Paul Powlesland
@paulpowlesland.bsky.social
Rights of nature & climate campaigner. Barrister & river guardian. Love trees & rivers; & working to defend, protect & restore them. Founder of @lawyersfornature.bsky.social & @riverroding.bsky.social
These steps are not easy, but nor is it rocket science. I already swim in the Roding in the summer, & with effort & will I believe many people could safely join me in enjoying this running river within a decade.
September 21, 2025 at 11:09 AM
These steps are not easy, but nor is it rocket science. I already swim in the Roding in the summer, & with effort & will I believe many people could safely join me in enjoying this running river within a decade.
Other key priorities:
- Tackle invasive species which are damaging the river’s ecology & stopping its ability to process urban pollution.
- Open up access along the river (particularly on land owned by public authorities) & create physical access to the river.
- Stop and/or filter road runoff
- Tackle invasive species which are damaging the river’s ecology & stopping its ability to process urban pollution.
- Open up access along the river (particularly on land owned by public authorities) & create physical access to the river.
- Stop and/or filter road runoff
September 21, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Other key priorities:
- Tackle invasive species which are damaging the river’s ecology & stopping its ability to process urban pollution.
- Open up access along the river (particularly on land owned by public authorities) & create physical access to the river.
- Stop and/or filter road runoff
- Tackle invasive species which are damaging the river’s ecology & stopping its ability to process urban pollution.
- Open up access along the river (particularly on land owned by public authorities) & create physical access to the river.
- Stop and/or filter road runoff
The Roding also illustrates what needs to be done, in practical terms, to make this dream a reality:
- Fix the illegal dry weather outfalls that the River Roding Trust has now largely identified.
- Remove the rubbish & debris from the bed of the river which had built up over the past 50 years.
- Fix the illegal dry weather outfalls that the River Roding Trust has now largely identified.
- Remove the rubbish & debris from the bed of the river which had built up over the past 50 years.
September 21, 2025 at 11:09 AM
The Roding also illustrates what needs to be done, in practical terms, to make this dream a reality:
- Fix the illegal dry weather outfalls that the River Roding Trust has now largely identified.
- Remove the rubbish & debris from the bed of the river which had built up over the past 50 years.
- Fix the illegal dry weather outfalls that the River Roding Trust has now largely identified.
- Remove the rubbish & debris from the bed of the river which had built up over the past 50 years.
Swimmable rivers in London within a decade are possible with hard work, sufficient investment & imagination.
I’m really glad that the submission I made on behalf of the River Roding made it into the report, because the Roding has the potential to be one of the most swimmable rivers in London.
I’m really glad that the submission I made on behalf of the River Roding made it into the report, because the Roding has the potential to be one of the most swimmable rivers in London.
September 21, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Swimmable rivers in London within a decade are possible with hard work, sufficient investment & imagination.
I’m really glad that the submission I made on behalf of the River Roding made it into the report, because the Roding has the potential to be one of the most swimmable rivers in London.
I’m really glad that the submission I made on behalf of the River Roding made it into the report, because the Roding has the potential to be one of the most swimmable rivers in London.
I was on my boat late last night & thought I heard a scrabbling noise coming from outside. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye & looked up to see a fox had come through my open boat hatch & was climbing into my bed!
June 11, 2025 at 2:44 PM
I was on my boat late last night & thought I heard a scrabbling noise coming from outside. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye & looked up to see a fox had come through my open boat hatch & was climbing into my bed!
I was getting changed in my bedroom today & felt like I was being watched. I spun round to see this cheeky heron eyeing me up. There’s a better class of peeping tom out on the river!
June 10, 2025 at 10:19 PM
I was getting changed in my bedroom today & felt like I was being watched. I spun round to see this cheeky heron eyeing me up. There’s a better class of peeping tom out on the river!
A joyful experience of a victory rally, rather than a protest march today, as I joined access campaigners gathered under the imposing outline of Haytor on Dartmoor to celebrate the Supreme Court judgement upholding the only right to wild camp in England.
May 26, 2025 at 2:33 PM
A joyful experience of a victory rally, rather than a protest march today, as I joined access campaigners gathered under the imposing outline of Haytor on Dartmoor to celebrate the Supreme Court judgement upholding the only right to wild camp in England.
Under your logic, this statistic means we should ban angling.
April 27, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Under your logic, this statistic means we should ban angling.
Clearly not enough, eh?
April 27, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Clearly not enough, eh?
So, with hundreds of others, I ignored the United Utilities security guard & had a cold but thrilling trespass swim in the sunshine among the rolling green hills of the Peak District, to demand the right to swim.
April 27, 2025 at 7:14 PM
So, with hundreds of others, I ignored the United Utilities security guard & had a cold but thrilling trespass swim in the sunshine among the rolling green hills of the Peak District, to demand the right to swim.
How can it be that United Utilities can prevent us from swimming in the rivers & lakes that we are legally allowed to swim in by pouring sewage in them, but then forbid us from swimming in ‘their’ reservoir (which was given to them at privatisation) instead?
April 27, 2025 at 7:14 PM
How can it be that United Utilities can prevent us from swimming in the rivers & lakes that we are legally allowed to swim in by pouring sewage in them, but then forbid us from swimming in ‘their’ reservoir (which was given to them at privatisation) instead?
Today I joined Right to Roam and 400 people today in a mass swim trespass at Kinder Reservoir in the Peak District. The event was in commemoration of the anniversary of the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass, but with a very modern & pressing issue of access.
April 27, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Today I joined Right to Roam and 400 people today in a mass swim trespass at Kinder Reservoir in the Peak District. The event was in commemoration of the anniversary of the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass, but with a very modern & pressing issue of access.
My experiments in building with Nature continue with a ‘living desk’ where I can work from home overlooking the river
Legs of the desk are made from live coppiced willow that should spring to life & grow into 4 live willow trees around the desk creating a completely unique piece of living furniture
Legs of the desk are made from live coppiced willow that should spring to life & grow into 4 live willow trees around the desk creating a completely unique piece of living furniture
April 11, 2025 at 11:58 AM
My experiments in building with Nature continue with a ‘living desk’ where I can work from home overlooking the river
Legs of the desk are made from live coppiced willow that should spring to life & grow into 4 live willow trees around the desk creating a completely unique piece of living furniture
Legs of the desk are made from live coppiced willow that should spring to life & grow into 4 live willow trees around the desk creating a completely unique piece of living furniture
Hard to describe feeling of satisfaction of being a river guardian seeing a sand martin nesting hole you campaigned to be installed being used for 1st time
This morning I witnessed a sand martin couple moving into their new build, affordable nest in the heart of Barking, & I couldn’t be more proud!
This morning I witnessed a sand martin couple moving into their new build, affordable nest in the heart of Barking, & I couldn’t be more proud!
April 3, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Hard to describe feeling of satisfaction of being a river guardian seeing a sand martin nesting hole you campaigned to be installed being used for 1st time
This morning I witnessed a sand martin couple moving into their new build, affordable nest in the heart of Barking, & I couldn’t be more proud!
This morning I witnessed a sand martin couple moving into their new build, affordable nest in the heart of Barking, & I couldn’t be more proud!
Environment Agency have been absolutely useless- not even attempting to prosecute for serious, damaging & repeated breaches of the law. If they cannot detect & remedy this kind of illegal outfall in a very urban area- & a volunteer is having to do their job for them- then what is their purpose?
March 31, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Environment Agency have been absolutely useless- not even attempting to prosecute for serious, damaging & repeated breaches of the law. If they cannot detect & remedy this kind of illegal outfall in a very urban area- & a volunteer is having to do their job for them- then what is their purpose?
During water quality testing last year, this outfall caused e-coli spikes of 19x safe limits in centre of ilford. Whilst it’s good it’s finally being fixed, it shouldn’t have taken 4 years & strenuous efforts of myself & other river guardians; without which it wouldn’t have been fixed.
March 31, 2025 at 8:33 AM
During water quality testing last year, this outfall caused e-coli spikes of 19x safe limits in centre of ilford. Whilst it’s good it’s finally being fixed, it shouldn’t have taken 4 years & strenuous efforts of myself & other river guardians; without which it wouldn’t have been fixed.
Fantastic news: 4 years after I discovered one of the most damaging illegal sewage outlets on River Roding, Thames Water have finally, *finally* broken ground on the engineering project to fix it
This outfall is completely illegal, (with no permit), spilling due to a fault in the local sewer system
This outfall is completely illegal, (with no permit), spilling due to a fault in the local sewer system
March 31, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Fantastic news: 4 years after I discovered one of the most damaging illegal sewage outlets on River Roding, Thames Water have finally, *finally* broken ground on the engineering project to fix it
This outfall is completely illegal, (with no permit), spilling due to a fault in the local sewer system
This outfall is completely illegal, (with no permit), spilling due to a fault in the local sewer system
The headline figure of water companies discharging 4 million litres of sewage a year is bad enough but the real picture is much worse. These figures are only for known, permitted outfalls & across the country there’s thousands of unpermitted outfalls pouring unknown amounts of sewage into our rivers
March 27, 2025 at 9:37 PM
The headline figure of water companies discharging 4 million litres of sewage a year is bad enough but the real picture is much worse. These figures are only for known, permitted outfalls & across the country there’s thousands of unpermitted outfalls pouring unknown amounts of sewage into our rivers
The future of the trees still hangs in the balance but their reprieve today thanks to the steadfast actions of local people is a big victory & gives Cornwall Council an opportunity to pause & meet with local people to find practical solutions to solve any issues whilst retaining these precious trees
March 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
The future of the trees still hangs in the balance but their reprieve today thanks to the steadfast actions of local people is a big victory & gives Cornwall Council an opportunity to pause & meet with local people to find practical solutions to solve any issues whilst retaining these precious trees
It is unfortunate that it took tensions on the streets of Falmouth reaching breaking point, with the police setting a deadline for local people to clear the street or be arrested & two brave young people scaling the trees to halt the felling, but the trees are safe for the time being.
March 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
It is unfortunate that it took tensions on the streets of Falmouth reaching breaking point, with the police setting a deadline for local people to clear the street or be arrested & two brave young people scaling the trees to halt the felling, but the trees are safe for the time being.
Success!
The Police realised that the tree protectors were not backing down & it wouldn’t be a good look to arrest children & pensioners for sitting peacefully under a tree, so they have called off the felling today, & indeed the rest of the week!
The Police realised that the tree protectors were not backing down & it wouldn’t be a good look to arrest children & pensioners for sitting peacefully under a tree, so they have called off the felling today, & indeed the rest of the week!
March 26, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Success!
The Police realised that the tree protectors were not backing down & it wouldn’t be a good look to arrest children & pensioners for sitting peacefully under a tree, so they have called off the felling today, & indeed the rest of the week!
The Police realised that the tree protectors were not backing down & it wouldn’t be a good look to arrest children & pensioners for sitting peacefully under a tree, so they have called off the felling today, & indeed the rest of the week!
The police have now threatened to arrest people for standing on the highway under the trees. Met with insistent chants from local people to “release the report” showing that the trees actually need to be felled
March 26, 2025 at 9:21 AM
The police have now threatened to arrest people for standing on the highway under the trees. Met with insistent chants from local people to “release the report” showing that the trees actually need to be felled
This is yet another masterclass in how public authorities shouldn’t behave: destroying irreplaceable natural heritage & valuable public assets whilst threatening to use violence & arrests against the local people they should be serving & refusing to provide any explanation or justification
March 26, 2025 at 9:18 AM
This is yet another masterclass in how public authorities shouldn’t behave: destroying irreplaceable natural heritage & valuable public assets whilst threatening to use violence & arrests against the local people they should be serving & refusing to provide any explanation or justification
Instead of releasing the report to local residents to explain why it’s lawful to fell the trees, the Council have shamefully fenced in local people, & called the police to threaten to arrest them, so there’s now a standoff.
March 26, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Instead of releasing the report to local residents to explain why it’s lawful to fell the trees, the Council have shamefully fenced in local people, & called the police to threaten to arrest them, so there’s now a standoff.
The council are insistent some stray roots mean they have no alternative but to fell the trees & are refusing to release any report showing it’s necessary to fell rather than just pruning the roots. The trees are in a conservation area, so unless an exception applies it would be an offence to fell
March 26, 2025 at 9:16 AM
The council are insistent some stray roots mean they have no alternative but to fell the trees & are refusing to release any report showing it’s necessary to fell rather than just pruning the roots. The trees are in a conservation area, so unless an exception applies it would be an offence to fell