There has been a noticeable shift in the season over the past few weeks, with a distinct feeling of autumn in the air. While some of us may feel a touch of melancholy as we watch our summer visitors leave the skies, it’s also a great time to reflect on a busy and productive summer, filled with a great variety of events and projects across our parishes.
And news, just in!
The Wildlife Warden scheme has been shortlisted for a Stars of Teignbridge Award! Hurrah!
In this months newsletter:
- Connecting Kids with Nature: Warden Training in Nature-Based Activities
- Bowden Pillar’s Walk: A New Atlantic Rainforest Site Near Totnes
- Are You a Website User? Help ACT with an Indoor Project This Winter!
Connecting Kids with Nature: Warden Training in Nature-Based Activities
Thank you so much to Abbotskerswell Warden Emily for sharing her expertise and hosting a training session last month. I’ve received fab feedback from the event, and we hope to run another session in December. Please get in touch with me if you’d like to come!
Emily’s notes about the training:
In August I ran a training session in my little woodland all about nature based activities for children. Luckily we were blessed with great weather! We talked about health and safety around working with young people and considering the weather conditions and season when planning activities. I laid out lots of my resources and offered the group a chance to have a good look through for ideas. After this I demonstrated some activities and encouraged others to have a go too. We tried out making Nordic slinging bracelets, making beads (or snakes or handles for bubble wands) out of pieces of elder, hapa zome printing using ferns and making “poo” from a mix of flour, soil and water to investigate signs animals have been present.
Emily’s Basic Kit List:
- A duck caller, but anything to call children back to you works!
- Double-sided tape for instant stick during craft work: it’s much easier than waiting for glue to dry!
- Scissors, colouring pens and paper.
- Selection of wool and string (amazing what you can do with string and some sticks found on the ground!).
- Branch saw and secateurs for harvesting materials.
- “Go Find It” cards, my go-to warm up or gap filling activity which can be used anywhere, anytime!
- A tarp and paracord if you need to provide quick shelter or keep things clean, dry, or off the ground.
Emily’s Top 5 Tips for Doing Nature Activities with Kids:
1. Try to make it seasonal or or tie it in with the weather, special events, or a theme.
2. Keep it simple; don’t overcomplicate activities for children or you’ll end up having to provide a lot of support.
3. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Use Google or Facebook and you’ll find tons of suggestions for nature or forest school activities. The Wildlife Trusts, Natural History Museum, RSPB, and Woodland Trust all have numerous free printable spotting sheets, ID guides, colouring pages, and much more available to print at the touch of a button!
4. When crafting, always do a trial run yourself first to make sure the activity is correctly resourced and easy to engage with.
5. Always consider health and safety but don’t let it prevent you from doing activities with children, it can be so fun and rewarding!
Bowden Pillar’s Walk: A New Atlantic Rainforest Site Near Totnes
Wildlife Wardens enjoyed a sneak peek of the new Devon Wildlife Trust “Bowden Pillars Atlantic Rainforest Project” near Totnes last month. Claire Inglis, land manager for the site, led wardens and members of the Teign Valley Small Woodlands group on a tour of the land, explaining their plans to create and develop a diverse woodland ecosystem.
The project is funded by Aviva, which has committed several million pounds to similar projects across the UK, with the Bowden Pillars project being the first to launch.
Located on a 30-hectare (75-acre) plot, the site’s steep valleys, naturally high humidity, mild climate, and high rainfall make it an ideal setting for woodland regeneration. Once part of a larger, intensive beef and arable farm, this land is now shifting focus towards nature, people, and food. Adjacent land is set to be part of a community-driven regenerative farming project, while the farm and farm buildings are likely to become an eco-village.
DWT has worked closely with the local community, gathering input and explaining the project’s vision. Detailed surveys have been carried out to understand the site’s archaeology, flora, fauna, soil composition, and current carbon capture.
The plan includes roughly 20 acres of open spaces and paths, 25 acres for tree planting, and another 25 acres left for natural regeneration. Different tree species will be planted in wet and dry areas, with approximately 1,600 ‘stems’ per hectare. Ash trees affected by dieback will only be felled if they pose a safety risk. The carefully planned layout includes buffer zones and interconnected areas to enhance overall biodiversity, with green lanes and bridle paths maintained, and new permissive paths added over time. Access for dog walking may be restricted to certain areas, and deer-fencing will protect some of the newly planted zones. Outside fenced areas, trees will be protected with non-plastic guards, and no herbicides will be used on-site.
This ambitious project not only aims to restore nature but also to build strong connections with the local community, offering a sustainable future for both people and wildlife. Thank you very much to DWT for allowing the wardens to visit the site and we look forward to seeing it develop in future years.
Are You a Website User?
Help ACT with an Indoor Project This Winter!
Our main group, Action on Climate in Teignbridge, is working on making the ACT website more user-friendly. They are putting together a small working group and are looking for a few people who regularly use websites, to help with this – no technical expertise needed! It won’t take up much of your time, but your input would be incredibly valuable. If you’d like to get involved over the winter months (when it’s a bit too wet or chilly for bug hunting!), just drop me an email, and I’ll connect you with the ACT team members working on this.
Resources for Engaging with Your Parish Council on Biodiversity
These resources are well underway, and I hope to send out a link soon so you can access and use these documents. I will also upload them to the website.
We have put together a collection of local projects and actions, thanks to the wardens who kindly provided the details for these. Additionally, we will include a document with a brief summary of biodiversity duty, along with a short PowerPoint presentation that can be used to introduce the topic to your council. We hope these resources will enable wardens to approach and engage with their parish and town councils about their Biodiversity Duty, providing examples of actions they could consider supporting or initiating to fulfil this legal obligation.
Book Recommendation
Thank you so much to Jo (Dawlish) for this recommendation and review:
A history of life on Earth, written in an immediate and mind-blowing style. The way the story of Earth is woven, with each era described intimately, is both beautiful and incredibly educational.
The authors’ grip on fossil records and the complex scientific research over time is gobsmacking. Plates crunch, continents drift, life arises, and life goes out—sometimes with a bang, sometimes with a whimper. This book is an antidote to the depressing news of our own era, a tonic for the soul …. mesmerizing ….
Wild About Devon Forum
We will be heading to the Wild About Devon Forum in November, and it would be great for some of you to join us too. This free event is a great opportunity for connecting with others involved in community nature projects, sharing ideas, and learning about all the exciting work taking place across Devon. Book your place here.
Dates for Your Diary
| Tuesday 8th October | Wildlife Warden Activity Stand at Farmwise Event, Westpoint |
| Tuesday 8th October 10am-4pm, Embercombe | The Future of Deer Management in the Teign Valley Teign Valley Facilitation Fund Event Book ASAP if interested. |
| 28th October 7.30pm (Doors open at 7pm) | Elaine’s Wildlife Gardening Talk at Ilsington Village Hall |
| 26th November 10-4.30pm, Higher Ashton | Teign Valley Hedgescape event Teign Valley Facilitation Fund Event Take a look here for more information. |
| December Date TBC | WW Training for nature-based children’s activities |
Round Up of Wildlife Warden Activity Across Teignbridge
Ashburton A huge thank you to Elaine, who has been giving fantastic wildlife gardening talks in other parishes, including Ideford, Chudleigh and Shillingford, with another talk scheduled for Ilsington later this month. We really appreciate Elaine sharing her expertise with other parishes – getting communities engaged and excited about wildlife gardening.
Bovey This summer has been particularly busy in Bovey. The Hedgehog Group, which includes warden Janet, continues to thrive, with increasing involvement from locals. The group have been actively promoting hedgehog-friendly gardening, distributing leaflets and sharing videos of local hedgehogs, including one resident at the Bell Inn Pub! Hedgehog sightings are also mapped on “Hedgehog Street”.
Janet and Andrew have been supporting the DWT’s Bat Safaris throughout the summer months, leading well-attended walks at National Trust Parke. During these walks, they’ve recorded various species, including Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats, Daubentons, Pipistrelles, Noctules, Serotines, and Barbastelles.
In addition, Andrew conducts regular water quality tests, while Janet participates in River Fly surveys. This year, sightings of dippers, kingfishers, salmon, and otters have all been reported. In August, the WI, alongside wardens, hosted a “meet the public” event in the park to discuss water quality. They distributed leaflets on river protection and the environmental impact of flea and tick treatments on dogs.
The Bovey in Bloom judging took place in August, with Janet meeting the judges to discuss native wildflower verges, bulb planting, and wildlife-friendly gardening. The new “Growing Spaces” initiative, a collaboration between WWs, the Garden Society, and the Friends of Mill Marsh Park, is also getting going.
Janet regularly assists with school group events in NT Parke and Yarner Nature Reserve, recently leading bug hunts for 90 primary school children. WW David has also run several “Wildlife Walks” over the summer, and Andrew has helped with Himalayan balsam clearance at NT Parke. Wardens supported the Great Big Green Week, which will hopefully continue to grow in future years.
Meanwhile, Andrew, in a professional capacity, has produced a really interesting report commissioned by Moretonhampstead Parish Council on the source and management issues surrounding waste silage wrap in the area. You can access the report here.
Bridford Lucy has been actively collaborating with the Parish Council, offering insights on hedge management and proposing a practical plan to improve the area’s approach. She’s also contributed some exciting ideas for tree planting in the village play park and these will be discussed at upcoming council meetings. Over the summer, Lucy has been involved with the ongoing management of the village verges and took part in the Devon Bat Survey, recording an impressive 13 species of bats on the edge of Bridford—a fantastic result!
Buckfastleigh A warm welcome to new warden Aaron!
Christow Poor Jane has been recovering from a broken foot, but she still managed to launch a local wildlife WhatsApp group for people to share their sightings and stories. The group has quickly gained members and will hopefully inspire more interest in local wildlife.
Thank you so much to Val (Chudleigh), Jo (Doddi), Mike (Christow), Andrew (Bovey), Julia (Dunsford) and Janet (Bovey) who all collectively helped run a Wildlife Warden stand at the Christow Show. We really do appreciate your time and help making these events a success.
Chudleigh Welcome to two new wardens, Jayne and Charlotte! Several bigger verges in Chudleigh continue to be managed by the Chudleigh Wild group, including wardens, as hay meadows with these areas scythed and raked during July and August. The verges serve as examples of what can be done in gardens, providing vital stepping stones for insects and other wildlife to move through the town. Barbara has written a great article for the parish news with lots of helpful information about wildlife friendly outdoor lighting; a great topic to raise awareness about as our evenings draw in.
Chudleigh also welcomed Elaine from Ashburton, who gave a fantastic talk on wildlife gardening for the local community. The feedback from the talk has been fabulous!
Dawlish Pete and Mariya have been helping out at Ric and Jo’s community orchard. Meanwhile, Dave is pleased to see the success of a newly planted area near the leisure centre, where wildflowers have been blooming this season. Yellow rattle has also emerged this year at St. Gregory’s Church, as part of the ongoing biodiversity project.
Exminster A group of volunteers helped clear invasive bamboo from an area known as the ‘Wilderness,’ a natural woodland at risk of being overtaken. As an added benefit, the bamboo was then donated to the NHS occupational therapy team at New Leaf in Exminster, who will use it to build bug hotels.
This month, the Greenspaces team received a new feather banner, partially funded by a successful ‘Wild about Devon’ grant. Jeremy met with the newly forming ‘Kenton Nature and Green Spaces’ community group, and we look forward to welcoming them to the network soon.
Hennock/Chudleigh Knighton Chris and Becky organised a “Big Bug Hotel” building event at Chudleigh Knighton Village Hall, alongside members of the Parish Climate and Sustainability Group and children from the village. The event was a great success, with many children eager to talk to their school about creating a similar one there too! Plans are also afoot to develop a new wildlife corner at the site with new planting and possibly a small pond. We look forward to hearing how plans progress.
Ilsington As part of a series of walks to “special places in the parish,” Dawn led a group to a private site in Liverton. Once a conifer plantation, the site is now being converted to broadleaf woodland and the group enjoyed learning about the transformation and its benefits for local wildlife. A further walk is planned for later this month along with a community wildlife gardening talk in the village hall with Elaine (see diary dates).
Ipplepen Ippleplanet, including wildlife wardens, have secured a grant from the Co-Op to create a community orchard and possible wildlife site, on part of the Parish Council recreation ground. We look forward to hearing about these plans as they develop.
Kenton Daisy has successful gained a Wild About Devon grant which she has used to order spring flowering bulbs from Habitat Aid including snowdrops, native daffodils, bluebells and wood anemones. These will be planted in the churchyard during the autumn. Also, many congratulations to Daisy for the safe arrival of her baby boy last month!
Kingsteignton Hanna hosted a successful table at the Kingsteignton Community Festival event, promoting Kingsteignton Wild. The table featured various nature-based activities that kept children busy, while Hanna had great conversations with locals about local wildlife in the parish and the newly opened nature trail.
Kingskerswell George has been working closely with the Parish Council to apply for a ‘Wild About Devon’ Community Grant, with hopes of using it to establish a new community orchard. Alongside Val (Chudleigh), Shira (Ashton), and Sarah (Newton Abbot), he also ran a Wildlife Warden stand at the Kingskerswell Community Day, alongside an Action on Climate in Teignbridge (ACT) stand. Fortunately, the weather cooperated, and the mini turbines and solar panels on the ACT stand generated a good amount of power! The team had many engaging conversations with the local community about wildlife and climate.
This month, George met with Parish Councillors and the local Natural History Group leader at Kerswell Downs Woods to assess the state of the woodland and identify areas for biodiversity improvements. This will be an ongoing project.
North Bovey Susan has continued her weekly butterfly transect walks, though she has been saddened by a disappointing year, as reflected in the recent Big Butterfly Count results. Alongside the North Bovey Conservation Group, she also conducts regular water quality and riverfly surveys. Additionally, Susan has been involved in a Marsh Fritillary larval web surveys and meadow plant surveys locally. Recently, she visited the site of a new large pond construction in the village and plans to monitor its progress in the future.
On a more positive note, hedgehogs are thriving in and around the parish, with the distribution of hedgehog boxes to the community going well.
Starcross Ali has continued developing the wild area at Bonhay Park, leading working groups to mow the meadow at varying heights to create a more diverse habitat. She recently wrote a great article for her local parish magazine, highlighting the importance of dark skies at night for both people and wildlife. In the article, she referenced a recent headline from National Geographic:
“People all over the world are living under the night time glow of artificial light, and it is causing big problems for humans, wildlife, and the environment. There is a global movement to reduce light pollution, and everyone can help.“
If you would like access to the shared Wildlife Warden folder, which contains fantastic collection of past articles to view and use, please drop me an email.
Stokeinteignhead A warm welcome to our new warden, Charlie, who will be jumping right in alongside Jill this month to plant native wildflowers grown on her farm!
Teignmouth A warm welcome to new wardens, Amelia and Dale! Wardens in Teignmouth were called upon by the local rangers and guides to assist with nature-based activities for children, and Peppy and Debs eagerly stepped up to help! Thank you!
As we move into the winter months it would be great to get ahead and start planning for next year. Please feel free to get in touch with me if:
- You would like to be connected with wardens who have already run a project that you might be interested in for your own parish
- You are keen for us to provide training in a specific area.
- You would like to help identify landowners in your parish who may be interested in County Wildlife Site surveys.
Thank you to all of you for everything you do – all our collective actions really do make such a difference.
Vicky