Increasing our commitment to protecting river health

February 11, 2026 | Gemma by

Gemma

Mosaic has pledged to strengthen its commitment to environmental action in 2026 by joining a citizen scientist programme to improve river health.

In collaboration with the Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust, our team will collect monthly water samples and data from part of the River Colne in Colchester.

In 2023, only 6 of 91 river stretches in Essex achieved a good ecological rating, with the rest moderate or poor, due to pollution, habitat loss and litter, according to the charity.

The Essex RiverWatch sees community groups and organisations monitor river health and report pollution across the catchment areas of (including all tributaries of) the Rivers Gipping and Stour in Suffolk and the Rivers Colne, Blackwater, Chelmer, Crouch and Roach in Essex. The data helps the Trust target where work is needed most.

We were inspired to act after learning about poor river health in the county.

Gemma Rawlinson, our Managing Director, said: “As a business rooted in Essex, protecting our local environment matters to us. Supporting Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust through the RiverWatch allows our team to take practical, informed action alongside our professional work.

“At Mosaic we have made a commitment to support local wildlife and rivers trusts and this is a great example of how businesses can embed environmental responsibility into their own operations.”

A team of nine volunteers at Mosaic have stepped up to collect the monthly samples.

Luke Farnish, Project Support Officer at Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust, who trained us, said: “Community-led monitoring plays a vital role in helping us understand what’s happening in our rivers so we can create the best, most informed strategies to protect them. A person with brown hair and glasses sits at a desk with a laptop, displaying a water body map, surrounded by lab equipment and models.

“Partnerships like this one with Mosaic are valuable in allowing us to focus our time and resources where they can make the biggest difference.”

Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust works to protect, restore and enhance rivers and wetlands across the two counties, improving water quality, supporting biodiversity and reconnecting communities with their local environments.

While volunteer groups and individuals from across the project’s area are all welcome, the Trust is currently focusing its efforts to recruiting groups to collect data from the:

  • River Crouch and its tributaries
  • Freshwater streams of the Tendring peninsula
  • River Pant and Blackwater (excluding Witham)
  • Rural areas of the River Colne (excluding city of Colchester and Sible Hedingham)

To learn more about the project, how volunteer groups can get involved or how you can make a donation, visit the Essex RiverWatch webpage

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