The Devon Wildlife Trust is a member of

The Wildlife Trusts partnership The Wildlife Trusts, the trading name of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts, is an organisation made up of 46 local Wildlife Trusts in the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and Alderney. The Wildlife Trusts, between them, look after more than 2 ...

covering the county of

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is a registered charity, established in 1962 as the Devon Naturalists Trust, and its aim is to safeguard the future of the county's urban, rural and marine wildlife and its environment.

The trust

Twenty percent of Devon is unspoilt wildlife habitat, and the county contains all or part of two

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

s (

Dartmoor Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers . The granite which forms the uplands dates from the Carboniferous ...

and

Exmoor Exmoor is loosely defined as an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England. It is named after the River Exe, the source of which is situated in the centre of the area, two miles north-west of Simonsbath. ...

), one

UNESCO biosphere reserve Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments. MAB's work engag ...

(

North Devon Biosphere Reserve North Devon's Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO biosphere reserve in North Devon. It covers and is centred on Braunton Burrows, the largest sand dune system (psammosere) in England. The boundaries of the reserve follow the edges of the conjoined c ...

), five

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; , AHNE) is an area of countryside in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, that has been designated for conservation due to its significant landscape value. Areas are designated in recognition of thei ...

(

Blackdown Hills The Blackdown Hills are a range of hills along the Somerset-Devon border in south-western England, which were designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1991. The plateau is dominated by hard chert bands of Upper Greensand wit ...

East Devon East Devon is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Devon, England. Its council has been based in Honiton since February 2019, and the largest town is Exmouth (with a population of 34,432 at the time of the 2011 census). ...

North Devon Coast The North Devon Coast was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in September 1959. The AONB contributes to a family of protected landscapes in the Southwest of England and a total of 38% of the region is classified by the Internatio ...

South Devon South Devon is the southern part of Devon, England. Because Devon has its major population centres on its two coasts, the county is divided informally into North Devon and South Devon.For exampleNorth DevonanSouth Devonnews sites. In a narrower se ...

and the Tamar Valley) and part of the

Jurassic Coast The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. It stretches from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset, a distance of about , and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in mid-December ...

, the only natural

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in England. Devon Wildlife Trust campaigns on a number of regional and national wildlife issues, and also looks after some 40

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

s including

Sites of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

such as Bystock,

Dawlish Warren Dawlish Warren is a seaside resort near the town of Dawlish in Teignbridge on the south coast of Devon in England. Dawlish Warren consists almost entirely of holiday accommodation and facilities for holiday-makers especially caravan sites. L ...

Bovey Heath Bovey Heath is a 32 hectare (50 acre) area of heathland between Bovey Tracey and Heathfield in south Devon, England. Although primarily heathland habitat, the site has some wet mature oak woodland, and is home to rare species such as ...

Chudleigh Knighton Heath Chudleigh Knighton Heath, near Chudleigh Knighton, Devon is a List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Devon, Site of Special Scientific Interest, so designated because of its rare lowland heath vegetation. It is a habitat for many rare spe ...

, and

Dunsford Dunsford is a village in Devon, England, just inside the Dartmoor National Park. The place-name 'Dunsford' is first attested in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as ''Dunesforda'', meaning 'Dunn's ford'. The village has a number of ...

. The trust has over 37,000 members which help fund its work and it is aided by around 800 registered volunteers which help with running 12 local groups and habitat management work on the charity's nature reserves. There are also some 60 full-time staff working for the Trust. The Trust's headquarters and visitor centre is located at the historic

Cricklepit Mill Cricklepit Mill is a visitor centre of the Devon Wildlife Trust, located in Exeter, in Devon, England. It is the headquarters of Devon Wildlife Trust, and one of two visitor centres of the Trust; the other is Wembury Marine Centre near Plymouth.< ...

Exeter Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...

. The building features a working 19th-century water-powered flour mill and displays information about the Trust's reserves and activities. Outside is a wildlife garden, an oasis of calm in the middle of the city. The mill goes into action once a month. Other visitor centres are situated at

Wembury Marine Centre {{coord, 50.318, -4.078, display=title, region:GB_scale:5000 Wembury Marine Centre is situated in the small village of Wembury, near Plymouth. Run by Devon Wildlife Trust, it holds rockpool rambles throughout the summer months, educating some 20, ...

on the coast in

Wembury Wembury is a village on the south coast of Devon, England, very close to Plymouth Sound. Wembury is located south of Plymouth. Wembury is also the name of the peninsula in which the village is situated. The village lies in the administrative di ...

and Seaton Jurassic at Seaton. The trust also manages Woodah Farm, near

Doddiscombsleigh Doddiscombsleigh (anciently ''Doddescombe Leigh'') is a small settlement in Devon, England. It is southwest of the city of Exeter and one mile East of the River Teign and the Teign Valley. Along with a few other places in Devon, it is one of ...

, which is situated in a wildlife reserve and provides groups with research facilities.

Nature reserves

Devon Wildlife Trust manages the following nature reserves: * Andrew's Wood * Ash Moor * Ashculm Turbary * Barley Valley Park * Bellever Moor and Meadows * Blackadon *

field * Bystock Pools *

* Clayhidon Turbary * Dart Valley * Dawlish Inner Warren * Dunsdon *

* Duryard and Belvidere Valley Park * Emsworthy Mire *

Exe Reed Beds Exe or EXE may refer to: * .exe, a file extension * exe., abbreviation for executive Places * River Exe, in England * Exe Estuary, in England * Exe Island, in Exeter, England Transportation and vehicles * Exe (locomotive), a British locomotive ...

Exeter Valley Parks Exeter Valley Parks are six parks around Exeter, England, managed by Devon Wildlife Trust. The management was transferred from Exeter City Council, which owns the parks, in May 2019. The parks * Ludwell Valley Park. South-east of the city centr ...

* Halsdon *

Halwill Junction Halwill is a village in Devon, England just off the A3079 road, A3079 Okehampton to Holsworthy, Devon, Holsworthy road. About a mile away on the main road is another settlement called Halwill Junction. This name brings to mind the former signif ...

* Hawkwood *

Higher Kiln Quarry Higher may refer to: Music * The Higher, a 2002–2012 American pop rock band Albums * ''Higher'' (Ala Boratyn album) or the title song, 2007 * ''Higher'' (Ezio album) or the title song, 2000 * ''Higher'' (Harem Scarem album) or the title song ...

Horsey Island Horsey Island is an island in the parish of Thorpe-le-Soken, Essex. It lies in Hamford Water and is part of the Hamford Water National Nature Reserve, managed by Natural England. Permission is required to visit. Geography The western section o ...

* Ideford Common * Inner Warren *

Lady's Wood Lady's Wood is a nature reserve west of Upwood in Cambridgeshire. It is managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (WTBCN) is a r ...

* Lickham Common * Little Bradley Ponds *

Lower East Lounston Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England See also *Nizhny Nizhny (russian: Ни́жний; masculine), Nizhnyaya (; feminine), or Nizhneye (russian: Ни́� ...

Ludwell Valley Park Ludwell Valley Park is wildlife-focused public park in Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom. The park is owned by Exeter City Council and managed by Devon Wildlife Trust. It has a working farm, with grazing animals, as well as arable fields, in additio ...

* Marsland * Mambury Moor *

Meeth Meeth is a small village roughly north-northwest of Okehampton and west-northwest of Exeter. It lies to the west of the River Torridge. In the past, ball clay mines were a major source of employment in the village, lying just to the west, howev ...

Quarry * Meresfelle * Meshaw Moor *

Mill Bottom Mill may refer to: Science and technology * * Mill (grinding) * Milling (machining) * Millwork * Textile mill * Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel * List of types of mill * Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine ear ...

* Mincinglake Valley Park * New England Wood * Old Sludge Beds, Exe Estuary * Rackenford and Knowstone Moors * Riverside_Valley_Park *_Ruggadon_Middlepark *_Scanniclift_Copse.html" ;"title="Ruggadon_Middlepark.html" ;"title="Riverside Valley Park * Ruggadon Middlepark">Riverside Valley Park * Ruggadon Middlepark * Scanniclift Copse">Ruggadon_Middlepark.html" ;"title="Riverside Valley Park * Ruggadon Middlepark">Riverside Valley Park * Ruggadon Middlepark * Scanniclift Copse * Sourton Quarry * South Efford Marsh * Stapleton Mire * Stowford Moor * Swanpool Marsh * Teigngrace Meadow * The Rough * Uppacott Wood * Vealand Farm * Veilstone Moore * Venn Ottery * Volehouse Moor *

Warleigh Point Bathford (pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable) is a village and civil parish east of Bath, England. The parish, which includes Warleigh, has a population of 1,759 and extends over . History The ancient charter ''Codex Diplomat ...

* Whitycombe Valley Park *

Wolborough Fen Wolborough is a village and former civil parish in Devon, England. Today it forms a southern suburb of the large town of Newton Abbot Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish on the River Teign in the Teignbridge District of Devon, ...

* Woodah Farm Rural Skills Centre

Campaigns

Devon Wildlife Trust actively promotes and runs a number of campaigns. Devon is the only English county with two coastlines, and the Devon Wildlife Trust is joining with other wildlife trusts to campaign for better protection of marine life. The Trust are responsible for watching over the UK's only breeding population of wild

beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...

s. Present since at least 2008 in the River Otter, evidence of kits was found in 2014 and there are believed to be eight families currently living on the river.

References

External links

*
Wembury Marine Centre website

Seaton Jurassic Visitor Centre website
{{Authority control Environment of Devon Organisations based in Devon Wildlife Trusts of England 1962 establishments in England Organizations established in 1962