Claire Robertson (Thames21) and Eoghan Concannon (Evenlode Catchment Partnership) on catchment-scale restoration, citizen science, road run-off, sewage accountability, MoRPh surveys, stakeholder management, and the importance of regular tea drinking with local farmers. It was during one of these discussions that Claire posed a question that stayed with me: “Does everyone here know their local river?” I had once been intimately familiar with my local rivers, but now, after recently moving to London, I realised that connection was slipping away.
We then started a systematic literature review of river and landscape restoration work, adding to the work currently being undertaken by members of the Landscape Ecology UK Early Career Working Group: An evidence synthesis of monitoring landscape restoration outcomes in the UK. We each critically examined two to three review articles, assessing each one’s methodology, and findings, to assess the literature base on monitoring the outcomes of freshwater restoration.
In the afternoon, we made our way to BBOWT’s (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust) Ludgershall Habitat Bank, where we were greeted by Head of Ecology Debbie Lewis. She led us through their ongoing work to restore the flood meadows and pastures, landscapes now becoming increasingly rare yet critical for species like the Curlew and Meadow Brown butterfly. Given the unusually dry start to April, it was no surprise to find the meadows not flooded. But the dry ground gave us the chance to see the large scrapes excavated to re-establish floodplain processes, and we were guided through the rich mosaic of rare hay meadows - quietly observed, from a distance, by a few visiting roe deer.
We also learnt that the Ludgershall Habitat Bank is now supplying biodiversity units to local developers seeking to meet the minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirement for new developments.
One important conversation, led by Debbie as we sat and unwound in the meadow, centred on how the Wildlife Trusts are creating and managing habitats like these through BNG offset schemes. A particularly pressing concern she raised was the role of ‘responsible bodies’ - organisations, or even individuals, appointed to oversee the delivery of BNG over its standard 30-year term. Currently, these bodies face little regulation, with broad eligibility and minimal oversight. This opens up significant questions around accountability, enforcement, and long-term ecological integrity - especially when nature recovery, by definition, is a process that does not conform to fixed timeframes.
Day 1: We visited the Ludgershall Habitat Bank in the Upper Ray Meadows system, where Debbie Lewis, BBOWT, explained the benefits and pitfalls of the UK Government’s new “Biodiveristy Net Gain” scheme, which is mobilising private funding to support the restoration of habitats such as this flood plain meadow.
In practice, BNG is not just an ecological endeavour; it is economic, legal, political, and deeply relational. It unfolds across fragmented landscapes, competing land uses, and often uneven power structures. Our visit laid bare the tenacity of conservation charities and the unequal burden they take in navigating this terrain: from brokering long-term land management agreements with private landowners to striving for genuine ecological outcomes in a system where, after 30 years, biodiversity is no longer a legal obligation unless the land is secured in perpetuity.
Day Two: The River Dorn and Stage Zero Restoration at Blenheim
On the second day, we travelled to the Blenheim Palace Estate to visit the River Dorn, the site of an ambitious Stage Zero river restoration project as well as a newly established woodland site. The group included students, researchers, and professionals from across the sector, including representatives from Nuffield, Earthwatch, Forest Research, the Evenlode Catchment Partnership, and Stump Up For Trees. The range of experience in the group made for engaging conversations throughout the day.
We were met by Dr David Gasca, Head of Natural Capital at Blenheim, alongside Dr Eleanore Miles, a geomorphologist at Atkins Realis, a consultancy who informed the design of the project. As we walked along the river, they introduced us to Stage Zero - a restoration model that seeks to revive a river’s natural floodplain processes by removing barriers and letting the system reshape itself over time.
Day 2: Eleanore Miles, Atkins Realis consultancy, described how Atkins supported the design of the natural flood management scheme implemented at the Blenheim Estate, whilst eager workshop participants looked over the River Dorn catchment from the hill top.
Both Dr David and Dr Miles explained that even though Stage Zero favours a lighter touch, it still demands significant coordination. Rivers are naturally connected systems - they flow across boundaries, link fields and properties, and affect everything downstream. Restoring a floodplain, then, isn’t something that can be done in isolation. It requires collaboration with multiple landowners, tenants, and farmers whose land the river interacts with. At Blenheim, one of the compromises made to support this collaboration was to limit flooding to the winter months, allowing restoration work to move forward while still respecting farming needs.
As we explored the site, we saw some of the early interventions: woody debris dams, felled trees, and newly dug scrapes. One collapsed dam stood out in particular. It had been designed to mimic the effect of beaver activity, but a recent high-flow event had washed it out. Dr Gasca pointed to it as a lesson in the importance of quality construction, regular maintenance, and the need to stay flexible when working with dynamic systems.
Interestingly, Dr Gasca noted an unexpected benefit from the restoration. In recent dry summers, when much of the surrounding landscape had browned, the restored field was the only one that remained green and lush - a testament to the hydrological resilience of reconnected floodplains.
The hydrologist expanded on this, explaining that every action must be rooted in a deep understanding of how water, soil, and vegetation interact. Yet, as we saw, outcomes are often unpredictable - especially in the absence of our most skilled engineer, the beaver. Without these natural architects, who typically create intricate wood structures and shape floodplain dynamics, restoration efforts become more about learning and adapting than following a fixed plan.
As we walked along the river, we spotted stretches of Ranunculus flourishing in the water. These resilient plants were a symbol of hope for Dr Gasca, a reminder of the river’s ability to recover itself with only a gentle nudge from the Blenheim team.
Walking away from the river, we were shown a newly established woodland site at the end of the tour that was funded by the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), a Forestry Commision initiative to support woodland creation. Previously a steeply banked arable field, the site posed significant risks to water quality and flood management. Now, as it begins its transformation into woodland, it serves multiple purposes: biodiversity enhancement, erosion control, climate mitigation - and, importantly for Dr Gasca, local wellbeing. The area has become a favourite among locals, especially dog walkers, who appreciate the large, safely enclosed green space.
Day 2: Blenheim Estate took us to see their recent tree planting, where a diverse mixture of tree species is expected to deliver ecosystem benefits to the river at the bottom of the valley
We wrapped up the day with a shared lunch and final discussions before heading home.
Both days reinforced that landscape restoration is never just about nature; it’s about people, land use, livelihoods, economics, politics, and the delicate negotiations that shape the restoration process.
A big thank you to Caitlin Lewis and the Landscape Ecology UK team for curating such a thoughtful and inspiring two days.
Martha Cosgrove - MSc Environmental Anthropology, UCL