Windermere Science Evening: Dips, Depths and Directions
Taylor Butler-Eldridge, Communications and Engagement Assistant, reports on the second Windermere Science Evening.
The second Windermere Science Evening on Wednesday, 20th March 2024, at the Old Laundry Theatre in Bowness was a huge success. Leading on from last November's packed-out science evening, this second event hosted guests in-house and online, with a combined audience of over 140. The five talks across the evening featured familiar and new faces, including:
(Host) Taylor Butler-Eldridge (University of Exeter)
Dr Louise Lavictoire (Freshwater Biological Association)
Dr Ellie Mackay and Dr Steve Thackeray (UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology)
Sammy Graves (South Cumbria Rivers Trust)
Dr Ben Surridge (Lancaster University)
Photo of the Windermere Science Evening panel speakers. From left - Dr Louise Lavictoire, Dr Ben Surridge, Dr Steve Thackeray, Dr Ellie Mackay, Sammy Graves, and Taylor Butler-Eldridge.
The evening featured ongoing research, monitoring, and practical initiatives to help understand and improve water quality and ecological health within the Windermere catchment. Each speaker had 15 minutes to share their research and insights. Together, they shared nuance and depth alongside vital reminders of the importance of conserving these fragile freshwater environments.
Thank you to the Old Laundry Theatre and the in-house team for hosting and to everyone who attended online and in-person and shared the event among their networks. For those who could not make it, the recordings from each talk are available via the links below. Due to audio difficulties, the audience and panel questions could not be captured.
Presentations
Photo of speaker and host, Taylor Butler-Eldridge.
Outdoor Swimming and Environmental Health at Windermere – by Taylor Butler-Eldridge (PhD Researcher, University of Exeter, Human Geography).
Following introductions, Taylor shared insights from his 12-month ethnographic research at the Rayrigg Meadow and Millerground designated public bathing sites between September 2022 – 2023, including swim-along interviews with 40 different swimmers and dippers. His talk shared the many motivations to swim, the tensions between local and infrequent users, and how conflicting public health messages, particularly around blue-green algae and sewage pollution, can create ambivalence, adaptation, and avoidance for current and potential users at Windermere.
Taylor shared that 5/40 participants recalled experiences of gustatory and skin-related symptoms during their swimming histories at Windermere following direct contact with an algal bloom or prolonged long-distance immersion. 35 participants confidently suggested being asymptomatic, yet his talk reminded audience members not to dismiss health concerns (human and non-human).
Taylor also launched his funded collaborative research zine with illustrator Bethan Thorsby, Swimming with Care at Windermere.
Photo of speaker, Dr Louise Lavictoire.
Windermere’s History and Current Pressures on Water Quality – by Dr Louise Lavictoire (Head of Science, Freshwater Biological Association).
Secondly, Louise further emphasised the vital importance of freshwater environments to more-than-human life, followed by context into Windermere’s historical and current pressures, including faecal material, nutrient inputs, land and water use, invasive non-native species, and climate change. Louise highlighted that nutrient concentrations are being reduced, but not far enough to counter the effects of climate change. Her talk indicated that concentrations of many emerging pollutants including plastics and pharmaceuticals may be rising at Windermere, yet there are gaps in this research.
Louise also offered insight into the Freshwater Biological Association’s research history and role alongside the species recovery, citizen science projects, and training courses available, with a brief overview of other monitoring, investments, and volunteering schemes undertaken within the catchment.
Photo of speakers, Dr Ellie Mackay and Dr Steve Thackeray.
Long-term Changes in the Ecology of Windermere – by Dr Ellie Mackay and Dr Steve Thackeray (Freshwater Ecologists, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology).
After sharing the importance of freshwater environments, Ellie and Steve shared a brief history of long-term monitoring on Windermere. Their talk included changes in monitoring techniques, from manual sampling, high-frequency automatic monitoring buoys, and eDNA through to citizen science - including The Big Windermere Survey and the Bloomin Algae app made by UKCEH.
Together, they showed evidence of the impacts of climate change, with a 1°C increase in average surface temperatures between the 1950s and 2010s, highlighting some potential effects this had on Windermere’s ecology. Their talk discussed the presence of phytoplankton, zooplankton and fluctuations in algal blooms, nutrient concentrations, and oxygen depletion in deep waters. Ellie and Steve also expressed how underwater seasons are shifting and Arctic charr populations are declining.
Photo of speaker, Sammy Graves.
Invasive Non-Native Species in the Windermere Catchment – by Sammy Graves (Invasive Non-Native Species Co-ordinator, South Cumbria Rivers Trust).
The penultimate talk was delivered by Sammy Graves, who shared the definitions, presence, causes, transportation, and pressures of invasive non-native species (INNS) in the Windermere catchment alongside Lancashire and Yorkshire.
Sammy began with insights into the American Signal Crayfish, New Zealand Pigmyweed, Himalayan Balsam, and American Skunk Cabbage. Sammy shared the practical ways South Cumbria Rivers Trust are tackling INNS under guidance from the Great Britain Invasive Non-Native Species Strategy 2023-2030. Sammy finally shared the importance of land and water users practising biosecurity, emphasising the CHECK, CLEAN, DRY campaign, and the INNS Mapper app.
Photo of speaker, Dr Ben Surridge.
Water Quality Insights from the Big Windermere Survey – by Dr Ben Surridge (Biogeochemist from Lancaster University).
And finally, Ben shared further insights from the Big Windermere Survey including the aims, history, and logistics of running this extensive citizen science project within the catchment – potentially the largest of its kind in the UK focused on water quality.
Ben disrupted overly negative assumptions on nutrients such as phosphorus yet indicated that phosphorus concentrations in Windermere remain higher than those needed to restore and protect the lake. There are localised opportunities to reduce phosphorus inputs to Windermere from multiple wastewater and on-land sources. The average concentrations of bacteria are similar across lakes in the catchment, yet maximum concentrations were reported much higher in Windermere. Data from the Big Windermere Survey continues to generate conversation and improvements with stakeholders in the catchment.
Our speakers are grateful for all the feedback received following the Science Evening. If you have any further feedback, please email us at info@fba.org.uk as this all helps with future event planning and funding.
There is clearly a thirst for more of these engagement events. There are also more volunteering, events, courses, and resources available here at the Freshwater Biological Association.
The event was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the South West Doctoral Training Partnership, and the University of Exeter (Human Geography).