I love visiting schools across Watford.

On one visit to Laurence Haines I was delighted to be introduced to the school's Eco Warriors.

Projecting our environment is important. Whether it be the pollution in our rivers or oceans, rising sea levels and the threat of climate change, people are noticing more and more the negative impact that we are having on our planet.

I’ve written in this paper before about how meeting this challenge is not just something for governments across the world to do, but something we can do our bit about it here in our town.

One of the commitments I made when I was elected was to help the town become more sustainable.

That’s why I was excited this week to have launched a 10-year project to help clear up the River Colne.

With the help of environmental charity Groundwork, the river will undergo an extensive clean-up operation, and then its original biodiversity will be reintroduced, including plants, fish, birds, insects, and other species.

The work on this has already begun, with new species being reintroduced to the river and a huge amount of plastic and other waste being removed. Sandy Belloni and others working on this project deserve a huge amount of credit for the work they are doing.

We need the help of even more people in our town – a strong volunteer force to help with the clean up, improving access to the river and to carry out things like river water monitoring and a many other activities.

I can’t wait to start seeing the impact of this project and help rejuvenate this stretch of important river in our town. You’ll find more information on our website at www.rivercolnewatford.co.uk

We all must act to help Watford and the planet become greener and more sustainable for generations to come.

  • Peter Taylor is elected Mayor of Watford