A message for Jonathan
Back when I joined FRT 8 years ago it was a much smaller team, but even then there was a dynamic force at work in this organisation. A feeling of buzz and excitement tinged with relentless opportunity. As Co-Directors, Jonathan and I realised it takes an entire team to make a place buzz like that, but it also takes driven individuals working hard in the background to create that vision and optimism.
Jonathan has been a force within FRT for 12 years and, more than anything, it is his vision and determination that has helped shape the direction of FRT and his colleagues. He may be moving on, but the excitement and drive he has helped to create as part of this team will carry on in our work. Good luck and thank you Jonathan!
– Amelia Heath
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It’s never easy to say goodbye, especially to something that’s been such a big part of your life for so long. After twelve incredible years, it’s time for me to step away from Forth Rivers Trust. It’s a bittersweet moment, but one filled with pride, gratitude, and hope for the future.
When I first joined the organisation back in 2013, it was known as the River Forth Fisheries Trust and had just four staff members. I came on board as the Invasive Species Officer, with a big task ahead: build community partnerships and tackle invasive non-native species (INNS) along rivers across the Forth. Those first two years were a whirlwind of energy and learning. We weren’t just removing Giant Hogweed or Japanese Knotweed. We were bringing people together, training volunteers, and planting the early seeds of what would become a community-focused river movement that the Trust has grown into today.
It was grassroots conservation at its best. I still remember the satisfaction of seeing some of the rivers slowly recover from INNS and local groups empowered with the skills and confidence to make a difference in their patch.
As that initial project wrapped up, the question emerged: what next?
We knew we needed to go bigger to deliver the level of improvements needed in the Forth. That ambition led to RiverLife: Almond & Avon, our first catchment-scale partnership project. It was a leap into the unknown and a massive undertaking for the Trust. We built the project from the ground up, pulled together an application to the National Lottery, and waited. To our amazement, we secured not only development funding but full delivery support to deliver some amazing work across the Almond & Avon catchments, alongside dedicated community members and enthusiastic partners.
That success became a key moment for the Trust. It was the proof that a small team with a big vision could deliver major change and we were keen to do more for rivers as they have a lot of issues in the Forth from historic industry and management.
From that point on, we started to think differently. We weren’t just doing projects. We were shaping a new future for rivers across the Forth, looking at the catchments as a whole, considering how we could deliver at the landscape scale. The shift from single species to a more holistic approach was taking hold.
With that change came growth. The team expanded, and so did the scope of our work. Projects like the Allan Water Project brought natural flood management and Water Framework Directive improvements to the forefront. We worked at landscape scale, across catchments, woodlands, and floodplains, thinking holistically about how rivers function and how nature, people, and climate interact.
In 2018, we became Forth Rivers Trust, a name that better reflected our evolving aim to restore, protect, and celebrate all rivers in the district. Things were picking up momentum from that point on.
But we also faced a reality. Public funding was never guaranteed. So, we innovated. We looked to the future and asked ourselves how to keep delivering impact even as traditional resources declined. That challenge led us to explore green finance, unlocking private sector investment to fund weir removals, riparian planting, and habitat restoration. These efforts have already shown results, and I’m confident they will unlock even more restoration opportunities in the years to come.
Two years ago, when our former Director moved on, Amelia and I stepped into leadership together. Running the Trust as co-directors has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. We’ve had help from an amazing team of passionate, skilled, and deeply committed staff. Over the past 2 years, this can be seen in the 2045 vision developed alongside the staff, trustees and partners. Together, we’ve shaped the Trust’s 2045 vision, a long-term commitment to protecting rivers for future generations. We’ve worked with landowners, farmers, community groups, local authorities, and national agencies. And we’ve watched kingfishers return, wetlands breathe life back into floodplains, and young people connect with their local burn for the first time.
Now, as I step away, I leave the Trust in the very best of hands. Amelia will continue to lead the organisation with the dedication, insight, and passion she brings to everything she does. Supported by a talented and driven team, I know the Trust is poised to grow even stronger to support communities engage and look after their local rivers. They will deliver bold, creative, and meaningful work across the Forth and I know the future is bright, and I can’t wait to watch the amazing things they will achieve.
This work has always been about more than just rivers. It’s about people, communities, connection, and a belief that no matter how big the environmental challenge, we can meet it together.
To the team at Forth Rivers Trust: thank you. You are the heart of this organisation, and I know you’ll continue to lead the way in river conservation across the Forth. To our partners and communities: thank you for believing in our work and making it a reality on the ground. And to the rivers themselves: thank you for teaching me what resilience, beauty, and flow really mean.
Though I’m moving on, I’ll carry this chapter of my life with me always. I’ll continue cheering the Trust and communities on, because I know the best is yet to come.
See you by the river.
Jonathan
