Issue No.7
Welcome to the June 2017 issue of Natural Devon's e-newsletter
Natural Devon is a collaboration of all those working to ensure that a healthy natural environment underpins a high quality of life across the county. Please get involved.
Natural Devon Board members - thanks and welcome
A massive thanks to Nicola Bulbeck who has been our Local Authority Board member since the start of the LNP and is leaving Teignbridge District Council this month. A massive welcome to Iain Vosper, Regulatory Director at South West Water, who has just agreed to represent Businesses on the Board.
 Devon and Torbay State of Environment Report
The LNP's State of the
Environment Report describes the condition of our environment, discusses future trends, and identifies pressures on our
environment that should be considered when making decisions. Devon County Council is about to update the report and would like to know about any data sets that should be included or ideas for how to improve the report. Email nature@devon.gov.uk by the
21st July 2017.
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 Conference - Waking up to Climate Change
A one day conference on October 5th in collaboration with the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, the University of Exeter, NHS England and Public Health England Sustainability and Health ambassadors Devon. Professor Michael Depledge, Chair of Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter, will be speaking. Topics include climate change, the impacts on human health and the wider role of nature in health and disease.
See the full programme and book your place
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To find out about our Naturally Healthy Working Group meetings please contact Hannah.colston@activedevon.org or see the Naturally Healthy pages on our website for minutes etc.
Naturally Healthy Month
Massive thanks to everyone who got involved with Devon and Somerset's Naturally Healthy month. Loads of events were held across Devon including workshops for partners wanting to involve new audiences in their activities,
guided walks in Plymouth and Dartmoor, rock pool safaris at Wembury marine
centre and beginners bicycle rides in Buckfastleigh!
Particular thanks to Active Devon for leading work on Naturally Healthy month in Devon. Active Devon is currently undertaking a review of the month. In the meantime please contact Hannah.Colston@activedevon.org.
 30 Days Wild
Following on from Naturally Healthy month please get involved in the annual June 30 Days Wild challenge organised by The Wildlife Trusts.
Visit the Devon Wildlife Trust website for details of events.
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Devon on Earth - connecting community groups with nature
The Devon Community Foundation (DCF) is joining forces with local partners to launch a new fund dedicated to supporting community groups and others to reconnect people with nature. Sign up to the DCF newsletter via the website to receive future updates on this initiative.
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There is loads of work going on across the county which contribute to the Get Devon Buzzing initiative. To find out more about projects such as Dartmoor Meadows Project and the West Country Buzz project please see our website.
 Build for Bees competition is underway
Help pollinators and win great prizes by taking part in the LNP's Build for Bees competition. The first entry, shown here, has been submitted by the Honiton Bottom
Community Nature reserve volunteer party as part of the East Devon countryside
team.
Visit our Pollinator webpage for more information.
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In April we were invited to the Toby Buckland Garden Festival to promote Get Devon Buzzing and the competition. Nicky Scott did some great work in promoting the campaign and his bug hotel received lots of interest, including a request from the Countess of Devon to return to build one in the Estate.
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This theme is led by the Devon Education for Sustainability Working Group. To find out more, including meeting dates, please see the Outdoor Learning pages on our website.
Outdoor learning magazine - TeachOut
TeachOut magazine has been developed by teachers in North
Devon as part of the LNP's Naturally Healthy Devon Schools project, and offers
support for teachers looking to develop learning outside the classroom. For further details and to
order your copy please visit the TeachOut website.
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 Emily
aims to send Exeter pupils wild
Devon Wildlife Trust has just appointed Emily Bacon to
help Exeter’s school children go wild! One
of the Emily’s first tasks will be to establish a network of Forest Schools
which will offer outdoor learning to schools
across the city. She will also work with local brownies, cubs and holiday clubs. To find out more visit www.devonwildifetrust.org or
email Emily Bacon at ebacon@devonwildlifetrust.org
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April 2017 Lecture - Professor Dieter Helm
180 people attended our 2017 lecture on Natural Capital and Sustainable Growth at the University of Exeter. For those who couldn't make it please Watch the Lecture online. If you have suggestions for a speaker for the 2018 lecture please email Tom.Whitlock@devon.gov.uk.
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Productivity Plan and Natural Capital
Natural Devon partners are working with the Local Enterprise Partnership and Local Authorities to embed natural capital approaches into the evolving Heart of the South West Productivity Plan. To find out more please contact hbarton@devonwildlifetrust.org.
 All the Better For
Moorland Butterflies
Butterfly Conservation has been awarded funding for their new ‘All the Moor Butterflies’ project by
the Heritage Lottery Fund. The project will run events and help landowners restore and create habitat for the
High Brown Fritillary, Heath Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary on Dartmoor, Exmoor and Bodmin Moor.
Visit the website or contact Megan Lowe, mlowe@butterfly-conservation.org
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 Help save the Freshwater Pearl Mussel
Freshwater pearl mussels are in serious decline in Devon and are now only found in the Rivers Taw and Torridge, which are too polluted for the mussels to breed successfully. A project involving the North Devon Biosphere, Environment Agency, Devon WildlifeTrust and others is working to save the mussels but needs to fill a funding gap and is asking people to help. To find out more please Visit the website
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 Conservation stewards for European sites
The Exe Estuary, Dawlish Warren and East Devon Pebblebed Heaths are all internationally important for wildlife. Developer contributions from Teignbridge, Exeter and East Devon have been used to fund Amelia Davies and Sama Euridge to help people enjoy these areas without disturbing the wildlife. This work is overseen by the South East Devon Habitat Regulations Executive Committee.
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Sweet Chestnut Blight - South West update
Sweet chestnut blight is a fungal pathogen, entering fissures or wounds on American and European sweet chestnut trees, infecting the bark and causing cankers, wilting and dieback of the stems. Following an outbreak in Devon, six zones have been identified in the South West, with five in Devon, where the movement of sweet chestnut trees and materials will be prohibited.
Further information and a symptoms fact-sheet and pest alert are available on the Forestry commission website to help you know what to look for when inspecting your trees.
Devon Hedge Week - October 2017
Devon Hedge Group is running Hedge week between October 21st - 29th to celebrate Devon's amazing hedges through a series of events across the county . Visit the Devon Hedge group website for more information and please let the group know about any relevant events you are running.
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Green infrastructure
Resource library
In order to share information about the value of green infrastructure the Green Infrastructure Partnership has published the
Green Infrastructure Resource Library, an online database of more than 500
publications, case-studies etc.
 Landscape Advice Note for Neighbourhood Plan
The Devon Landscape Policy Group has produced a useful Advice Note on how to protect and enhance the landscape through Neighbourhood Planning. The document received
an accolade for ‘Excellence in Planning Decision Making’ in this years’ South West RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence.
If you are involved in neighbourhood planning or would like to know more see the Landscape Group Advice Notes.
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 Tranquillity makes some noise
Devon is ranked
the 6th darkest county in England when it comes to light pollution
levels. Tranquillity is hugely important for our health and wellbeing as well as wildlife and the Devon Landscape Policy Group is working with a range of partners (environmental health officers, engineers, planners etc) to produce an new Advice Note to help maintain and improve tranquillity across the county. For more information please
contact Melanie Croll, DCC Landscape Officer. melanie.croll@devon.gov.uk
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