Planet Patrol

𝗪e are running out of time
𝗔nd need your help
𝗧ogether we can make a difference
𝗘verybody can download the free Planet Patrol app and complete the short survey about their local waterway
𝗥emember every submission counts to help us build a bigger picture

𝗪ater quality is one of the UKs biggest environmental issues
𝗔nd with government not due to monitor our rivers until 2025
𝗧here are information gaps that urgently need filling
𝗖itizen science projects like Water Watch can help to do this
𝗛ead down to your local waterway anytime between Friday 13th and Sunday 15th October to take part

Hope to see you all out there folks! 🙌


Edited · 5 m

2023 WE DID IT 🙌🏼

641 kms x 28 days x 8 cities

A HUGE THANK YOU to the 100’s of people who got involved in this epic challenge, from pace setters to our paddlers and supporters cheering from the sidelines. We couldn’t have done this without you, this is a journey we won’t forget.

100s of water readings have been recorded in the app over the last 28 days. Our team is working hard to pull the key information together. Keep your eyes peeled for the findings coming soon.

#RACEFORRIVERS 2023 WE DID IT 🙌🏼 641 kms x 28 days x 8 cities A HUGE THANK YOU to the 100’s of people who got involved in this epic challenge, from pace setters to our paddlers and supporters cheering from the sidelines. We couldn’t have done this without you, this is a journey we won’t forget. 100s of water readings have been recorded in the app over the last 28 days. Our team is working hard to pull the key information together. Keep your eyes peeled for the #raceforrivers findings coming soon.

Water companies have announced plans that ask customers to pay for a £96bn investment and could increase bills on average £156 a year more by 2030.

The main water and sewerage companies want the regulator, Ofwat, to approve spending plans which they say will pay for 10 new reservoirs, cut leaks and stop the equivalent of 6,800 Olympic swimming pools-worth of sewage spills.

Customers shouldn’t have to pay for a desperately needed infrastructure investment. We aren’t responsible for the terrible state of England’s rivers and waterways. Perhaps the companies that have paid out billions in dividends, dumped millions of gallons of sewage in rivers and seas and failed to invest for decades should be held responsible and foot the bill.

The change of seasons can only mean one thing… Mark your calendars, set a reminder and get ready Water Watch is coming folks 🍁

We’re over 400km into and what a ride! If you want to get involved a few spots have just become available but they won’t hang about. Head to the link in our bio and sign up NOW by clicking on the map.

Available sections are listed below, any questions slide into our DMs or message us at [email protected]. Go go go

Monday 2nd Oct
7km
Starting 11:00📍Astley

Monday 2nd Oct
7km
Starting 13:30 📍Warrington

Saturday 7th Oct
13km
Starting 11:30📍 Hest bank

Sunday 8th Oct
8km
Starting 08:30 📍Burton-in-Kendal

Race for Rivers From Monday 11th September, paddleboarders across the UK will unite to take on a world first challenge: to complete a 641km relay across the length of England’s connected waterways, testing water quality along the way.

Day 11 of ✔️ and what a journey it’s been so far in rain, wind or shine! Our amazing paddle bearers, pace setters and supporters have covered over 240 kms of waterways 🙌🏻 The energy and passion helping to look after the rivers and canals they love is blowing us away. We salute you!

Don’t forget to follow along with our live tracker on the website and if you see us passing give us a big cheer. We got this 👊🏼

Join the movement and help us record 500,000 pieces of litter data this World Clean Up Day! If everyone removed and recorded just ONE piece from nature - think what we could achieve in a day.

Small changes add up! Let’s hold the big polluters to account and work together to tackle the global mismanaged waste crisis and help create a new, more sustainable world.

The UK's environment watchdog suspects the government and water regulators have broken the law over how they regulate sewage releases.

It follows continued high levels of sewage releases in England which topped 825 times a day last year.

Last week a BBC investigation found potentially hundreds of illegal dry sewage spills in England.

The EA currently allows sewage to be discharged on any day when it has rained and only investigates if there has been sewage released on a 'dry day'.

Sadly, this news isn’t surprising - we have known for a long time our rivers are at crisis point. The EA should be looking at any sewage discharges that happen outside of heavy rain not just on rain free days.

Help us gather vital data by signing up to be part of our national water quality testing programme. Click the link in our bio for more details.

WHAT.A.WEEKEND ☀️

Check out the highlights from our clean up crew in Windsor 🙌🏼

Want to get involved and join us ? Head over to the link in our bio for the full list of paddle boarding, kayaking and yoga clean ups happening all over the UK, Germany and USA!

Yesterday we were out with for another clean up.

It was hot hot hot ☀️ but we still managed to pick up lots of litter and record it in the Planet Patrol app and have fun on the water doing it! What a lovely bunch!

Thank you to both teams who worked really hard on such a hot day 🙏

Swipe to see more of Richmond today 👉

Want to find out more about our corporate clean ups? Head to our website or drop us a DM to connect

Take a walk on the WILD SIDE!

Don’t miss the next wildlife walk and litter pick with our partners . Get up close with nature, spotting wildlife whilst cleaning up and taking action for the planet! 🌍

The perfect way to entertain the kids and have some family fun during half-term.

Join us on Monday 23rd October, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm at Nene Wetlands Visitor Centre, Northamptonshire 📍

Spaces are limited, sign up via the link in our bio to reserve your spot! ✨

Have you heard... Race for Rivers is coming on Monday 11th September!

A world first mass participation paddle boarding challenge to monitor water quality in Englands rivers.

Visit the link in our bio for all the details and sign up now to bag your section.

Last week we had the privilege of taking Bartlett’s lovely team from out on a clean up.

Blue skies and the sun ☀️ was shining as we spent a few hours with some fab people paddle boarding, cleaning up and recording what we found in our app!

Thank you for your hard work and energy guys🙏🏼

Swipe to see sunny Hackney 👉🏼

Want to find out more about our corporate clean ups? Head to our website or slide into our DMs to connect

South Shields to host paddle board litter pick to clean up coastline South Shields to host paddle board litter pick to clean up coastline

BIG NEWS! 📣

We’re looking for passionate and dedicated volunteers to join our growing team of community guardians across the UK.

Visit the link in our bio to apply ⬆️

CLOSING DATE: FRIDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER

Suns out & Planet Patrollers are too 😎

Whether you fancy yoga, paddle boarding or kayaking, all whilst cleaning up the planet, we’re ready for you! ✨

We provide all equipment and teach the basics before you head out to pick up and record litter. No experience is needed and beginners are very welcome!

Upcoming events ⬇️

Paddleboarding clean up - 11th August 📍Chertsey, Surrey

Wildlife Walk clean up - 12th August 📍Wollaston, Northamptonshire

Paddleboarding clean up - 13th August 📍 Richmond

Paddleboarding clean up - 15th August 📍 Liverpool

Paddleboarding clean up - 16th August 📍 Bremen, Germany

Paddleboarding clean up - 16th August 📍Firhill Basin, Glasgow

Kayaking clean up - 17th August 📍 New Jersey, USA

Paddleboarding clean up - 18th August 📍Castleford, West Yorkshire

Paddleboarding clean up - 20th August 📍Richmond

Yoga clean up - 20th August 📍 Kingston Upon Thames

Sign up via the link in our bio to reserve your spot, spaces are limited!

Take a walk on the wild side!

We're excited to share that Planet Patrol has teamed up with The Wildlife Trust in Beds, Cambs and Northants to offer walking and wildlife spotting litter picks in Summer Leys on 12th August.

You can sign up here, spaces are limited.

Wildlife Walk Clean Up - Wollaston, Northamptonshire - Planet Patrol Join Planet Patrol and The Wildlife Trust BCN for a guided walk and litter pick around Summer Leys Nature reserve. One of The Wildlife Trust BCN’s most popular reserves, this wetland site provides a home for a range of species. Enjoy spotting wildlife and learning about the site and its inhabitant...

In 2022 our rivers and seas were subjected to the release of raw sewage for a staggering 1.75 million hours? That's a shocking average of 825 times per day.

Worse still, as this environmental catastrophe unfolds, water companies continue to pocket millions in bonuses and dividends, neglecting the urgent need for infrastructure improvements to our outdated sewage systems.

Our beloved paddle boarding, kayaking, swimming and surfing spots - the places that connect us to nature - are in danger, transforming into human health hazards and ecological disaster zones.

The government has opened a consultation calling for submissions from the general public on the critical issue of sewage overflows into the seas and estuaries. This is an opportunity to have your voice heard and help shape policies. Click the link in our story to view the consultation and speak out on this important issue.

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/water-industry/storm-overflows-discharge-reduction-plan-1/consultation/subpage.2023-06-07.5631880104/

News just in…..we’re very happy to announce we’re partnering with The Wildlife Trust for guided wildlife walks and litter picks.

Take all it in your stride spotting wildlife whilst taking action for the planet. 🌎

Join us at their popular, Summer Leys Nature Reserve in Wollaston, Northamptonshire 📍

Upcoming events:
27th July 10.00 am - 12.00 pm
12th August 10.00 am - 12.00 pm

Spaces are limited, sign up via the link in our bio to reserve your spot! ✨

Wildlife Walk Clean Up - Wollaston, Northamptonshire - Planet Patrol Join Planet Patrol and The Wildlife Trust BCN for a guided walk and litter pick around Summer Leys Nature reserve. One of The Wildlife Trust BCN’s most popular reserves, this wetland site provides a home for a range of species. Enjoy spotting wildlife and learning about the site and its inhabitant...

Fancy trying something different this summer? ☀️Join Planet Patrol for FREE paddle boarding, kayaking or yoga and clean up the planet at the same time!

We provide all the equipment, no experience is necessary and beginners are very welcome.

Here are a few of our upcoming events:

Yoga clean up📍Scarborough - 15th July

Paddleboarding clean up 📍 Firhill Basin, Glasgow - 19th July

Paddleboarding clean up 📍Menai Bridge, Wales - 20th July

Wildlife walk clean up 📍Wollaston, Northamptonshire - 27th July

Paddleboarding clean up 📍Hungerford - 30th July

Yoga clean up📍Kingston Upon Thames - 30th July

Spaces are limited, sign up now to reserve your spot ✨

Did you know we're running paddle boarding clean ups across Scotland this summer?

Here's a few of our upcoming sessions that still have spaces left.

https://planetpatrol.co/clean-ups/paddleboarding-clean-up-loch-faskally-scotland/

https://planetpatrol.co/clean-ups/paddleboarding-clean-up-firhill-basin-glasgow/

https://planetpatrol.co/clean-ups/paddleboarding-clean-up-firhill-basin-glasgow-160/

Paddleboarding Clean Up - Firhill Basin, Glasgow - Planet Patrol Join us for a paddle boarding clean up and take action for the planet. Whether you are a complete beginner or a total pro – everyone is welcome, and no experience is necessary. Our qualified instructors will show you the basics and provide everything you need, including a paddle board, litter pick...

🌎 It’s Let’s beat together!

✨ Sign up to one of Planet Patrol’s FREE clean up events across the UK, Germany and USA to enjoy paddle boarding, kayaking or yoga and help clean up the planet.
✨ Recording every piece of litter you find in Planet Patrol's free app helps build an important evidence base to hold big polluters to account.
✨ With your help, we’ve logged over 477,000 pieces of litter across 113 countries!

Join the global movement and take action today on

Check out what our clean up squad has been up to during May.

Couldn't make it to an event? No problem! We’ve got even more events running over the next couple of months across the UK, US and Germany!

Whether you fancy yoga, paddle boarding or kayaking, all whilst cleaning up the planet, we’re ready for you! ✨

We provide all equipment and teach the basics before you head out to pick up and record litter.

No experience is needed and beginners are very welcome!

Spaces are limited and going FAST, sign up now (link in bio) to reserve your spot!

Sign up to reserve your spot at Planet Patrol's paddle boarding litter pick along the River Tay this Thursday morning.

It's free to take part and no equipment or experience is needed.

Paddleboarding Clean Up - Beyond Adventure, Perthshire, Scotland - Planet Patrol Join us for a paddle boarding clean up and take action for the planet. Whether you are a complete beginner or a total pro – everyone is welcome, and no experience is necessary. Our qualified instructors will show you the basics and provide everything you need, including a paddle board, litter pick...

Sign up to join our FREE kayaking litter pick on New York's iconic Hudson River this week.

Kayaking Clean Up - New Jersey, USA - Planet Patrol Join us for a kayaking clean up and take action for the planet. Whether you are a complete beginner or a total pro – everyone is welcome, and no experience is necessary. Our qualified instructors will show you the basics and provide everything you need, including a kayak, litter pick and a bucket ...

Sign up now to join our free kayaking litter pick on the iconic Hudson River in New Jersey this week.

Kayaking Clean Up - New Jersey, USA - Planet Patrol Join us for a kayaking clean up and take action for the planet. Whether you are a complete beginner or a total pro – everyone is welcome, and no experience is necessary. Our qualified instructors will show you the basics and provide everything you need, including a kayak, litter pick and a bucket ...

Highlights from Planet Patrol’s paddle boarding clean up in Bremen, Germany 🇩🇪.

WHAT.A.TEAM! 🙌

Want to get involved and join us on ? Head over to the link in our bio for the full list of paddle boarding, kayaking and yoga clean ups happening all over the UK, Germany and USA!

The weather for this weekend is looking good so we'll be out in force!

You probably know that we run free paddle boarding litter picks, but we also run yoga litter picks too!

For anyone based in / around Scarborough, tomorrow we're running a free yoga and litter pick on the beach, and there's a few spaces left to book a spot.

For anyone else that wants to get involved, head to the website to find what's happening near you. We've got sessions all around the country as well as Germany and USA. Get involved!

Events Archive - Planet Patrol Paddleboarding Clean Up – Runnymede Pleasure Ground, Egham Available spot(s): 9 May 5, 2023 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Runnymede Pleasure Ground, Egham, TW20 0AD FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmail SIGN-UP

Have you ever been sick from poor water quality? Check out the latest article from featuring people from Planet Patrol’s community who took the time to share their own, very sad and personal experiences of how poor water quality has impacted them and their families.

These are just a couple of examples of the very real issues we are facing. And with not a single waterway in England is in good overall health there’s never been a more important moment for stronger protections to be put in place so people feel they can access the water safely.

We've been blown away by the show of support for Spring Water Watch so far. From the lovely messages pouring in, to the stories shared across socials, as hundreds of you headed to your waterways over the weekend.

With 5 days to go, there's still plenty of time to get involved and it couldn't be easier. Download Planet Patrol's app, visit your local river, canal, lake or stream and complete the survey! That's it. See you out there.

Double whammy. Planet Patrol's citizen science data makes national news.

Results from Autumn Water Watch, which took place at 658 waterway sites across Britain last October, carried out by more than 1,000 participants, found that 13 per cent had foam on the surface. These synthetic materials can be harmful to wildlife such as fish, insects and birds and could result in people becoming ill with infection if they were to swallow the water or get it in a cut.

Spring Water Watch is happening now until the 30th April, and is a nationwide survey that helps uncover these types of issues. To get involved, download Planet Patrol's app, visit your local waterway and complete the survey! Let's protect what we love together.

Spring Water Watch has hit the headlines this week !

Citizen science really does make a difference.

This is what Steve Ormerod, professor of ecology at Cardiff University – who is not involved in the survey – had to say: “Citizen science groups are doing increasingly valuable work to draw attention and interest to the state of the UK’s rivers – especially when well co-ordinated, supported by professional scientists and when complementing the work of statutory bodies – as in this case.

“The UK’s citizens really can be the observers who ring some of the first alarms of problems in rivers – and this is a prime example.”

You can get involved from tomorrow - just download the Planet Patrol app and head down to your local water to complete the survey. It's that simple!

In less than 24 hours, Spring Water Watch officially kicks off. Who's in?

It's easy. Between 21st and 30th April 2023 visit your local river, canal, lake or stream and spend just 15 minutes looking for signs of litter, pollution and wildlife, recording your findings in the Planet Patrol app. Spend time outdoors and take action for the planet it's a

Help us spread the word from now until Sunday 30th April.

Post a photo of you by your local waterway and tag us in so we can re-share and don't forget to add

See you out there 🙌🏻

The wait is over. Clean up dates are live across the UK, Europe and USA.

We’re kicking the season off with paddle boarding, kayaking, outdoor yoga and beach cleans. Who's in?!

Keep your eyes peeled as dates and locations are added all the time!

Head to the website to reserve a space and get out on

An important date for your diary! 👀

More details coming soon ✨

The government has announced its new Plan for Water alongside Ofwat and headlines suggest we can expect stronger regulations, tougher enforcement measures and a solid £1.6 billion investment to support it all.

But the devil is always in the details.

The £1.6 billion committed isn’t actually new money. It’s previously announced investment that’s now been “accelerated”.

£1.1 billion will go directly into tackling sewage pollution, with interventions at around 250 storm overflow sites. The aim is to cut sewage spills by around 10,000 annually, but if we go by the circa 300,000 releases in 2022, that will only address around 3%.

There’s also a proposed ban on plastic wet wipes. For the third time in three years. Meanwhile, retailers are miles ahead of legislation and already taking action.

We’ve also seen plans to develop proposals that restrict the use of ‘forever’ chemicals found in our rivers and seas. This couldn’t come soon enough. Just last week the US announced restrictions on PFAS in drinking water to 4 parts per trillion because the science has shown the devastating implications on human health. The UK is still allowing drinking water to be contaminated with PFAS at a staggering 100 parts per trillion. So more research, tighter restrictions and better education is both urgent and essential.

EA’s enforcement capacity is boosted by an extra £2.2 million a year. A figure that doesn’t come close to restoring the huge two-thirds cut the EA’s budget has faced since 2010.
But there is some good news.

The creation of a ‘Water Restoration Fund’ that will be funded by fines from water companies, making polluters pay for the devastation they cause.

What do you think of the measures proposed?

A new study has revealed, coastal waters contain 100 times more microplastic pollution than the level six years ago.

Samples were gathered by the three citizen science rowing teams taking part in the 2,000-mile GB Row Challenge to circumnavigate the country last summer and analysed by scientists at the University of Portsmouth.

The equipment used to collect the data enabled the rowers to capture much smaller particles to get a more accurate picture of where and how concentrated microplastics are. Dr Fay Couceiro, from the university said "Over time it will significantly improve our understanding of the challenging problem of microplastics in our water.”

Source: .independent

The UN's recent report which warns of a looming global water crisis and "imminent risk" of shortages due to overconsumption and climate change made headlines yesterday on World Water Day.

The publication of the report comes ahead of the first major UN water summit since 1977 which began on Wednesday. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said "water, "humanity's lifeblood", is being drained by "unsustainable water use, pollution and unchecked global warming".

It's a stark reminder of the current situation we're facing. The urgent need to come together and accelerate change couldn't be greater.

Our new season of clean up events will be launching soon, whose ready? 👀

2023 here we come, stay tuned for more details.