Two National Award Shortlists
Two National Award Shortlists. One Mission: Better Rivers.
Healthy rivers don't happen by accident.
They happen because communities care enough to monitor them, volunteers give up their time, partners work together, and people refuse to accept polluted waterways as the norm.
That's why we're incredibly proud that two of our projects have been shortlisted for national awards this year.
Prosiect Torgoch
Prosiect Torgoch has been shortlisted for the Marsh Nature Award in the National Park Protector Awards 2026.
The project brings together conservation, science and community action to better understand and protect the freshwater habitats of Eryri National Park. From restoring rivers and wetlands to working alongside local communities, it's about making sure these special places remain healthy and resilient for generations to come.
Using science to drive change
Our Lab Dŵr: Mynydd i'r Môr | Source to Sea Observatory has also been shortlisted for Best Water Quality Monitoring Project at the Environmental Monitoring & Measurement Achievement Awards (EMMAs) 2026.
Good decisions depend on good data.
The Menai Strait Observatory brings together the Mynydd i'r Môr (Mountain to Sea) monitoring programme, following water as it travels from rivers to estuaries and the sea. Through our network of Lab Dŵr hubs, we monitor freshwater using chemical testing and Riverfly invertebrate surveys, while Chemcatchers® at estuary mouths help track emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals entering coastal waters.
Across the Menai Strait and surrounding estuaries, DGT monitoring is building long-term datasets on nutrient and contaminant movement, while community-led sediment surveys are helping us understand how carbon is stored in freshwater and marine environments. Alongside this, we're working with partners to recover and recycle discarded fishing nets and marine plastics, helping to protect wildlife and reduce pollution.
Together, these projects are creating one of the most connected environmental monitoring programmes in Wales, providing the evidence needed to protect our rivers, estuaries and seas as one linked ecosystem.
These shortlists recognise the incredible contribution of our volunteers, partners, researchers and local communities. Every water sample collected, every Riverfly survey completed and every piece of data gathered helps us build a clearer picture of the health of our environment.
We'll find out the winners later this year—but for us, the real achievement is seeing collaborative, community-led science making a difference from mountain to sea.
