This is a unique daily record of a full year spent on a one kilometre stretch of the River Itchen at Martyr Worthy, a wildlife haven by one of the finest chalk streams in the world, famed for its wild brown trout. It is an account told in words and pictures.

§	A record of the flora and fauna on the River Itchen at Martyr Worthy every day during 2008. Birds, plants, insects, fish, snails, animals and landscapes, plus the last remaining artefacts relating to the history and working of the old water meadows. Riverkeeping activities were recorded through the seasons.
§	450+ colour photographs
§	Enjoy Marilyn Bechely's gallery of wonderful line drawings.
§	Photography hints and tips.
§	Extensive cross-referencing to show the occurrence, frequency and activity of species throughout the year.
§	Reflections on lessons learned.

The 2008 diary was the basis for The River Itchen at Martyr Worthy ~ Wildlife and Riverkeeping Observed,, published in 2019, into which ten more years of observations were consolidated, alongside 1500+ photographs.

A year-long visit is but a glimpse, even eleven years is not long in the life of the river. Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, The Brook, aptly conveys the sense of time: