Today the WWF are celebrating the opening of their ‘A river runs through it’ exhibition, which was supported by Meriden MP, Dame Caroline Spelman.
The spectacle will include a river through the Upper Waiting Hall – a busy thoroughfare for Members of Parliament – and collaborative artwork by local children and artist Layla Andrews. The exhibit will support a week of events that celebrate the UK’s unique rivers, asking politicians to support the restoration of our environment.
The interactive exhibit brings nature inside Parliament to highlight the issues that English and Welsh water systems are facing, such as growing pollution from rural areas and sewage run off. This is following the recent WWF report, Flushed Away, that found 80% of rivers in England and Wales are unhealthy, and up to 40% are polluted with sewage.
WWF Chief Executive Tanya Steele and MP Angela Smith spoke at the opening ceremony, joined by parliamentarians, including local MP Caroline Spelman, and people from across the country who care about improving the health of our rivers. The #NatureNeedsYou campaign has previously worked with local Angling Trusts and River Trusts to deliver events to promote the campaign. More than 4000 people in England and Wales have already written to their MP through a WWF email action.