Overview

Every Easter, the Anstruther Improvements Association (AIA) runs a community duck race, which was threatened in 2019 following a pollution incident. Following this, the community began investigating the overall health of the Dreel Burn – discovering sewage overflows among other impacts and pressures.

In 2022 Forth Rivers Trust began working in close partnership with local organisation the Anstruther Improvements Association (AIA), and the community-led Dreel Burn project was created, and outlined its key vision:

‘Our vision is of the Dreel Burn as a clean, biodiverse and vibrant river, valued by the farming, fishing, rural and urban communities of the East Neuk.‘

Beginning in Autumn 2022, the AIA and Forth Rivers Trust surveyed the Dreel Burn, producing the Dreel Burn Project Investigative report which identified pressures and opportunities in the catchment to be developed with the community at the forefront.

Leading with these report findings, the community group launched the project: making initial landowner contact, developing community groups to undertake citizen science activities, alongside launching a project steering group which includes other local NGOS, local partners, community councils, businesses and education providers, all collaborating to establish a monitoring framework and encourage river stewardship among local people.

Working with a wide range of organisations and businesses, the project is well established and has received excellent community support. Training events have been delivered by the Trust to community members to encourage monitoring the river’s health, a rivers day was held which hosted talks and presentations, drawing audiences to the river, and highlighting the opportunities available to work together to improve the burn for both nature and people.

Unravel the story of the Dreel Burn Project from start to finish at the storymap below, and check out the Anstruther Improvements Association’s Dreel Burn project page to read more.

Dreel Burn (arcgis.com)