The shad migration usually starts in late April and finishes in late May/early June. So, not long now!
For all those interested in joining our team of volunteers during this year’s shad run on the River Severn, training dates are now available.
Shad Migration Volunteer
This volunteer activity involves visiting the riverbank in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire in Spring, and helping us collect valuable data as fish migrate upstream. It requires watching a notch in the weir for periods of about 20 minutes and counting rare shad as they pass through. We use this fish count data to help estimate the migrating shad numbers and get a better understanding of their migration behaviour. No previous experience necessary!
We are asking all volunteers to attend a training session before taking part in this role. This is to ensure everyone has the same training, is up to date with our covid risk assessment and feels safe in their volunteering.
Training sessions are available at the riverside in Tewkesbury.
During the session we will go through the full survey protocol and answer any questions you may have. We will also cover H&S and the works on Tewkesbury Ham. You will be provided with a full survey pack.
Monday 19th April. Sessions available at 1pm, 2.30pm.
Thursday 22nd April. Sessions available at 10am, 11.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm, 4pm.
Friday 23rd April. Sessions available at 10am, 11.30am, 1pm, 2.30pm, 4pm.
Monday 26th April. Sessions available at 12pm, 1.30pm, 3pm, 4.30pm.
Tuesday 27th April. Sessions available at 10am, 11.30am.
To book a training session, please go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/unlocking-the-severn-30753677286.
Shad Spawning Acoustics Volunteer
This volunteer activity involves visiting the riverbank during evenings to listen for shad spawning activity. All volunteer sessions will be conducted in small groups with project staff present. It requires sitting near the river for extended periods of time between 10pm and 4am, recording any spawning activity. There are five locations in total, and volunteers can choose to attend the location closest to home:
- Haw Bridge, near Tewkesbury
- Upper Lode Weir, Tewkesbury
- Powick Weir, Worcester
- Diglis Island, Worcester
- Bevere Fish Pass, Worcester
We will use this data to help get a better understanding of shad spawning behaviour. No experience is necessary!
Full training and equipment will be provided. Due to covid restrictions, all volunteers will have to attend a virtual 1 hour training session prior to participating in this volunteer role.
We will be running three online training sessions for this role and all volunteers must attend a session before taking part. Although if you cannot attend either of the sessions, please contact Rachel about that.
During the session we will go through the survey protocol and answer any questions you may have. We will also cover H&S and tell you more about how each evening session will work.
Monday 15th April, 2pm-3pm.
Friday 16th April, 4pm-5pm.
Friday 16th April, 6pm-7pm.
To book a training session, please go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/unlocking-the-severn-30753677286.
If you have any questions regarding these volunteer opportunities, you can contact Rachel Davies, the Volunteering Officer, at: [email protected].
You may also be interested to watch this webinar about Unlocking the Severn and the citizen science we are using to learn about rare and endangered fish in the River Severn.
English 
