Reviving Nature in South Devon: Initiatives Boosting Biodiversity

We are lucky in South Devon to be surrounded by some fantastic and inspiring efforts to support nature recovery. Projects large and small are quietly getting on with the job of restoring habitats across our rolling green and pleasant, but not particularly biodiverse, landscape.

From linking isolated stands of trees and restoring Devon banks and hedgerows, to creating ponds, leaky dams, orchards and flower meadows, these projects are helping to increase biodiversity — and with it, resilience, variety and the security of our food production.

Maybe it is the company I keep, but I believe there is a powerful awakening happening. A growing realisation that we can all have a positive impact on the way things turn out, but only if we pay attention, get hands-on and take action.

Timing is critically important. Whatever the reasons, change is upon us and we need to dig deep and face up to the challenges ahead. There is perhaps no better way of doing that than rolling up our sleeves and joining the heartening efforts already taking place in hamlets, villages and towns across the country.

Here in South Devon, there are plenty of examples.

The Apricot Centre near Dartington trains new and existing farmers in regenerative agriculture, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to adapt to changing conditions and take advantage of new opportunities in nature-friendly food production. Alongside its own organic produce, the centre also provides outreach, education and wellbeing programmes, as well as a forest school.

Oak Barton Farm at California Cross and Green Man Growing at Village Farm, East Portlemouth, are both run by recent graduates of the Apricot Centre. Both produce fantastic organic vegetables, available through veg box schemes, local outlets and the wonderful farmers market in Kingsbridge on the first and third Saturday of

each month. Buy from these guys, support their efforts and enjoy the flavour and texture of beautiful local, seasonal produce.

Pigment, based at The Baddaford Farm Collective, is a social enterprise producing beautiful organic dyes while providing training opportunities for people with additional needs in the workplace. Seeing the stunning swathe of colour, literally humming with pollinators in summer, is something to behold — and a wonderful reminder of the circular nature of systems in the natural world.

Incredible Vegetables is another inspirational micro-enterprise at Baddaford, helping spread the joy of perennial plants and vegetables. Plant them once and harvest again and again. What is not to love? Less soil disturbance, less water and nutrient loss, and less work. It makes so much sense, and every garden and farm could benefit from incorporating more perennials into the mix.

Deerwood Trust is a native tree nursery and outdoor learning centre set in ancient woodland near Loddiswell. It produces thousands of native saplings from seed, which go on to support wilding projects near and far. The Community Interest Company also trains and supports new entrants into woodland creation and restoration.

The Animal Rescue Centre at Ash, just outside Dartmouth, is an animal respite and rescue charity that also nurtures acres of some of the best wildflower meadows in the country. ARC provides fantastic habitat for all manner of creatures, great and small, and is also home to the only gull sanctuary in the South West, where protected seabirds can recover and return to the wild.

These examples are just a small selection of the eighteen or so forward-thinking, nature-connecting projects that Force 4 Nature visits and supports with its growing team of motivated volunteers.

Every week, F4N moves between projects, getting hands-on with practical work that supports nature recovery, connection and organic food production. This can involve tree planting, hedge restoration and laying, pond restoration, constructing and putting up bird and bat boxes, scything flower meadows and harvesting seed.

There is something really special about moving between such a variety of places. You meet incredible people, all striving to do something worthwhile while working in tune with nature. You see amazing places that would normally be off limits and, perhaps best of all, spend time outdoors doing positive work alongside other positive, like-minded souls.

Force 4 Nature is a project of the Community Interest Company Till the Coast is Clear, which started in Kingsbridge in 2018. Initially focused on plastic pollution and its recovery from our spectacular coastline, the social enterprise now also initiates and leads nature recovery and connection projects across South Devon.

F4N's work is made possible by the support of local businesses and the Devon Environment Foundation, a Devon-based node of the charity Conservation Collective.

If you would like to support Force 4 Nature, or have some weekday hours to spare and would like to get involved, it would be great to hear from you. Visit www.tillthecoastisclear.org and click on Force 4 Nature.