I had a great afternoon on Saturday, on a guided tour of the Kennet Meadows. Richard – from our ReadingCAN Water theme – took me round. It went from being a nice thing to do of a warm October afternoon, to me really feeling the passion for the place.

I guess I’m like most people in the town. I was aware that there were flood meadows next to the A33 but I’d not really thought about how far they extend or what’s on them. They are so much worth a visit though. They are a really nice bit of semi wild space, and there is a lot to them: streams, the Holy Brook, disused railway, small patches of woodland; and the historical links to the Abby. And it was all made more interesting listening to Richard’s knowledge, and his passion for the birds and the place.

I am quite excited about being able to help with the project to improve the meadows. Hopefully I can offer some useful advice on the hydrology, and in helping gather people from the Water theme side. It is a great asset for the town – and should be good for our plans to tackle climate change: from ecology, to water and flood management, and even offering an opportunity to develop a carbon store (carbon sequestration)…which is great for those ‘net zero carbon ambitions’ that we have.