Students and staff at the College of West Anglia welcomed Councillor Rob Colwell to campus for an Earth Day enrichment session focused on chalk river and stream preservation, with particular emphasis on the Gaywood River.

Held on 22 April 2026, the talk explored the importance of protecting rare chalk streams and highlighted the environmental significance of the local river. Rob attended in a non-political capacity to speak about his passion for conservation and the work taking place to raise awareness of the Gaywood River.

Rob is a founder member of the Gaywood River Revival Group and spoke about the need for greater protection for these rare habitats, as well as the progress being made to influence change around maintenance regimes.

He said, “The Gaywood River is a rare chalk stream and needs greater protection. We have had great progress in trying to drive change as to the maintenance regime. The Gaywood River Revival Group are doing great work on bringing attention to the river. There are only 200 in the whole world of these chalk streams, and they are equal to the Great Barrier Reef or Amazon rainforest for environmental importance and a rare habitat.”

The session was well attended by students and staff from a range of curriculum areas, with attendees asking thoughtful questions and engaging with the discussion around local environmental issues.

The event formed part of the College’s Earth Day activity and gave students the opportunity to hear directly from someone working to champion a vital natural asset in the local area.