A new Marsh Barton railway station will open to the public on Tuesday 4th July, helping to ease traffic congestion and provide more sustainable travel options for locals.

Hourly Great Western Railway services (half-hourly during peak times) between Paignton and Exmouth will be available.

The £16 million project was delivered by Devon County Council in collaboration with Network Rail and Great Western Railway (GWR) and built by construction and civil engineering specialist firm GRAHAM.

Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) are being supported by Aviva and a generous legacy from a DWT supporter to create Atlantic rainforest near Totnes.

A share of a £38 million Aviva fund will support the restoration of the rainforest at a new nature reserve called Bowden Pillars Farm. Two-thirds of the land will be planted with native species trees over the 105-year lease.

Rainforests of the British Isles now cover less than 1% of Britain. Restoring this habitat will help to remove carbon from the atmosphere and aid nature recovery.

Devon County Council is one of 21 local authorities across the UK to receive the Fast Followers funding from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

The £300,000 over two years will help to attract more green finance into the county to help deliver actions identified in the Devon Carbon Plan.

A ‘water batteries’ project delivered by Westcountry Rivers Trust and South West Water will pay farmers in Devon and Cornwall to create water storage on their land.

£1 million in funding from Ofwat’s Innovation Fund will help farmers to create ‘water batteries’, storing up water in soil ‘sponges’ as well as ponds and lakes. During periods of drought, they can be drawn on to help the farm or sold to buyers.

East Devon’s Streetscene have increased the number of greenspaces and verges that will not be mowed between April and September.

These areas will create more habitats for insects and wildlife, provide nectar for bees and pollinators, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from mowing.

Look out for yellow ‘let it grow’ signs across the district!

What stops you from running errands, seeing friends and getting around in easy and convenient ways? What makes it easy or difficult to walk, wheel (mobility scooters or wheelchairs) or cycle around in your area?

This survey is open to people in South Hams and West Devon. Your local councils are working on a project to improve the area for local people to get about - please let them know what you think at the link below.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the regional Climate Adaptation Strategy consultation so far.

The DCIoS Climate Impacts Group (CIG) commissioned this Strategy, led by consultants RSK Group (including subsidiaries ADAS and WRc). When the consultation is complete, they will consider any feedback before finalising the Strategy and working with organisations to put it into practice.

Follow Devon Climate Emergency on social media or go to our website for updates. You can also read the Strategy at https://www.climateresilient-dcios.org.uk/

Want to see what's happening in your area, or find local news about an aspect of climate change that interests you?

You can now filter our Taking Action pages by location, as well as Theme and Goal in the Devon Carbon Plan!

Check back for regular updates from partners about what they're doing to take action on climate change.

Ivybridge Pedal Power; Leonard's Road Car Park, Ivybridge; Saturday 1st July, 10:00am – 5:00pm

This family day out will have a host of exciting activities to enjoy, all promoting the benefits of active travel in the South Hams.

Activities include velodrome cycling, guided bike rides around the area, adult cycle confidence taster sessions, skateboarding sessions, a free bike service and more.

Exmouth Vegan-Eco Fair; Manor Gardens, Exmouth; Saturday 1st July, 10:30am –4:00pm

The Role Of Land Ecosystems In Climate Mitigation And Adaptation; Online; Wednesday 12th July, 4:00pm – 6:00pm

Dr Bonnie Waring is a Senior Lecturer in Imperial College London’s Department of Life Sciences and the Grantham Institute on Climate Change and Environment. Her work combines laboratory, field, and modelling approaches to understand how the ecology of plant and soil microbial communities controls carbon sequestration in land ecosystems.

In this free seminar, Dr Waring will discuss the role land ecosystems play in helping society mitigate and adapt to the climate crisis.

Wildlife Gardening Open Day; North Devon Hospice, Deer Park, Deer Park Road, Newport, Barnstaple, EX32 0HU; Monday 24th July, 10:00am – 2:00pm

Interested in making your garden wildlife-friendly this summer?

Katie Wilkinson from the Devon Wildlife Trust will be giving a talk about the principles of wildlife gardening followed by a tour around the beautiful hospice grounds by Head Gardener, Ian.

See the event page for the three session timings available.

Forest Rising Workshops; Plymouth, South Devon, West Devon and Dartmoor; April – July

The free Forest Rising programme gives 16-28 year olds the opportunity to get involved with the creation and running of the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest. They will develop ideas, design woodland habitats and activity they want to see, sit at the table with decision makers and implement their ideas in relation to nature recovery.

The programme includes several workshops and a final event to bring everyone together. See the full list of dates, times and locations on their website.