Nature reserves stay open in lockdown
 In response to the latest lockdown in England, we have made the difficult decision to enact the following temporary changes to our operations across our nature reserves. The below is now in place until Sunday 28 February:
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Our ten nature reserves remain open. Residents of East Devon can still use the green, open spaces as part of their permitted daily exercise while observing social distancing measures. We ask all visitors to our reserves to take extra care when making contact with surfaces such as gates.
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No events will take place. We had not planned to run any during January, although we hope to run family outdoor events in February Half Term. Visit our event pages here for up-to-date listings.
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We have paused volunteer activities on our sites. Recruitment of new volunteers is also suspended, but we have waiting lists for each of our roles. To add your name, please email wild@eastdevon.gov.uk
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We will be adding daily content to our social media platforms @wildeastdevon so you can stay in the loop with what we’re up to.
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The four Bird Hides at Seaton Wetlands will close for the time being. Black Hole Marsh and the Axe Estuary can still be viewed from our four open-air viewing platforms.
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The toilets at Seaton Wetlands will remain open for the time being with a more regular cleaning schedule.
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The Discovery Hut at Seaton Wetlands remains closed until further notice.
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Our Tramper Hire service at Seaton Wetlands is suspended until further notice.
We have suspended moderate and above risk activities to ensure no avoidable call on our amazing emergency services, which means inconveniences such as temporary closures to some permissive paths may be in effect.
These measures will be under review by the team and any change will be communicated to all involved as the situation develops.
Thank you for your support of the team up to now, please stay safe and await further updates from us with regards to each aspect of Wild East Devon.
New Years’ Resolution: Volunteering
 Image taken before lockdown.
What’s your new year’s resolution? Eat less chocolate? Get outside more? How about donating your time to make a positive difference to wildlife and nature this year?
While volunteering is currently paused on our reserves, we have a waiting list ready for when we start up again after lockdown.
Volunteering for Wild East Devon is informal and fun, with varied roles from Axminster to Exmouth including photography, making charcoal, practical conservation, wildlife surveying and tour guiding.
If you’re interested, please register for the waiting list.
Winner of the Reindeer trail
 We had a fantastic response to the Wild East Devon Reindeer Trail competition at Seaton Wetlands in December. Thank you to everyone who took part and found all nine of Father Christmas’ Reindeers before submitting their entry at the Lookout.
We received more than 100 entries! Congratulations go to Sonny Hawkins, age 7, from Colyton who was randomly selected as the winner. Sonny will now receive his very own wooden reindeer!
Do you know your Ash from your Elder?
 Yes it is cold, wet and we are in lockdown but it is still a great time to explore trees on your daily walk. Trees take on a unique look in the winter months when their amazing silhouettes are on show. Most native trees have dropped all their leaves and are in a dormant state waiting for the storms to pass before spring begins.
We have provided a simple guide to help you become a budding tree detective. Thanks to the Woodland Trust.
Water Levels at Seaton Wetlands
Ever wondered how we lower the water levels at Seaton Wetlands? Ranger James explains how he controls the water levels in the face of low temperatures.
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