Opera Anywhere to present The Pirates of Penzance in the hangar at Eggesford Airfield

The touring Opera Company, Opera Anywhere, will present The Pirates of Penzance in aid of the charity Send a Cow.   The performance will take place on August 31^st, in the hangar at Eggesford Airfield, near Chulmleigh EX18 7QY.   You are invited to bring a picnic from 5.30 so you can enjoy the fabulous views from the airfield before the performance starts at 7.30 p.m. Bar and delicious Devon ice-creams available.

Tickets £15 and £7.50 for children up to 12 yrs. Available from Eggesford Gardens, any branch of North Park Vets, online at www.operaanywhere.com (fee applies) or telephone 01363 83245.

The Charity, Send a Cow, began in Lapford 25 years ago! For more information visit www.sendacow.org.uk

B10 Event. Biosphere’s partners join forces for the National Trust Lynmouth Fete

The North Devon Biosphere team will be at this year’s National Trust summer fete in Lynmouth as part of the B10 anniversary celebrations. The North Devon Biosphere Reserve is ten this year and they continue to mark this milestone with a full programme of varied events around the Biosphere Reserve. This is an opportunity to promote the work of some of the Biosphere’s partners; The National Trust, The Devon Wildlife Trust and Lundy Island. At the Lynmouth fete on Sunday 25 August the Biosphere team are working with the Devon Wildlife Trust to highlight the importance of Marine Conservation Zones in North Devon. There will be a chance to discuss this crucial conservation issue with the experts at the Biosphere display trailer. There will also be activities for the youngsters including making origami fish and gliding gannets! You will also be able to pick up some of the Biosphere limited edition recipe cards produced by TV Camper Van Cook Martin Dorey. These collectible cards show you some tasty ways of using fresh local North Devon ingredients. There is also an opportunity for visitors to sign up for the fab B10 prize draw! Fete organisers, The National Trust, will be around to let you know about their work in the region and have organised lots of fun events and activities at this lovely, traditional village fete. Have a go at welly wanging, plate smashing, coconut shy, craft activities, treasure island game, tombola and lucky dips. Another Biosphere partner, Lundy Island, will also be at the fete to tell you more about this jewel in the crown of the North Devon coast.

National Trust Lynmouth Fete Sunday 25 August 2013. The fete runs from 11am to 4pm on Lynmouth Manor Green EX35 6EH.

B10 EVENT Woolacombe BioBlitz. Entertainment, education and activities for all.

North Devon’s Biosphere Reserve has joined forces with Coastwise North Devon and a group of dedicated partners to make Woolacombe BioBlitz the flagship event of the B10 programme, celebrating ten years of North Devon’s UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.Thanks to The Big Lottery Fund, Coastwise North Devon has put together this wonderful BioBlitz event in Woolacombe on Saturday 7 September 2013. Working with a group of dedicated partners including the National Trust, the Marine Biological Association and the Devon Wildlife Trust BioBlitz organisers, volunteers and visitors will spend the day surveying the natural world of Woolacombe. BioBlitz will be fun, factual and produce valuable research into the natural environment in this one small area of the North Devon Biosphere Reserve.Bioblitz Project Manager, Coastwise North Devon’s Jim Monroe says: “Planning the Bioblitz is proving to be an amazing collaboration between naturalist groups and individuals from across Devon. Working together we want to provide a fun day out for the public whilst collating important scientific data for future reference. This will be North Devon’s first BioBlitz and we hope that it will engage everyone interested in this beautiful area.” BioBlitz Base Camp will be on the Greensward in Woolacombe, above the beach, and will house the Biosphere inflatable dome classroom alongside informative displays and activities provided by the contributing partners.A full programme of public events will run throughout the day (see list below) to identify and record the plants and animals discovered. The resulting data will be submitted to national databases and form part of the pack of learning material which will be developed from the event. As a flagship event for the B10 programme BioBlitz concludes a summer of diverse entertainment, education and activities with an accessible day of fun science for all.

Woolacombe BioBlitz Saturday 7 September 2013 
Guided Activities throughout the BioBlitz - Start Times and Activity Leaders as follows

• 10.00 Sea Mammal Watch Morte Point Dave Jenkins & John Broomhead
• 10.30 Seine Netting from the beach Doug Herdson
• 10.30 Birds and their Habitats Rob Jutsum
• 11.00 Strandline Hunt Baz Payne
• 11.30 Seeking Butterflies in the Dunes Jenny Evans & Matthew Oates
• 12.00 Seashore Safari at Woolacombe Jack Sewell
• 12.30 Seashore Safari at Barricane Trudy Russell
• 12.30 Dune Plants, Lichens and Fungi Janet Lister, Bob Hodgson & Patrick Watt-Mabbot
• 13.00 Seaweed Search Esther Hughes & Sarah Hotchkiss
• 13.00 Seal Survey from Morte Point Dave Jenkins
• 13.30 Seine Netting from the Beach Doug Herdson
• 13.30 Insect Hunt Tony Barber & Richard Comont
• 14.30 Coombesgate’s Rocks &Lichens Maxine Putnam, Paul Madgett & Tony Holwill
• 15.00 Sea Mammal Watch Morte Point Dave Jenkins
• 15.00 Stream Life Pete Jolands & John Hickson
• 16.30 Sand Dunes for Beginners Pete Jollands & John Hickson