Call for Film Makers - Short Films about North Devon Farmers

The community film making organisation North Devon Moving Image CIC (NDMI) is calling for film makers to apply for their inaugural £1,000 documentary short film commission, Down on the Farm.

Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of NDMI says “We work with local people to create, collect and share short films about north Devon and our projects give individuals and communities a voice whilst celebrating our local heritage.”

“An important part of NDMI’s remit is to support and nurture film making talent and Down on the Farm is our very first film commission. Thanks to our funders, each successful applicant will receive £1,000 to produce one film sharing the heritage and promoting the work of farmers and farming within the boundaries of North Devon’s Biosphere Reserve, including the coastal Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

The selection panel, comprising members of the TV and film industries, as well as farming and environmental organisations, will be looking for the most engaging stories and fascinating characters with the spirit of north Devon at their heart. Applicants will need to demonstrate strong story telling skills, creative outlook and examples of previous work.

Applicants are asked to submit a proposal via the North Devon Moving Image website www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk for a five minute film falling into one of the following categories: 

• Farming through the Generations
• Women in Farming
• Back to Basics
• Farming with Nature
• Young Farmers
• Innovation and Enterprise

Amanda added “Our consultation for this project drew out plenty of farmers with great stories to tell, so if you are a film maker from outside the area we can put you in touch with willing subjects. We will also have local volunteers on hand to act as location managers and researchers if needed.”

Down on the Farm is funded by: Local North Devon funders: North Devon’s Biosphere Reserve, North Devon Coast AONB Sustainable Development Fund, Fullabrook CIC. National Funders: The Golsoncott Foundation, The Norman Family Charitable Trust.

For more information visit northdevonmovingimage.org.uk, email Amanda McCormack, Project Manager northdevonmovingimage@outlook.com or telephone 01271 860610.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 1 August 2018.

North Devon Farming Film - Photo copyright NDMI (All Rights Reserved)

Sheep Farming in North Devon - Photo copyright NDMI (All Rights Reserved)

North Devon Farming Film Commission - Photo copyright NDMI (All Rights Reserved)

Charity appoints new top role

A former Director of Conservation at Dartmoor National Park has been elected to a top role at one of Devon’s leading charities.

Suzanne (Sue) Goodfellow, who describes herself as an ‘ecologist and all-round environmentalist’ is the new Chair of Trustees of Devon Wildlife Trust. She will head the charity’s Board of Trustees, the body which determines the Trust’s strategic direction. As with all the charity’s trustee board members, this position is an unpaid, voluntary one.

Sue has been a member of Devon Wildlife Trust’s Board of Trustees since 2013 and a member of the charity, which has more than 32,000 supporters, since 1978. Her career saw her spend 30 years at Dartmoor National Park Authority working as an ecologist, a landscape conservation officer and then as its Director of Conservation. In recent years she has been Chair of Devon Local Nature Partnership, the umbrella organisation which works to bring together everyone with an interest in securing the benefits of Devon’s natural environment.

Sue said:

“I am delighted to be in a position to support the trustees, staff, volunteers and members of this amazingly vibrant charity which is making such a difference to Devon’s wildlife. I am passionate about making space for the other species with which we share our wonderful county and bringing people closer to wildlife for their mutual benefit. The Devon Wildlife Trust really stands up for wildlife and is an effective campaigning organisation as well as owning beautiful, restful reserves for us all to enjoy. I look forward to helping the Trust deliver new exciting projects such as Seaton Jurassic, Exeter Valley Parks and the Greater Horseshoe Bat Project.”

Sue replaces Dr Peta Foxall who has moved to become Chair of The Wildlife Trusts, the national body which helps coordinate the 46 county Trusts, of which Devon Wildlife Trust is one.

The appointment sees Sue lead the charity’s 17-strong Board of Trustees at a time in which the charity is engaged in some of its biggest ever projects and campaigns for local wildlife which include beavers, bats and marine wildlife.

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive, Harry Barton, welcomed the appointment and said:

“Sue is a great people person, she is passionate about the environment and her knowledge of Devon is truly impressive. She and I have worked closely together for several years on the Devon Local Nature Partnership, which she led with great skill and tact. I’m really looking forward to working with her at DWT”.

One of Sue’s first tasks will be to help the charity in its efforts to raise extra support for the 50 nature reserves it cares for across the county. The Devon Nature Reserves Fund is being launched by Devon Wildlife Trust this May at a time of year when thousands of people will visit and enjoy the charity’s wildlife havens. People wanting to help are being urged to visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org/make-a-donation

Devon Wildlife Trust’s new Chair of Trustees, Suzanne Goodfellow

JUNE HIGHLIGHTS Charity urges us all to take part in ‘random acts of wildness’

A wildlife charity is urging us to take part in what it describes as a series of ‘random acts of wildness’ which it hopes will involve thousands of people throughout the month of June.

Devon Wildlife Trust is suggesting that people use the month to reconnect with wildlife and the natural world through a campaign known as 30 Days Wild. Now in its fourth year, 30 Days Wild is a nationwide initiative in which more than 250,000 people across the UK took part last year.

Participants in 30 Days Wild sign up for free and in return commit to undertaking a simple random act of wildness each day for a month. This year these acts include searching for mini-beasts in your own back garden or park, running/walking barefoot across grass or the beach, and learning to recognise a new birdsong.

For those wanting to take it easy there’s also the more restful suggestion of taking a ‘nap in nature’ where participants are being urged to ‘chill out & take a nap in the long grass; while the birds and the bees serenade you to sleep.’

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Steve Hussey, said:

“The idea behind 30 Days Wild is to get us all to take a bit of time out of our busy lives to engage with nature. A growing amount of research, along with our own common sense, tells us that being out of doors and in the natural world is good for our physical and mental health.

30 Days Wild is there to help us make time to go wild. Many of its random acts of wildness are aimed at families. We know parents often struggle to get children away from their screens and into the fresh air. But the campaign is also a chance for everyone to go a little bit wilder this June.”

30 Days Wild is free to take part in. Participants receive a pack with wallchart, stickers and lots of suggestions for ‘going wild’. People can sign up on-line at www.devonwildlifetrust.org/30DaysWild and is open to individuals, couples, families, schools and even businesses.

Steve Hussey, said:

“In the past we’ve had great take up from people undertaking 30 Days Wild with their schools, in their offices and as families. People seem to like the fact that it’s easy to do, is free and that it gets them out of doors to enjoy the wonderful Devon’s natural riches.”

Devon Wildlife Trust is staging its own 30 Days Wild event in the middle of the month. The 30 Days Wild Big Family Fun day is being held on Saturday 16 June between 11am and 3pm at Exeter’s Mincinglake Valley Park. Visitors to the event are promised a range of wild activities, including bug hunting, storytelling, wild craft and much more.