Taking action for the Avon
The two of us behind At the Grassroots are keen walkers and are often out along the banks of the Avon. The evidence of our own eyes – and sometimes our noses – tells us that the river is a long way from being in good health. Recently, we’ve put up two posts bemoaning the state of the Avon – here they are:
We shouldn’t have to keep on doing this... 30.3.25
Anyway, we put our money where our mouths are, and turned out on Saturday 29.3 for the Keynsham part of The Great Avon River Pick. It was two hours hard and dirty graft but at the end, all of those who took part felt they’d achieved something. They also expressed their frustration at having to keep going back time after time to undertake these clean ups. What was also frustrating was the fact that we couldn’t get near any of the rubbish left festooning the riverside bushes after being washed down by the winter floods, because we don’t have access to boats that would enable us to do this.
Time to stop and think? 21.3.25
We're hoping that people seeing the utter state of the banks of the River Avon will pause to think about why, we as a society generate so much waste. We've got a feeling that quite a few people are asking themselves that question. Hopefully, this will prompt them to ask other questions about how we as a society can free ourselves from the toxic system we currently have to endure and build a saner, more equitable and sustainable word. That may sound like a leap but the visceral reaction of seeing the river banks trashed will be a prompt for some people to think more deeply about where we're going.
Having written and published these posts, and also, taken part in The Great Avon River Pick, we’re relieved and gratified to know that there are people in the region prepared to take action to restore the Avon to a state of grace. This is being co-ordinated by We Are Avon who have launched The Thriving Avon Charter. This is an initiative we’re more than happy to do our bit to support. The text of the charter shown below was originally posted here:
The Thriving Avon Charter
What is a River Charter?
It is a living vow — a collective promise to honour, protect, and be in right-relationship with the river as a being rather than a resource. A river charter reawakens our ancient responsibility as guardians, not consumers, of the waters that give us life.
The Thriving Avon Charter speaks this truth clearly:
“I am the River and the River is me.”
This sacred statement, drawn from Māori law recognizing the Whanganui River’s personhood, is a reminder that the river is not separate from us — it is kin. It flows through our lands and our lives, holding the memory of ancestors and the possibility of futures yet to be born.
Through this charter, we name the River Avon as a living entity with rights:
• To flow
• To be free from pollution
• To sustain life and biodiversity
• To be restored and reconnected
• To be fed and nourished sustainably
To respect the river is to recognise its right to thrive. To practice reciprocity is to ask, What can I give back?
We are each invited to become a guardian of the Avon — whether you’re a swimmer, farmer, artist, dog walker, or dreamer. This is a movement of many hands, hearts, and voices, working together to restore the soul of this land through care for its waters.
Will you sign the charter?
Not just in ink, but in action — by tending the river, protecting its rights, and living in kinship with the more-than-human world.
The Avon is alive. Let’s honour it as such.