We've seen the recent coverage of paddleboarding's impact on wildlife along the River Stour, and we want to be upfront: the concerns raised – about disturbance to kingfishers, water voles, otters and other river life – are ones we share and take seriously. We've been operating from The Henny Swan for six years, and protecting the river we depend on isn't just good practice for us, it's the whole point of being here. 

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• We limit numbers and manage busy periods: We cap how many craft go out from Fluidity at any one time, specifically so the river isn't overwhelmed on hot weekends. Our goal is a river that can absorb visitors without wildlife being pushed out of it entirely.

• Every hire starts with a proper briefing: Before anyone leaves the bank, our team runs through a pre-departure briefing that covers Paddle UK's Paddler's Code, developed with Natural England. That means practical guidance on:Keeping a wide, quiet distance from nesting birds, waterfowl with young, and any wildlife encountered. Not lingering near known kingfisher perches or bankside nest holes. Staying off overgrown or fragile banks. What to do (and not do) if you come across birds, otters (and other mammals). Taking all litter home, including anything biodegradable.

  We'd rather spend five extra minutes on this than let someone find out the hard way that a startled moorhen or a flooded kingfisher nest is the cost of a careless afternoon.

• No barbecues, no open flames, no music systems: We don't permit barbecues, disposable grills, speakers, or amplified music on any craft we hire out. Anyone bringing this kind of equipment down to the water isn't doing so with our boards or kayaks.

• We put time into the river, not just onto it: Our team undertake regular river clean-ups. We also hold a valid commercial Environment Agency waterways licence for our fleet.

• We can't control the whole river – but we can control what leaves our bank: Fluidity doesn't own the Stour, and we can't police every paddleboarder who inflates a board on a grass verge with no connection to a hire company at all. What we can do – and do every day – is make sure that everyone who hires from us leaves better informed, better behaved, and less likely to be part of the problem. If the growth in river sports is going to be sustainable, that's the standard every operator on this river should be held to, and we'll keep pushing for it. 

• Done well, paddling is good for the river: It's worth saying plainly: paddling isn't the enemy of the Stour. Done thoughtfully, it's one of the quietest, lowest-impact ways to experience this river – no engine, no fuel, no wake to speak of. People who spend an afternoon on the water tend to come back caring more about it, not less, and that connection is exactly what turns visitors into advocates for clean water, healthy banks and thriving wildlife. Every customer we send out well-briefed and well-behaved is someone more likely to notice litter, report pollution, or simply give a nesting bird the space it needs – on this river and wherever else they paddle. That's the outcome we're aiming for, and it's one the whole river benefits from.

  For press enquiries please contact info@fluidityadventure.com