The summer holidays got off to a ‘flying’ start for local youngsters when EDDC’s Countryside Team joined other local organisations with a rural theme at the annual Natural Seaton Festival.
The event was organised by the Seaton Visitor Centre Trust to celebrate the geological and ecological wealth of the town.
The first EDDC Countryside event of the weekend was Meet the Bats led by Fiona Mathews, Senior Lecturer in Mammalian Biology at Exeter University. Eleven of our 15 native species of bat have been recorded on the Axe Estuary Wetlands in Seaton, and electronic bat...
Nature has beneficial effects that help us cope with stress at work, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The research, conducted by Dr Valerie Gladwell at the University of Essex, highlights the power of the 'great outdoors' to improve both physiological and psychological wellbeing.
"The modern era has brought a decline in levels of physical activity, accompanied by huge increases in physical disability and diseases, as well as an increase in cases of mental ill-health," says Dr Gladwell. "Today, not only are rates of obesity,...
Join Caradoc Doy on Wednesday evening and he will tell you about the trees in Exeter Higher Cemetery. The walk starts by the cemetery chapel at 6.30pm on 17 July. There is a fee of £4 for an adult, £1 for a child and £2 for Friends of Higher Cemetery members.
It is sad to note that as we may enjoy the sights and sounds of Spring around us, our natural history is in serious trouble. That is the conclusion of the recent State of Nature report published by a coalition of leading British conservation and research organisations.
Scientists working side-by-side from 25 wildlife organisations have compiled a stock take of our native species – the first of its kind in the UK. The report reveals that 60% of the species studied have declined over recent decades. More than one in ten of all the species assessed are under threat of disappearing...
The Woodland Trust is concerned almost 84,000 ancient, veteran or notable trees are in danger from a multitude of pests and diseases, including 7,000 treasured ash trees which could be at risk from ash dieback. More than 115,000 trees, some of which have survived for more than 1,000 years, are registered on the charity’s Ancient Tree Hunt website and the majority of these could face direct threats from pests and diseases.
Ancient trees are the natural equivalent of listed buildings; they’ve stood for hundreds of years and witnessed historic events while watching silently in the...
Last month over 200 school children braved the winter snow and rain to join the South Devon National Trust Rangers for their fortnight of schools activities.
Year 5 and 6 pupils from seven local schools travelled to the National Trust sites at East Soar Farm and Wembury beach, where stream and pond dipping, gorse cutting and scavenger hunts were all on the agenda.
The first week, which was unseasonably cold, was held at East Soar Farm, with Kingsbridge, Loddiswell, Malborough and Stokenham primary schools all attending. Thankfully the team had use of the East Soar Farm...
200 children aged between five and 15 years of age from across 20 Exeter school’s came together recently to celebrate the world of wildlife around them.
The conference, organised by Devon Wildlife Trust, was staged at the city’s St Peter’s Church of England School and took place on Friday 9th November. Its theme was ‘the bigger picture’ and asked students to think about how taking small, local steps to help wildlife can lead to big and impressive results.
The conference featured TV naturalist Nick Baker, who gave an inspirational launch address spelling out just...
University of Exeter scientist Dr Fiona Mathews has discovered one of Britain’s rarest mammals living in East Devon. Members of the public were treated to a surprise close encounter with the Grey long-eared bat, believed to be one of only 1,000 individuals in the country, at an event organised by East Devon District Council’s Countryside Service at the Axe Estuary Wetlands.
The bat evening was part of a regular Wet and Wild Weekend – a celebration of the wildlife of the Axe Estuary Wetlands attracting nearly 500 people. Dr Mathews and fellow bat-enthusiast Adrian Bayley...
Saturday 22 October 11.00am - 3.00pm Price: Free for RSPB Child Members, £3 per Non-Member Child
If you could design your very own wildlife garden, what would it look like? Would it have a pond? Would it have flowers? Would it even have a bug hotel?
Well, come on down to Bowling Green Marsh hide this half-term, get stuck into the mud and build your very own mini garden with us! Go searching around our brand new wildlife garden for inspiration and learn from our friendly volunteers how easy it is to give nature a home.
