Podcasting policy, people and the future of chalk streams

19 September 2025

The winners of the CIWEM Rivers and Coastal Group’s Early Careers Challenge 2025 share their experience of a new, hands-on competition to develop teamwork and networking skills in the water and environmental sector

We all signed up for the CIWEM Rivers and Coastal Group's Early Careers Challenge on blind faith. This new competition was designed to solve a real-world issue in the water and environment sector, with the theme and format only revealed at the launch event in Birmingham. We had to produce a podcast exploring how uncertainty impacts the translation of policy into practice in the rivers and coastal space. Cue the nervous laughter.

As early-career professionals in water management, policy and stakeholder engagement, we were already very familiar with that gap. We had seen ambitious strategies stall at the implementation stage and noticed how communities, from landowners to local charities, are often left out of decision-making altogether.

Though we didn’t know each other beforehand, we quickly found common ground. We met weekly online, shaped the project collaboratively, and were supported by an RCG mentor, Chris Green, who helped us polish our ideas. After some healthy debate (and a lot of caffeine), we decided our podcast would focus on chalk streams and the uncertainty surrounding their protection in national policy.

Why chalk streams?

Chalk streams are globally rare, uniquely British and acutely vulnerable. Despite their ecological value, they are often overlooked both in policy and in public awareness. We saw them as the perfect lens through which to explore broader questions about environmental governance, legislative ambiguity and the missing link between intent and impact.

We titled the podcast “Bridging the Gap”, a nod to our central theme: the disconnection between science, policy and the people those policies affect. The episode was divided into four sections:

1. What are chalk streams and what’s at stake?
2. What does the policy say? (Including the now-rejected chalk stream amendment in the Planning & Infrastructure Bill)
3. Where is the gap between policy and practice?
4. What needs to change? (Including a guest interview with Alison Matthews, chalk stream strategy programme manager at The Rivers Trust)

We recorded using Microsoft Teams and edited in Clipchamp, layering in ambient sounds like bubbling water and pencil scribbles to keep the tone immersive yet grounded. We also created a transcript for accessibility, something we felt was essential for a podcast about transparency and public understanding.

From daunting to rewarding

At first, the idea of producing a podcast felt a little intimidating. None of us had formal audio editing experience, and while we all listened to podcasts (If I Ruled The World by Gillian Burke, Rewilding the World with Ben Goldsmith, and UK Wildlife Podcast were a few favourites), translating our ideas into an engaging and informative format was a challenge. But it was a rewarding one. The process forced us to think not just about what we wanted to say, but how to make it resonate. What tone should we strike? How do you balance rigour with relatability? These were the questions we asked and answered together.

The biggest lesson wasn’t technical. It was about communication. We saw how often uncertainty arises in policy because of vague language, unclear responsibilities or a lack of enforcement. That uncertainty creates space for inaction or, worse, irreversible harm. We also learned how uneven the playing field really is. Local charities, river trusts, councils and landowners are frequently expected to do more with less, often with little clarity on funding, responsibility or recourse. That disconnect became one of the podcast’s central themes.

Our relationship with the RCG

Although none of us had been directly involved with the CIWEM Rivers & Coastal Group before this challenge, we were aware of its work and reputation. The group aims to improve understanding and sustainable management of rivers and coastal environments. It is full of people who are as passionate as they are pragmatic, and who genuinely care about early career professionals in the industry. The format was open, the mentorship was generous and the judging panel clearly valued innovation and integrity. It felt like a space where new voices were genuinely welcomed, and that’s rare.

We don’t have plans to continue Bridging the Gap as a regular podcast, though we certainly won’t rule it out. If there is demand for more episodes, or an opportunity to bring the format back in a meaningful way, we would be open to exploring that. For now, we are proud of what we created and grateful for the chance to tell a story that matters.

In the end, Bridging the Gap was never about being perfect. It was about making a start and helping to communicate complex ideas in a way that invites people in, rather than shutting them out. And maybe, just maybe, that is how we begin to bridge the gap.

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You can listen to Bridging the Gap on Spotify. Learn more about the CIWEM Rivers and Coastal Group, which will be hosting its annual Study Day on 15 October 2025 at Havant Thicket. Places are limited so book now.

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Jennifer Horner is a technical officer in sustainable water management at the Lower Medway Internal Drainage Board.
Keir Smith is volunteer and catchment coordinator at the Western Sussex Rivers Trust.
Thea Dancer is senior community engagement officer at Groundwork South.