Show Notes
In this episode, I’m speaking with Ash Smith, the founder of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution. A retired Detective Superintendent, former angler and scuba diver, Ash has spent the last eight years investigating the truth about what’s happening in our rivers. His love for the natural world, combined with a deep sense of justice, led him to gather a team of committed people from different disciplines to form one of the most effective groups holding water companies and regulators to account. In our conversation, Ash shares what’s really going on with our rivers, the scale of sewage pollution, and the failures of government and regulatory bodies to protect our waterways. This is a passionate, evidence-based discussion, grounded in data that you can find on the WASP website. The Windrush itself flows for 65 kilometers from Gloucestershire into the Thames - but this story reaches far beyond one river. It speaks to the health of our ecosystems, and to our own health as well. Topics include: A vivid picture of what a living, healthy river once was — and how the “new normal” hides a quiet collapse. How WASP (Windrush Against Sewage Pollution) turns citizen science and data analysis into undeniable proof of illegal pollution. The shocking reality of regulators who no longer investigate — and water companies marking their own homework. What happens when public services are sold off and profit replaces purpose. The money trail — how customers fund dividends while private shareholders drain the system. Why some water companies are now in “special measures” and what real accountability could look like Ash’s journey from detective superintendent to river defender — following the evidence wherever it leads. The quiet power of ordinary people who refuse to look away. How anger can become fuel for change rather than despair. Practical ways to take action — join with others, use local data, and make enough noise to tip the balance
Shownotes: https://theoutdoorteacher.com/podcasts/episode-75-the-river-of-truth-with-ash-smith/ Music by Geoff Robb: www.geoffrobb.com Please Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts If you have enjoyed today's episode, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This really helps me to spread the word to more people like you, and to empower more people to take their practice outdoors! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then let me know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, "follow" the podcast, as if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out.
More from The Wild Minds Podcast
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In this episode, Marina looks back at the questions that came up at the *Outside for Everyone* webinar and asks why we adults find it so hard to take learning outdoors, and what we can do about it. In this episode: Why experiential learning sticks, and why we still find it so hard to take education outside "Backlinking": Juliet Robertson's idea of offering hands-on outdoor activities and linking them to the curriculum afterwards How outdoor learning fits the early years, primary and secondary curriculum, from mud kitchens and story stones to measuring trees with trigonometry Climate education in practice: soil tests, watching the weather with the Beaufort scale, plant surveys and growing food Tool use, vocational skills and confidence, and why hands-on skills matter for future careers Contribution as a core part of belonging and wellbeing What research on autistic children at Forest School tells us: the adults' attitudes can make or break a session Why our practice is about relationship, not activity: consent-based practice, mutual dignity and humility Do you need a qualification to take learning outdoors? (No, but you do need to be competent, reflect on your practice and carry out risk-benefit assessments) Worried about losing control? How routines, rituals and clear boundaries help, and how to help children explain their thinking Shaping the session around the learner, not the learner around the session, with nature as the "third actor" Starting small with five-minute activities, managing large class ratios and giving teenagers real-life experiences (including the new Natural History GCSE)
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