Tiny, trickling streams, meandering rivers, gushing waterfalls and vast estuaries represent just some of the diversity of our natural watercourses. Rivers and streams provide shelter and feeding opportunities for a wide range of plants and animals. Deep pools are important for fish and kingfishers, shingle beds are important for insect larvae and the banks are usually overgrown with wild flowers, in turn offering a food source for butterflies and damselflies and ground cover for small mammals.