Show your landscape some love

Those who live in the catchment of the river Torridge will know that it's a spectacular and unique wildlife-rich landscape. Local people, landowners and land managers may be interested to hear of a major new project which aims to help boost both wildlife and communities in the area. As the run up to Christmas accelerates, staff of the new Northern Devon Nature Improvement Area project will be at an event near you. They are looking forward to talking more about the free advice available for landowners and the community activities the project will be supporting and how people can get involved. Meet the NIA team and get involved! You can meet members of the NIA team and find out more at the Big Sheep Christmas Fair at Abbotsham every Saturday up until Christmas, and also at Holsworthy Christmas Market on Wednesday 12 December and Okehampton Christmas market on Saturday 15 December. We are also offering the chance to get out in the fresh air, meet new people and start the new year health kick early; simply call phone 01409 221823 or email cmanning@devonwildlifetrust.org to get involved in the following forthcoming events in our community volunteer programme: 

• Thurs 20 December 10am-3pm - Specott Moor scrub clearance (off the Tarka Trail at East Yarde) 
• Tues 22 January 10am-3pm - Otter holt & small mammal/bird boxes Higher Kingford Farm, Pancrasweek 
• Friday 8th February 10am-3pm - Stowford Moor hazel coppice and scrub clearance 
• February mid-week - Thorn Moor Swaling (dates subject to suitable weather conditions) 
• Sunday 10th March - Ford Wood woodland management NIA Champions! 

As part of our community programme we are also on the look out people interested in wildlife who would like to take an active role to work with the NIA in their community. You might already be involved with wildlife activities or a local group, perhaps you're keen to develop your skills and knowledge or perhaps you know of someone else who fits the bill. Contact the NIA Community Outreach team for an informal discussion. 

So what exactly is the NIA? The Northern Devon NIA is a partnership project led by Devon Wildlife Trust on behalf of the North Devon Biosphere Reserve Partnership. Covering 72,000 ha (the greater part of the river Torridge catchment), the Northern Devon NIA hosts 35% of the UK's remaining Culm grassland, 120 scheduled plants and animals, and important populations of two of Europe's ten most threatened species - the marsh fritillary butterfly and the freshwater pearl mussel. It also includes wooded lower valleys that flank the river Torridge; a feature of great biodiversity interest, but in much need of restoration. Over the next three years and beyond, the Nature Improvement Area project aims to restore and re-create internationally important habitats such as Culm grasslands, wetlands, neutral meadows, woodlands, hedgerows, rivers and streams across Northern Devon's unique Torridge river catchment. We will also help to develop the local woodland economy and will be working with the local community to achieve all this through a diverse programme of events and activities. 

This project has been supported by Defra, DCLG, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and Natural England. The Northern Devon NIA is one of the 12 nationally important new landscape scale wildlife schemes across England. It was developed as a partnership project within the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The partnership consists of 16 different organisations, of which Devon Wildlife Trust is the project's lead partner.