Charity receives vital backing for Dartmoor project

Leading conservation charity Devon Wildlife Trust is celebrating the news that it has received a £38,000 funding boost from SITA Trust to support its Emsworthy Mire Restoration Project. Emsworthy Mire forms part of Devon Wildlife Trust's beautiful Emsworthy nature reserve. The reserve sits between Haytor and Widecombe-in the-Moor, in the heart of Dartmoor. It is a very popular spot with walkers and other visitors. Emsworthy's Mire is a particularly good example of a valley mire: areas of water-logged deep peat in valley bottoms with characteristic acid wetland plant communities. The valley mires on Dartmoor, including Emsworthy's, are of international importance to wildlife and are of high quality with many rare plants. Devon Wildlife Trust's Steve Hussey said: 'Emsworthy's mire is especially rich in wildlife. Some of the characteristic plant species which are supported there are bog asphodel, round-leaved sundew, pale butterwort, bog bean, cotton grass and marsh lousewort. In summer, the mire is home to many dragonflies and other insects including keeled skimmers and the rare marsh fritillary butterfly. In winter, it is wading birds such as snipe and golden plover that visitors will see.' However, the mire and its plant and animal communities are at risk because it borders semi-natural grassland and open moorland grazed by livestock. Stone walls and fence boundaries which once kept livestock well away from the mire have fallen into disrepair and this has led to the site being over-grazed and its condition has deteriorated. Now, funding from SITA Trust will allow Devon Wildlife Trust to restore the valley mire. Specifically it will allow: 

• Re-building and repair of the historically important dry stone walls between the mire and surrounding fields 
• Installation of new fencing along the mire's other boundaries 
• Control of encroaching scrub woodland 

Steve Hussey added: 'These works will allow grazing levels in the mire to be fully controlled so that the sensitive wetland plants can recover. It will also allow us to promote the growth and spread of the plant Devil's-bit scabious which supports two of the nature reserve's rarest inhabitants, the marsh fritillary and the narrow-bordered bee hawkmoth.' Marek Gordon CEO and Chairman of SITA Trust added 'We are delighted to have been able to support this project through the Landfill Communities Fund. This important source of funding has been available since 1997 and has provided such worthy projects with more than £1.2 billion.' SITA Trust provides funding through the Landfill Communities Fund. Funding is available for projects that enhance communities and enrich nature.

 'Devon Wildlife Trust's beautiful Emsworthy nature reserve on Dartmoor is set to see a make-over' - Photo copyright Simon Williams. 

B10 LECTURE SERIES: THE FUTURE OF THE BIOSPHERE, WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FROM 16 OCTOBER TO 27 NOVEMBER 2013

To celebrate ten years of north Devon’s Biosphere Reserve a series of lectures will take place looking to its future. Each lecture will focus on different features of the Biosphere and will be delivered by an expert in that particular field. Full details below:

THE FUTURE OF THE CLIMATE Dr Matt Palmer, Wednesday 16 October 2013 - 8.15 pm, Bideford College Abbotsham Road Bideford Devon EX39 3AR
The Future of the Climate  - Dr. Matt Palmer leads sea level research at the Met Office. His research focuses on how the oceans and wider climate system will shape future sea level rise - both globally and regionally. The Future of Climate: Human-induced climate change is now widely accepted, but how will it affect us? We will review the current knowledge and explore some of the changes we can expect to see over the coming decades.
THE FUTURE OF FARMING  - Prof Michael Winter, Wednesday 23 October 2013 - 8.15 pm, Bideford College, Abbotsham Road, Bideford, Devon EX39 3AR
The Future of Farming - Michael Winter chairs the Biosphere Partnership. He is Co-Director of the Centre for Rural Policy Research at the University of Exeter and Director of the Food Security & Land Research Alliance (a joint initiative of the universities of Bath, Bristol and Exeter and Rothamsted Research). Michael’s research work has been funded by UK research councils, Defra, environmental agencies, charitable trusts, and local and regional authorities. He has published many research papers, books and reports. He is a past Countryside Agency and Commission for Rural Communities board member and is currently a member of the National Ecosystem Assessment Expert Panel. The Future of Farming: This lecture will examine the factors – physical, economic, social, political – that shape the distinctive farming of the Biosphere. What is the future for agriculture in this part of Devon? Will the global food security priority find expression in greater emphasis on production or will environmental considerations and concerns predominate? What will be the role of local food or organic production? And socially, will more or still less people be involved in farming in the future and will the traditional family farm survive?
THE FUTURE OF CULM GRASSLANDS  Dr Philip Murray, Wednesday 30 October 2013 - 8.15 pm Okehampton College, Mill Road, Okehampton, EX20 1PW
The Future of Culm Grasslands - Dr Phil Murray is Head of the North Wyke Campus and Associate Head of the Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems Department of Rothamsted Research. North Wyke is the foremost grassland research station in England and is the home of the North Wyke Farm Platform, a major investment in research infrastructure by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council that aims to better understand and develop sustainable grassland systems. The Future of Culm Grasslands: In his talk Phil will explore the future of culm grasslands and how the underpinning research is helping us to develop sustainable grasslands in the South West.
THE FUTURE OF LANDSCAPE - Prof Peter Howard, Wednesday 6 November 2013 - 8.15 pm, The Plough Arts Centre, 9-11 Fore St, Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8H
The Future of Landscape - Peter Howard is a member of the Biosphere Partnership, and a Visiting Professor of Cultural Landscape at Bournemouth University. He works closely with the Council of Europe and the European Landscape Convention, and has recently published An Introduction to Landscape (Ashgate) and has co-edited the Routledge Companion to Landscape Studies. The Future of Landscape: The coming into force of the European Landscape Convention urging the participation of all in landscape matters, and the importance of ordinary landscapes, inevitably produces clashes, not least with the renewable energy industry. Whose landscape will it become?
MARINE FUTURES - Dr Simon Ingram Wednesday 13 November 2013 - 8.15 pm, The Plough Arts Centre, 9-11 Fore St, Great Torrington, Devon, EX38 8HQ
Marine Futures - Dr Simon Ingram is a Lecturer in Marine Conservation at Plymouth University and Associate Editor for the journal Biodiversity and Conservation. His PhD research, at Cork, was concerned with the conservation of bottlenose dolphins, and he has worked with cetaceans and seals in many waters. His current research project is based in Lundy. Marine Futures: His talk will look at current conservation issues concerning marine life, and the future for the health and biodiversity of waters around the UK.
ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY - Dr Mike Moser, Wednesday 20 November 2013 - 8.15 pm, The Plough Arts Centre, 9-11 Fore St, Great Torrington, Devon EX38 8HQ
Environmental Security - Mike Moser chaired North Devon’s Biosphere Reserve Partnership from 2008-12, and now chairs the Northern Devon Nature Improvement Area steering group. He manages a 75 acre farm near Chulmleigh which includes a woodland County Wildlife Site. Mike also works as an international specialist on ecosystem management, and has advised long term projects of the United Nations Development Programme and Global Environment Facility in Iran and the Maldives, as well as many other international initiatives. He was formerly Director of the NGO Wetlands International, and Acting Chair of English Nature. Environmental Security: In his talk, Mike will explore how an ecosystem approach to managing land, water and the seas in north Devon can enhance our environmental security, and explore what lessons we can learn from other Biosphere Reserves.
ENVIRONMENTAL CAREERS - Dr Eirene Williams, Wednesday 27 November 2013 - 8.15 pm, Okehampton College, Mill Road, Okehampton, EX20 1PW
Environmental Careers - Dr Eirene Williams was a Principal Lecturer in Rural Resource Management at Seale-Hayne College. She started her career in Malawi and returned to buy a farm in South Devon and taking up various teaching and research posts around Exeter. Eirene now teaches part-time at Duchy College, and is a Governor of Petroc. She also took on the chairmanship of Devon FWAG and the Vice-Presidency of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (IEEM) and consequent place on the Board of the Society for the Environment. Her recent work for IEEM contributed to it being granted Chartered status in 2012. Eirene was born and brought up in North Devon and has returned to live in what is now the Biosphere Reserve. Environmental Careers: Eirene’s talk will explore the many and various opportunities for working in the environmental sector and the qualifications and qualities required in these careers, with special emphasis on those that are likely to be available in Northern Devon.


B10 LECTURE SERIES - THE FUTURE OF THE BIOSPHERE - WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FROM 16 OCTOBER TO 27 NOVEMBER 2013
A series of  7 anniversary lectures celebrating 10 years of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve at 3 locations. Wednesday Evenings during the Autumn of 2013 - all lectures begin at 8.15pm. Tickets can be booked for ALL lectures via The Plough Arts Centre Box Office by telephoning 01805 624624 or calling in person.

Green haying leads to shoots of new growth

A South Hams landowner has turned to an unusual method to encourage a greater range of bees, butterflies and birds onto his land. Dave Halsall is the owner of Singing Paddles, a canoe and kayak adventures company based near Kingsbridge. Now 2 acres of land at Green Park Farm, Aveton Gifford is being used as a 'receptor site' for a technique known as 'green haying.' Devon Wildlife Trust's Lynne Kenderdine helped coordinate the innovative operation and explained how it works: 'Green haying involves taking newly cut hay from a site which is rich in wildflower seeds and transporting it to another local site where there are fewer wildflowers. The green hay is then spread on the 'receptor' site and left to set seed. It's a technique which Devon Wildlife Trust has used successfully in the north of the county and now we want to use it here. If we get similar good results here we'll try other sites next year.' The green haying day took place in good weather on Wednesday 11 September. Wildflower rich hay full of flowers like black knapweed and birdsfoot trefoil was transported from a 'donor site' at Longmarsh, Totnes to Aveton Gifford. Staff from Devon Wildlife Trust and the South Devon Nature Trust, along with volunteers, then spent an energetic afternoon spreading the hay by fork. Devon Wildlife Trust's Lynne Kenderdine looked back on a successful day, 'We need to thank South Hams District Council, as the owners of Longmarsh they've been a willing source for the green hay and helped us get volunteers from The Conservation Volunteers who did a fantastic job in raking up. The seed we've spread will now lay dormant for the winter months, but we hope that next spring and summer we'll see the fruits of our labour. We should find a wider range of wildflowers establishing themselves here, and with them should come a wider range of insect, mammal and birdlife. This place should be buzzing with life in the future.'

Lynne Kenderdine and Devon Wildilfe Trust staff get to work green haying