Ruined farmstead uncovered in conservation project at Knowstone Moor

Scrub clearance work currently being carried out at Devon Wildlife Trust's Knowstone Moor nature reserve has uncovered a long-lost farmstead hidden from view for decades. The 120 hectare reserve near Rackenford is a mixture of grassland, heathland and bog is split by the A361 Devon Link Road. It was known that the ruins known as Little Comfort Farm existed at the site, but work this month to remove scrub as part of the GrantScape funded Culm restoration project has unveiled a large area of walls and foundations thought to date back to Elizabethan times. Ian Chadwick, the nature reserves officer for the site who has been in charge of the  work said: "We knew there was suppose to be a farmstead in the area, but until now had never had the funding to really get on top of the thick scrub in the area and fully discover it. Now with the help of contractors and volunteers the site has really opened up and we can see the layout of the farmstead, its out buildings and walls." Along with opening up this ruin, the conservation work is due to benefit a widerange of rare species that exist on the nature reserve including birds such as curlew, nightjar, whinchat and hen harrier. Its insects include two rarities; the marsh fritillary butterfly and the narrow-bordered bee hawkmoth. The charity is now interested to hear from local historians who may be able to shed more light on this ruin.

Leave a comment if you know anything about the history of Little Comfort Farm

Culm restoration project's Christmas tree clearance begins

Clearance work at an overgrown Christmas tree plantation near Rackenford in Devon gets under way this month as part of Devon Wildlife Trust's Working Wetlands project.The 3.5 hectare site includes Norway Spruce trees of varying ages which have passed their commercial peak. It is hoped that by clearing the trees the site will return to being Culm grassland. In turn, this should enable habitat connections between several key wildlife sites in the vicinity, and help important species to move around the landscape.The initiative is due for completion by the end of March 2011 and is being funded through Natural England's Higher Level Stewardship scheme. The project site is owned by Tim & Andy Paxton and represents part of their Rackenford Manor Farm. Situated close to Rackenford Moor, it forms part of a larger area of internationally important Culm grassland habitat.The Paxton's holding sits within the Working Wetlands project's Knowstone and Witheridge priority area. Stuart Coleman, DWT Working Wetlands project advisor said: "Although not a large site, the removal of this derelict conifer crop is a key strategic boost for us. The wildlife rich habitat which will be recreated here will link nicely with other areas of Culm grassland, and aid the recovery of many

important species, such as curlew, and marsh fritillary." Working Wetlands is a seven year landscape scale project and this is just one of many initiatives being undertaken by the scheme across 65,000 hectares of the Culm Natural Area. It has been supported by South West Water, Tubney Charitable Trust, The Environment Agency, Devon County Council, Devon Waste Management, Grantscape and Natural England.

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Nick Baker confirmed to open summer Wildlife Festival in Barnstaple

TV wildlife presenter Nick Baker has confirmed he will open this year's Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) Wildlife Festival in June. The event is just one in a series taking place to celebrate the 13th North Devon Festival. The date for the Wildlife Festival has just been announced and plans are well on the way for making this year's event the best ever. This year will be the charity's fifth annual Wildlife Festival. Following a successful spectacle in Plymouth last year the event comes to Barnstaple Town Centre for 2011. The festival will be held on Saturday 4 June between 10am and 4pm. Jo Pullin DWT's event organiser said: "It's great to have Nick Baker on board again. He had a great time last year making nest boxes and talking to families about his wildlife experiences, so he was quick to agree to come up to north Devon. This will be the second time the festival has visited Barnstaple and it will be lovely to see old faces returning along with new people. We have a winning formula which people seem to love!" The charity is currently writing to local wildlife related organisations in the area to see if they would like to attend the event which will be held at The Square, close to the town centre. This year there are plans for a wildlife parade, along with bird watching on the river, and the ever popular attractions of nest box making, face painting and live animals. For more information about the event visit http://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/. Anyone wanting to volunteer or have a stall at the event should contact Jo Pullin on 01392 279244.

Trainee sought to help north Devon conservation project

The Grazing Advice Partnership is offering one person the chance to gain a year's training and learn about conservation grazing through Devon Wildlife Trust's (DWT) Working Wetlands project. The twelve month placement will be involved in the day to day management of the charity's herd of rare breed cattle. This will include stock checking, transportation and liaison with landowners. As well as gaining the chance to carry out tractor driving tasks such as soil aeration, topping and flailing there will be the opportunity to learn other skills such as green hay spreading. The placement is part of the Grazing Links initiative of Working Wetlands, a project that supports landowners to undertake conservation grazing within three target areas of north Devon's Culm Natural Area. It is particularly focused on restoring wildlife rich habitats such as Culm grassland. Mark Elliot DWT's Working Wetlands Project Manager said: "This is a great opportunity for a local person who is perhaps looking to get into the conservation sector to gain hands-on experience through this landscape scale conservation project. They will get to work across the whole 65,000 hectare project area and help make a noticeable difference to local wildlife rich sites." Trainees will receive a tax exempt bursary of £14,000, mentoring support and access to GAP training courses. To apply applicants should visit the Grazing Advice Partnership website: www.grazingadvicepartnership.org.uk/ - Closing date for entries is 21 January.

The RSPB’s biggest event of the year "Big Garden Birdwatch"

The RSPB’s biggest event of the year "Big Garden Birdwatch" will take place on January 29th and 30th. In recent years, around half a million people have taken part but this year the RSPB hope to encourage even more people to count the birds in their garden over the weekend. Go to the Big Garden Birdwatch website: www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch where you can pre-register and receive a free information pack (if you register by 19th Jan) and 10% off bird food. Big Garden Birdwatch encourages many people to get involved and enjoy the wildlife in their garden and from 11th January, they are offering new adult members a choice of free gift that includes the popular RSPB classic apex nest box if they join by 31st March. Or, you can still choose the RSPB Handbook of British Birds or bird feeder with seed – all perfect gifts to help people enjoy the birds in their garden.
New Membership prices for 2011:
Single child £16
Two or more children £26.50
Single Adult Membership £38
Joint Adult Membership £48
Family Membership £53


More Big Garden Bird Watch Posts

Walking for Health scheme receives new support for the New Year

Taw Torridge Volunteer Services (TTVS) and Transform Ilfracombe have come together with the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Service to coordinate Walking for Health groups in North Devon and Torridge. Walking for Health is a national scheme that uses the national environment to help people confront and prevent health problems such as obesity, stress and mental health conditions, and aid recovery from illness. Led by Natural England, it provides support for local, volunteer-led walking groups to offer a range of walks for people of varying abilities. As Jenny Fish from TTVS explains, "Health and exercise are at the forefront of our thoughts immediately after the excesses of Christmas and New Year, so what better time to encourage people to get involved with Walking for Health." Devon County Council's Cabinet Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services, Cllr Roger Croad, agrees; "Research shows that access to the natural environment is good for us. We are lucky in north Devon to have a Biosphere Reserve with a high quality environment that is internationally recognised, so a scheme like this that uses our natural environment to confront health problems and other diseases is to be welcomed. Devon County Council is pleased to have provided the resources for the Biosphere Reserve team to bring in the voluntary sector to support provision in northern Devon." "Using the voluntary sector's community links and experience will make sure that walking for health opportunities reach those that really need them. This is what big society is all about!" There are Walking for Health Groups currently operating in Bideford and Holsworthy in Torridge, and South Molton, Barnstaple, Ilfracombe and Combe Martin in North Devon and all can benefit from this support. Transform and TTVS have received 18 month's grant funding from the North Devon AONB and Biosphere Service to enable the Groups to grow and reach more new walkers, and to set up new groups where there is demand.
To learn more about Walking for Health in North Devon and Torridge contact Transform (01271 867131) and TTVS (01805 625614) respectively. All the Group's walks programmes can be found at  www.wfh.naturalengland.org.uk/walkfinder