Lucy Wood reports…
An environmental campaigner is on a one-man crusade to make his local waterways cleaner – and educate people in the process.
NATURE lover James (Jim) Elliott regularly takes to his local waterways in a canoe to clear litter and fly-tipping, conduct wildlife surveys and more, all the while promoting the well-being benefits of being outdoors.
Known as the Canoe River Cleaner, he conducts a regular cleaning roster of rivers, ponds, canals and other waterways in North East Lincolnshire and the wider Lincolnshire area. Aided by a team of volunteers nicknamed Comrades, he litter-picks banks and ditches and clears water of debris while piloting his canoe.
“I am hell-bent on keeping our blue and green spaces tidy,” he said. Jim has removed countless items from his local waterways – from litter, rope, bicycle frames, supermarket trolleys and fishing line to more unusual items, such as an abandoned scooter and even an advertising sandwich board. “I have dredged up all sorts – a 27-year-old crisp packet, Halloween decorations, a Kinder Egg still in its wrapping, a stolen pedalo… even an Atomic Kitten CD!” The heaviest item he’s ever removed from the water is a large iron railing.
But since starting the Canoe River Cleaner after being made redundant during the pandemic, his mission has now become a high-profile force for good in his community, using his activities to educate and inform.
“I get asked a lot if children throwing a trolley or the odd bottle into the water annoys me and to be perfectly honest it doesn’t. As a serial litter-picker, you have to switch off from these things while you’re sorting the job in hand otherwise you’d blow a gasket. To assume that all children are at one with nature and aren’t going to make silly mistakes while growing up is naïve; there’s time for them and we do our best to influence, educate and inspire.
“The same can’t be said for some adults, and it is people who deliberately fly-tip that really get my negative energy flowing. To make a conscious decision to leave litter in an area of beauty with a high concentration of wildlife is downright disgusting. I’m sure I’m not alone in my disdain for fly-tipped waste.
“One of the best parts of the job is being so close to – and being tolerated by – our amazing wildlife. There really is beauty around every corner.”
This summer marked the end of Nature Hub, a project that saw Jim offer nature-based activities including river cleaning to home-educated children. He also took a group of children out on to the water of the River Freshney, in his hometown, to learn about biodiversity and wildlife corridors.
Through sponsorship, part time nature-based work and the generosity of people who value what he does, former car salesman Jim has turned this into a full-time occupation. He has also established a not-for-profit well-being organisation, the All Things Good and Nice CIC, and has also teamed up with environmental conservation group PickWalks to litter-pick on land.
“Soon after starting my canoeing and litter-picking endeavours, I quickly realised that spending time outdoors particularly in nature helped me mentally. To be honest, I’m the best version of myself that I’ve ever been,” he said.
“We provide activities which keep children connected with nature and reconnect adults who may have lost it. Together with helping those who need to get back on track, I am a massive advocate for early intervention and working on ways to prevent individuals from sliding down a slippery slope which they struggle to get back from. Activities include litter picking, one-on-one canoe trips, children’s wildlife i-spy walks, and family walks.”
Jim is proud to be an advocate of respecting nature and the environment and said that humans are privileged to share rivers with wildlife.
“On a routine tidy of the River Freshney in my hometown, I recently came across one of the most upsetting sights since I started my efforts – a male kingfisher tragically caught in discarded fishing wire, leading to its untimely death. This area is littered with overhanging trees and as a result lots of abandoned fishing lines are often cut loose after getting snagged or, even worse, carelessly discarded. I do my best to manage this, but sadly I was too late in this instance.
“Carelessness and disregard for the environment cause unnecessary suffering. I believe we should all work together to protect the wildlife that makes our rivers so special.”
Thanks to a funding grant, Jim is currently leading a project providing bespoke, one-to-one canoe trips for people with compromised mental health who need extra support in a quieter environment. Through All Things Good And Nice, he provides nature-based activities for adults and children around Lincolnshire every Monday of the year.
“I’ve personally benefited so much by using nature as a well-being tool, and I’m really excited to introduce people to its healing powers, and to view our rivers’ rich biodiversity from a seldom seen perspective,” he said. “I’m always looking at ways to promote good practice when it comes to looking after our blue and green spaces, and I feel there’s no better way than to get out there and show people what beauty surrounds us. It’s on our doorstep, and we need to look after it.”
He is also involved in other environmental initiatives; he recently became a certified riverfly monitor through The Riverfly Partnership, able to conduct regular surveys along watercourses. “The presence of these lower-down-the-food-chain species, such as mayfly and freshwater shrimp, are a good indicator of water quality and can ascertain certain environmental conditions such as pollution and low flows. Results can serve to raise the alarm before things get worse.”
One of his major awareness campaigns – and a personal bugbear – is about the dangers of releasing balloons into the environment. He has created a map (https://thecanoerivercleaner.co.uk/balloon-map/) recording where discarded latex and foil balloons – released for events including memorials, birthdays and gender reveals – have fallen back to Earth.
“It’s terrible for wildlife,” Jim explained. “These things might look like fun, but they’re a nightmare for the environment. From choking hazards to entanglement, balloons can be deadly for animals, especially birds and aquatic life. It’s worth reminding people to keep celebrations eco-friendly and avoid sending more of these party poopers into the wild – the wildlife will thank us.”
Jim’s Facebook page, which is filled with stunning photography and informative videos from the seat of his canoe, is a thriving community resource – and this hard work has not gone unnoticed. Soft drinks brand Soda Folk created a root beer in his honour, which is available all over the UK.
Although he operates mainly in North East Lincolnshire, he hopes his endeavours – in which he is supported by his wife Lindsey, daughters Lily and Hazel and son Isaac – will encourage like-minded people around the country to do similarly.
“I’m simply a guy with a canoe keeping rivers tidy for wildlife and local residents,” he added. “People who regularly use our country’s waterways will know first-hand just how important it is to respect our environment and the joy that being at one with nature brings.
“I used my sales skills to navigate my way on to radio stations, TV and other mediums to try and forge some sort of living from what had now become more than a passing hobby. Thankfully, what I am doing is universally accepted and championed. I don’t have superpowers, and you certainly couldn’t save the world with what I’ve got, but people like it and have come on board.
“I love what I do but inevitably, we all have bad days. Stumbling upon a wheelie bin full of litter that someone has taken the time to push in the water constitutes a bad day. This can take a while to sort and often leaves you wet, tired, and despondent that we have people who literally go out of their way to decimate our blue and green spaces.
“Luckily, most days are good, and litter-picking can be very rewarding – even just the act of being in the moment and enjoying the meditation it provides. Even when the summer brings the algae bloom, the act of removing debris and reeds that act as anchor points for the algae is tiring, but that sense of achievement keeps me going.
“Waterways will always need maintenance, and I’ve made it my mission to do just that. I’m a firm believer in controlling what you can control and being a ‘doer’.”
Find out more about the Canoe River Cleaner at https://thecanoerivercleaner.co.uk or https://www.facebook.com/thecanoerivercleaner
