Oh, gentle river, your waters glide…

Not all of you will know that the concept for this event was born in France, in 2022. Here, we laid the foundations, creating a space for all kinds of communities to come together, learn, share their knowledge and experiences, and celebrate their rivers.

This event has grown exponentially into something completely magical. The UK River Summit on Tuesday 21st May welcomed a new audience, yet harnessed the spirit with which the event was created by our small team of dedicated women.

This is just the beginning of a powerful movement. From here, The River Summit & Festival will grow, ignite crucial conversations across countries, and bolster collaboration and communication in the environmental sphere so that in this lifetime, we can witness a promising transformation of the health of our precious rivers.

Creative expression is at the heart of achieving this, which is why in her opening speech, our event founder, Claire Zambuni shared this beautiful poem. We hope this inspires you too…

Gathered here we are today 
At the UK River Summit where we hope we may
Join together as one voice
To find solutions in which all rejoice

Oh, gentle river, your waters glide,
Carving paths both deep and wide,
A mirror to the sky's embrace,
Reflecting earth's most tender face.

Each ripple is a story is told,
Of time and life, of young and old.
You heal the wounds of nature’s wear,
With your sweet flow, you cool the air.

Laughter dances on your waves,
Where children play and lovers crave,
A moment's peace, a fleeting kiss,
Your waters bring such simple bliss.
Life slows down as anglers match
Their hand-tied fly to the seasons hatch
 
Swimmers dive with hopes so high
Beneath the open, endless sky
Their strokes should stir pure nature’s grace
Not navigate disgusting waste
 
But let’s be frank, it’s quite absurd,
To find what we have flushed! A turd!
In rivers meant for trout and dace,
A filthy smear on nature’s face

Let's not forget, we need to say,
Companies must change their ways,
Now stop just chasing dividends rich,
And padding pay without a hitch.
 
When cities find their taps run bare,
And panic rises in the air,
Communities will face the strain,
Of thirst and loss, of endless pain.
 
 It’s time they heed the rivers' plea,
To keep them clean, to let them be,
True profits rise from waters pure,
From rivers healthy. Clean! Secure!
 
So here’s the plan, it’s quite the mix,
With community action, and law’s firm fix,
Regulators must play their part,
To cleanse the streams - a brand-new start.
 
Through art and stories, bright and bold,

We’ll spread the word, let truth be told,
That every turd we keep at bay,
Will make our rivers sing and play.
 
So let us pledge, in this bright hour,
To guard our rivers, give them power,
For rivers are life's gentle art,
And we, their keepers, play our part,
 
In saving what we can't replace,
We step towards a future space
A testament to what we’ve done,
When many voices join as one.

 And so, dear river, you have trials to bear,
Through greed, human growth and lack of care
Man has cast a careless net,
And left you tangled, torn, and yet—

We gather now, with hearts aligned,
A unified voice, to be more kind,
To heal your wounds, to right the wrong,
Together we will make you strong.

 Image credit: Lucy Young Photos