Woman who 'married' a river secures official backing for its protection

Woman 'marries' river in the UK

Three years after symbolically marrying England's River Avon to highlight the growing threat of water pollution, environmental campaigner and poet Meg Avon has achieved a major milestone in her campaign to protect the waterway.

Bath and North East Somerset Council has unanimously endorsed a charter recognising the River Avon's rights, including its right to exist, flow naturally and remain free from pollution, following sustained advocacy by Meg and fellow environmental activists.

The 30-year-old, who took part in a symbolic wedding ceremony with the river in 2023, described the council's decision as a landmark moment for environmental protection. 

Woman who married river earns new ‘history-making moment’ on wedding anniversary

“The fact that the council voted unanimously is very exciting. “They even applauded at the end – apparently they never applaud! “This really is a history making moment.

“We are changing the story and shifting the narrative to one that understands the connection between us and nature. “It is about shifting public and political consciousness through these charters and therefore protecting the river as a living entity.”

Meg, a member of the campaign group We Are Avon, has urged local authorities along the River Avon's 83-mile course to adopt similar measures, arguing that coordinated action is essential to safeguard the river's future.

As part of the campaign, she has collaborated with the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol to develop the charter and engage stakeholders on strengthening legal and community protections for the river.

Woman who 'married' River Avon secures official backing for its protection 

The charter outlines several principles aimed at preserving the river's ecological health. Among them is the right to biodiversity integrity, which seeks to ensure native plants and wildlife receive the protection needed to flourish. It also recognises the river's right to representation and advocacy, calling for dedicated voices to defend its interests in public decision-making.

We Are Avon has expanded its conservation efforts by recruiting 120 volunteer river guardians to monitor the waterway and help protect the surrounding 260,000 acres of landscape.

Meg said the volunteers play a vital role in ensuring the river's interests are consistently represented. “These volunteer river guardians are people who will be speaking for the river. “Every charter is slightly different, but they all include having this right to a representative. “The River advocate at the Bath and North East Somerset Councillor, Andy Wait, is brilliant – and anything concerning the river goes right past his desk.”

The council's endorsement is being hailed by campaigners as an important step toward recognising rivers as living ecosystems deserving of legal and community protection, with hopes that other councils across the River Avon's catchment will adopt similar commitments.