The UK’s territorial ghg emissions do indeed represent ~1% of global emissions. This is confirmed by the UK’s CCC and other government published data. They also publish the annual emissions we export, our consumption emissions account for ~1.5% of the total. It’s also worth looking at the full picture here, the UK’s population accounts for ~0.85% of the total, so our consumption emissions per capita are almost double the world average. Strictly, we should also consider the UK’s historic emissions since the industrial revolution, since these emissions have a cumulative effect (our natural world can no longer ‘absorb’ human generated emissions). It turns out to be ~4.4% of the total, we are high up in the ranking, especially when compared on a per capita basis. It also means the UK has contributed more than 5 times as much to the cause of climate change as the world average. Based on the full evidence regarding this, we have a significant responsibility and should act accordingly, especially given our advanced capabilities, reputational leadership and relative prosperity.
It’s reasonable to expect governments of any shade and others in society with influence to protect citizens from an existential threat, whatever the short-term cost. In the opinion of many who understand the science behind climate change, no government has yet come up with a plan to mitigate climate change that is environmentally responsible but economically sensible . Not doing so early enough has left us with a difficult choice between short-term cost and certain peril. Delaying immediate and effective action further will just make things worse.
Nuclear power will need to be part of the solution, providing the baseload to a decarbonised economy through electrification. Unfortunately, the evidence shows that while a reliable source of low-carbon per unit of energy, nuclear is more expensive than renewables (even when including system integration/balancing costs, partly paid for by taxation). It also has a much more significant long-term safety/decommissioning cost compared to renewables. Renewables, especially onshore wind, are the fastest to deploy, most economical and easiest to decommission when no longer needed (when we crack fusion!).
Like all primary energy sources, ground-mount solar farms have their challenges. It is inappropriate to build these on arable land when other options exist, like rooftops and low-quality/degraded land (e.g. landfill sites). We do need to keep this in perspective though, currently less ~0.08% of land is used for these solar farms of which less than 50% are on best and most versatile agricultural land. This is a lot less compared to any one of other uses such as housing, roads, growing meat and possibly even golf courses. Renewables can be removed with little or no impact on the land, unlike other land use which we just accept. Onshore wind, on the other hand, has a much smaller land footprint. ACT submitted evidence to the Teignbridge local plan inspector demonstrating a 66 fold lower land impact per unit of energy compared to solar PV. The examiner agreed to retain the policy wording for onshore wind despite several objections. It is true that wind is ~7.5 fold higher land footprint than nuclear, however, the total land needed for all of UK’s electricity demand from either primary energy source remains negligeable. This is because ~95% of the land required to meet wind turbine regulation, remains unrestricted for agriculture. This despite nuclear having ~150 fold lower land footprint. Then there is offshore wind, which is a little more expensive, higher ghg emissions and technologically more challenging than onshore wind, but still a commercially viable and environmentally sustainable option. Given this evidence, onshore wind seems a no-brainer if we can overcome our emotional objections.
I hope most would agree that all primary energy sources will have a role in decarbonising the economy in a practical and affordable way. I believe the overriding priority must be avoiding the imminent, irreversible and existential tipping point (to most life especially the complex, like humans). Should we really simply burn such a valuable natural resource like fossil fuels with their catastrophic consequences? Especially when there are evidence-based alternatives like cutting out wasteful use of energy, using it more efficiently and generating it from low-carbon sources?
The ACT energy group have recently discussed the relative cost of renewables compared to fossil fuels (see item 4 + comments) as well as the contribution Rosebank and Jackdaw could make to the UK’s energy needs (see comments on the same post). There is an infographic, to look at and raise any questions.
Welcome to ACT’s latest newsletter keeping you informed of the activities our Groups have been working on. Do get in touch if you are tempted to join in with any of our projects!
Is Climate Action Becoming Less Urgent For The British Public? (Article 2)
This is the second article on this theme- see the first in the April Newsletter.
The whole purpose of ACT is to support our District Council and the residents of Teignbridge to work towards achieving carbon neutrality.
So I was drawn to recent research that suggests the proportion of people who support urgent action to reduce carbon emissions and reach net zero has fallen in the past five years. If we are all going to stay motivated to continue to take actions, big and small, and within our own capacities, we need to understand why this is happening.
Research from King’s College London, Ipsos and the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations found that only 3 in 10 people now say the UK should achieve net zero before 2050, down from 5 in 10 in 2021. There is also declining support for climate policies such as low traffic neighbourhoods and a subsidy for green cars.
However, a 64% majority still say the government target should be 2050 or earlier. The majority of all age groups and all political parties except Reform still favour this. But there are some inconsistencies such as a recent study which shows 80% support for expanding the UK’s renewable energy infrastructure, including 65% of Reform supporters.
A number of commentators offer ideas about the inconsistency between continuing concern and declining urgency about the crisis. Professor Duffy of King’s College London suggests issues related to climate change have increasingly been drawn into “culture war” debates in the UK. The public see a tension between ‘believers’ and ‘sceptics’ (64%) though 68% do not consider themselves to be in either of these categories. This may contribute to why the urgency people feel has been affected, despite our continuing wish to see Net Zero as soon as possible.
Other commentators offer the idea that more immediate priorities have taken over from the climate, such as inflation and the NHS (see my comment article in the April Newsletter). The importance of action to reduce costs to households is underlined. There is an urgent need for unifying narratives and policies on climate change, which will improve all our lives, across the political spectrum.
The polarisation of views, on climate or otherwise, is a great distraction. To quote the late MP Jo Cox, ‘We have more in common than that which divides us’.
Mandy Cole ACT Public Engagement Group
Local Government Reorganisation
Action on Climate in Teignbridge has been working with our district/local councils, organisations, businesses and local people since Teignbridge District Council declared a climate emergency in 2019. Our work has significantly increased climate knowledge and action for our planet. Climate change is the most important issue for our world; it is much more important than local government reorganisation, yet the reorganisation that has been decided upon for our district will cripple Teignbridge District Council over the coming two years and is likely to take up the equivalent of two or three days work a week! It is very likely that much of the council’s important climate change work will be shelved.
The proposed reorganisation carves up a district that has a real identity and a District Council that has worked hard for many years to provide good, low carbon and nature-friendly services. Teignbridge is an excellent example of urban towns and villages sustained by its extensive rural areas. The proposed reorganisation is nothing short of a land grab to extend two large urban areas along the currently protected coastline.
Equivalent LGR initiatives have shown that savings can only be achieved when populations of the newly created council exceed 500,000. All the proposed areas apart from the remaining rural rump will have a population around or below 300,000. This being the threshold where major financial costs will be incurred both for set-up and ongoing operation.
Other serious threats of this proposed reorganisation include the loss of valuable members of Teignbridge Council staff, who are already overworked and are likely to move away from a dying council.
ACT supports a judicial review of this unexpected decision. It isn’t democratic and many local MPs and councillors are opposed to it. The Local Government Reorganisation decisions were made by Steve Reed. We need to know whether Angela Rayner, the current Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government supports that view – or whether she feels that the money required would be better used in other ways.
notes:
ACT will work as normal until there is a final decision and the arrangements are clearer; TDC continues to exist until April 2028
Teignbridge is the most significantly affected council — being split three ways: 6% to Torbay, 21% to Exeter, 23% to the Devon Council
New unitary authorities take over 1 April 2028; elections in May 2027
Existing district wards remain for Exeter, Torbay, and Plymouth; Devon’s ward boundaries still to be determined
The decision is not yet legally final — Devon County Council is considering a judicial review ; local MPs (including Steve Day) are largely opposed
Of the five proposals, the one chosen, proposed by Plymouth and Exeter Councils, was ranked fourth by those who responded to the consultation
Practical implication for ACT: TDC will be effectively unavailable for partnership work during the transition
ACT will share these thoughts with the new Secretary of State, local MPs and Councillors
Audrey Compton ACT Wildlife Wardens
Support Your Community
Anyone out there who wants to contribute a bit of time to ensuring ACT continues to operate as a Community Interest Company (CIC)?
By the end of this year, Paul, our treasurer, is finally hanging up his calculator having done the task for nearly seven years.
If you are good with numbers and have a few hours to spare every three months or so, please get in touch. We have an established system/tools to track our ~£15k turnover, which of course you can adjust to suit your way of keeping the books, and submitting quarterly/annual reports. The earlier we have someone in place the easier the handover!
Unsure if you can commit before knowing what’s involved? No problem, we can explain things before any decisions.
Fuad Al-Tawil Energy group coordinator
Film Inspires Hope As Well As Fear
We had a full house at the July 10th screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing in The Pavilions,Teignmouth. That’s nearly 200 people, a majority of whom stayed for the discussion after the film, which was one of over 2,400 screenings so far in the UK and was organised in partnership with Teignbridge District Council.
Martin Wrigley, the Newton Abbot MP, was in attendance, as were several councillors, including Jackie Hook, Executive Member for Environment, Climate and Sustainability. The mayor of Teignmouth, Lily Chasteau, also came along.
During the discussion, several people reported feeling more fearful after watching the film. The facilitator, Mandy Cole of ACT, asked for a show of hands and estimated more than half the audience felt that way.
One participant described moving from anger and frustration to genuine fright, but with increased motivation to act. Another acknowledged fear but was also inspired by the practical steps the film detailed. A third, who said this was her second viewing of the film, said it still evoked fear, but also hope.
She said: “I’ll tell you where I get my hope from, mostly, is being in this room, because I think you’re probably all lovely people who are really scared of our choices.So let’s make a different one. What people are forgetting is that we’re the 80%, we’re the ones with the power, we are the silent majority.”
She said one action she took after her first viewing, and will take again, was to tell two people about the film. “And one person went to a screening, and they’re really pleased they did. Because most people are so scared of this and they don’t have all the facts. The people in power will listen to us when we’re noisier than we are now. So go and tell someone about this film.”
Martin Wrigley said his conclusion from watching the film, and being at the national emergency briefing the film is a record of, was “We cannot carry on doing what we’re doing right now; we have to make changes at every level. Part of that is individual, part is local groups, part is councils making a difference, part is national, and part is global. But we all have to do our part in what we can.”
He encouraged the audience to write to him, but acknowledged in answer to a question that it’s not enough, because our voting system makes the government incapable of long term planning. It’s helpful, though, to write and point to good research he may have missed and could use to make an argument in Parliament.
“What we have to do,” Mr Wrigley said, “is have a government that believes they can make a change and that’s what we’ve been missing in the past couple of years. They haven’t been bold enough, they haven’t been pushy enough, they haven’t believed they can change things as fundamentally as they need to.”
One of the actions we need to push the government to take is to hold a televised national briefing about the risks from climate and nature breakdown. Please sign the petition calling for such a briefing.
Pauline Wynter ACT Public Engagement Group Co Chair
Wildlife Warden Update
After reading Vicky’s comprehensive report on Wildlife Warden projects on Dartmoor, we have been awarded £1,000pa by Dartmoor National Park Aurthority for three years!
Devon Biodiversity Records Centre ran a habitat survey morning course for a large group of us at Woodah Farm. This has been followed by several County Wildlife Site Surveys around the District – thank you Survey Team!
Our surveyors have also re-surveyed many of Teignbridge District Council’s open spaces – part of our work with them to see whether some small management changes can increase plants and insects.
We had a morning for district and county councillors here – 10 councillors and 10 wildlife wardens, who talked about what they had been doing; followed by a meadow and brook woodland corridor walk – and of course, lots of coffee and cakes. A great success and possibly extra funding.
Albert Knott ran two evening ‘glow worm walks’ for wildlife wardenm on the Moor.
There was a well-attended social meeting at Glyn and Helen’s lovely wildlife farm near Dunsford.
Vicky and I ran an Introductory meeting for seven new wildlife wardens – on the evening of England’s match – and they still came!
I led a ‘Love your Weeds’ walk around Chudleigh car park – around 40 species of plants thrive there, mostly useful and beautiful (except for the MacDonald-like Buddleia!). This is part of our work to reduce complaints about ‘untidy’ streets and car parks when spray use is reduced.
Audrey Compton ACT Wildlife Wardens
Climate Update: 10 things YOU can do to tackle climate change — starting NOW
I write regular articles in Reconnect Magazine, here’s our current top 10 list of actions you can take….
Climate change can feel like a huge problem — but there are plenty of things we can do that make a real difference. And when we do them together, our impact multiplies.
⚡ Switch to renewable energy
Choose a renewable electricity tariff, generate your own power with solar or wind where you can, and move away from fossil-fuel heating.
🌱 Eat more plants
Try making more of your meals plant-based. Eat less meat and dairy, choose seasonal food and avoid wasting what you buy.
🚲 Travel differently
Walk, cycle, use public transport and trains wherever possible. For longer journeys, consider rail before flying — and explore the amazing places we have here in the UK.
🏠 Make buildings work harder
Insulate your home, draught-proof, improve energy efficiency and consider low-carbon heating such as a heat pump. The same applies to workplaces, community buildings and businesses.
🛍️ Buy less — and buy better
Before buying something new, ask: Do I really need it? Choose durable, repairable products and avoid unnecessary consumption.
♻️ Buy local, second-hand and seasonal
Support local producers and businesses, buy pre-loved where you can, and keep money circulating in our local economy.
🔄 Reduce, reuse, repair, recycle
Recycling matters — but reducing waste comes first. Repair things rather than replacing them, reuse what you already have and share equipment you only occasionally need.
🤝 Share more
Cars, tools, lawnmowers, skills, food and even spare space can all be shared. Community sharing means less stuff, less waste and more connection.
🌳 Give nature a helping hand
Grow some of your own food, plant trees and hedgerows, create wildlife-friendly gardens, rewild where you can and protect the natural spaces around us.
📣 Turn individual action into collective action
Talk to your family, friends and neighbours. Join a local climate group. Ask businesses and your council to act. The biggest changes happen when communities act together.
And remember…
You don’t have to do everything. Start with one thing — then bring someone else with you.
The cost of energy is always a problem. In a perfect world energy would be abundant, clean to generate and free.
Sadly, energy comes at monetary cost to you, and environmental cost to the earth. To reduce your energy consumption, a great first step is to look at your base load energy consumption.
Base load is the energy our homes consume all the time. When we are out, when we are asleep, when there is no active use of devices that consume energy.
The average UK 2-to-3-bedroom house consumes around 18,000 kWh of energy annually and pays around £1,850 for this energy. 10% to 15% of this energy consumption is likely base load, nothing to do with heating the house or water, powering the cooking or devices or keeping the lights on.
Here’s my suggested guide for minimising electricity base load.
If you have a smart meter, check your hourly energy consumption overnight or when you are out. How much power are you drawing? (hourly energy measured). If your average base load power is less than 50 Watts, you’re already expert at this!
Investigate what consumes your base load power to help you decide if this is or is not a necessary use of energy. There are several ways to do this. Find out more from me or read about the free facilitated sessions offered by ACT/TDC here.
If you feel confident to do it yourself, take a look at the My Electricity tool to guide you and help record your findings.
If your electricity base load is say 200 Watts per hour, that’s 4.8 kWh of daily base load which seems trivial until you multiply that by 365 days in the year. That’s 1,752-kWh consumed before you’ve turned the lights on, heated the house, made hot water, washed and dried clothes and cooked. Those 1,752 kWh are your first £350 of energy expenditure each year. It’s worth deciding if you want to use all that power.
Next time I’ll investigate further steps.
Paul Bloch ACT Carbon Cutting Team
Teignbridge Community Network Event
On Thursday 15 October from 1:30pm – 4:30pm at The Courtenay Centre in Newton Abbot (TQ12 2QA), the second Teignbridge Community Network Event takes place – a welcoming and inspiring gathering for town and parish councillors, community leaders, and voluntary sector organisations from across the district, with someone from ACT giving a short talk.
Teignbridge CVS and Teignbridge District Council bring everyone together again for an interactive and valuable session of themed networking opportunities, giving attendees more time to meet others who care deeply about their communities, share ideas and make connections. This is an opportunity to step back from day-to-day challenges, meet others who care deeply about their communities, share ideas, and explore how we can achieve more by working together.
What you can expect:
Connect with fellow councillors and community leaders from across Teignbridge. Hear the latest updates on local priorities, projects and initiatives from guest speakers including representatives from Teignbridge District Council and Action on Climate Teignbridge. Share experiences and learn from what is working in communities like yours. Discover opportunities, funding, resources and support available to help your community thrive. Explore partnerships and build stronger relationships across sectors. Have your voice heard and help shape future conversations and action across Teignbridge
What’s in store?
Local Government Reorganisation: What does it mean for you?
Climate change and what to do about it
Networking and discussion sessions on:
Employment
Dementia
Families
Please note that at the time of booking you will be asked to indicate your preference for the themed networking opportunities, and to propose a question for one or more of the speakers.
Wow! What a packed spring we have had – and as this newsletter goes out, we find ourselves already slipping into summer! Since the start of the year we’ve already run thirteen training sessions and events, sharing ideas and skills across the group.
Now, as we hit peak survey season, many Wildlife Wardens will be getting stuck into surveying across the district, supporting both the Devon Biodiversity Record Centre’s County Wildlife Site project and Teignbridge District Council as they work to manage their sites better for biodiversity. Looking forward to a busy summer season ahead!
And …..for the bug lovers amongst us! Throughout this newsletter spot some of the focus species for the new Buglife Moor Invertebrate project including the blue ground beetle, bog hoverfly, narrow headed ant and the lichen running spider. Thank you to David Turrell for the beautiful photos.
It’s been a busy start to the year for Wildlife Wardens, with a variety of training and events. These all aim to build skills and confidence, strengthen connections between wardens, and spark ideas and inspiration to bring back to parishes.
Collaboration chats: At the start of the year we wrapped up our final two online chats, where wardens with experience in running open wildlife garden events, moth breakfasts and community bioblitzes shared their know-how with others, looking to do the same in their own parishes. These chats have clearly sparked some action – Exminster will be running an open wildlife garden event in June, whilst Chudleigh WWs and the Chudleigh Wild group have set up a wildlife gardening group with gardens visits planned for the summer. Across all four online events we clocked up 52 bookings and it was lovely to get together and feel connected with the group during hibernation time! A huge thank you to all those wardens who came along as our experts for these chats, we couldn’t have run them without you.
Hedgerow survey training Using the People’s Trust for Endangered Species survey, we ran a session looking at hedge structure and how it can be used to figure out where a hedge sits in its lifecycle and what management might be needed to keep it healthy. Understanding Devon’s fabulous hedgerows is invaluable for wardens, and these survey skills can be great to offer local landowners and farmers who want to manage their hedges better for wildlife and also for hedge health.
Early plant ID – In the cold of early spring, Audrey led a session on identifying plants without flowers – always the trickier challenge! Building these skills is rewarding for both beginners and experienced botanists, and means our survey season can start earlier and last longer.
Using plants for minor injuries and mishaps – We were treated to a fabulous morning with WW Kerry, who shared her wealth of knowledge on using plants for minor injuries. Kerry made the walk utterly engaging, and we were all fascinated to learn about the properties of so many common plants including cleavers, hedge woundwort, plantain, yarrow and daisies and the stories behind their use throughout history. Thank you, Kerry!
Devon Biodiversity Record Centre habitat training – This training was put on especially for Wildlife Wardens who have been carrying out County Wildlife Site surveys for DBRC over the past few years. We delved into the skill of reading habitats and landscape by looking at topography and plants found. We also learned more about priority habitats and brushed up on our grass, sedge and rush identification skills. A really great morning!
Nightjar survey training WW Vince is on a mission to find nightjars! The idea behind this project is to identify novel breeding sites for nightjar outside of the known strongholds in Teignbridge. Last week, Vince led a group of wardens to Bovey Heath, which is a good site for nightjar activity – and we weren’t disappointed! We saw several males likely tussling for territories, heard the characteristic churring of singing males and observed their distinctive flight pattern. The group will now complete BTO surveys twice over the next few months, and we hope to report back some new sites for these birds. Thanks Vince for all your time and for getting the group so excited about nightjars!
Twenty wardens came along to a super day with the Barn Owl Trust near Ashburton. We began with a talk from Conservation Officer Kate, who gave us a brief overview of owls in Devon before focusing on barn owls. With a decline of around 66% in their numbers due to changes in farming practices, the Trust is working hard with landowners and farmers to improve habitats for them. An ideal habitat is rough grassland, which supports their small mammal prey – barn owls in Devon prefer field voles, along with common shrew and wood mouse. Field voles don’t live underground and need cover throughout the year, so maintaining rough field margins alongside hedgerows and leaving overgrown areas that machinery can’t reach is vital.
We learned that female owls lay their eggs asynchronously, meaning they have an extended period sitting to incubate them. The male feeds her throughout this time, but when she finally emerges she is often quite weak. A real risk at this point is drowning in nearby livestock water troughs, which she will often visit to wash herself in after sitting for so long. The Trust has come up with a nifty floating mesh to place over troughs to prevent this, and educating local landowners about this is something wardens could take on if they know where barn owls are nesting in their area.
The Trust’s work also includes helping to site new nest boxes, responding to national enquiries, monitoring populations, and giving advice around safe rodenticide use. A terrifying 94% of barn owls were found to have second-generation rodenticides in their livers on post-mortem examination, and the Trust promotes a list of alternatives, with rodenticides as a targeted last resort.
After a sociable picnic lunch, Harry, the Trust’s Reserve Officer, took us for a stroll around the adjoining nature reserve, where a great deal of work has been done to create a mosaic of habitats supporting not only owls but many other species too. We were all amazed by the Ritz of bug hotels – I thought even I might move in myself: fabulous views, abundant wildlife, and definitely in better condition than my own house!
Thank you to the Barn Owl Trust for such an excellent day – we all came away better informed and happy to have discovered such a beautiful spot.
WWs and Chudleigh Wild members Tess, Sue, Charlotte and Emma led a group of wardens on a walk around the town, talking about the bats found in the area and the regular weekly monitoring they carry out through the season. This work provides vital information about how bats are moving around the landscape – and it has never been more important, as multiple developments continue to be built in Chudleigh. By keeping detailed records of bat movement, the team has been able to advise on appropriate street lighting and bat mitigation across the area.
Chudleigh is a particularly significant site for the greater horseshoe bat, a species whose populations have declined nationally by 90% over the past 100 years due to habitat loss, intensive farming, increased pesticide use and light pollution. Greater horseshoe bats are especially sensitive to light as they emerge later after dusk than many other species and actively avoid illuminated areas, meaning artificial lighting along hedgerows and commuting routes can cut them off from their feeding grounds entirely.
The group walked us around some of the local housing developments, pointing out the changes to street lighting that have been achieved. Tess has written an excellent summary which you can access here, and the team would be delighted to help any wardens wanting to find out more or explore how they might influence change in their own areas.
And remember of course, light pollution isn’t just a bat issue. It affects hedgehogs, birds, moths and many other insects, making it an incredibly important issue to tackle.
Thank you so much to the Chudleigh team for your time and expertise!
Awareness of the damage caused to the natural world and to our own health through pesticide use is growing and the issue is now much more mainstream than in the past which is really good news.
In the last year Wildlife Wardens have been involved in the following ways:
Throughout the year – Audrey and Vicky have been meeting with the Green Spaces Team and contractors Idverde on managing public spaces for biodiversity and pesticide use. Good relationships have been forged and things are moving in a positive direction.
January 2025 – I gave my first Murder in the Garden talk, since speaking at Teignmouth Gardening Club and Chudleigh Wild, with two further talks in the pipeline. The materials have also proved useful at WW stands at various events. We’ve created a leaflet on safe disposal of unwanted pesticides at local recycling centres which can be shared at events and is useful for the many areas across Teignbridge where an organised local collection isn’t currently available.
March 2025 – A small group met with Andrew Rothery of Newton Abbot Green Futures, who spearheaded the Bradley “Check the Shed” campaign, discussing what might be possible across wider Teignbridge. Andrew has since run a second Newton Abbot collection gathering 155kg of pesticide material, and is now supporting WWs in Ilsington to explore a parish collection.
June 2025 – Several WWs attended the successful Pesticide Free Devon conference, an excellent motivator for county-wide action and the Pesticide Free Devon website has since launched. Research also published this month clearly showed the carcinogenic effects of glyphosate, adding impetus to our efforts (read more).
November 2025 – Bishopsteignton’s Wildlife Wardens and Climate Impact Action group successfully persuaded their parish council to vote for pesticide-free management. Well done!
January 2026 – Audrey, Vicky and I wrote to all parish councils and District Councillors in Teignbridge, making the case for going pesticide-free and asking what actions their councils have taken – building a useful picture of progress across TDC and generating some very positive responses.
With pet flea treatments also entering the mainstream media, we hope this year will see an acceleration towards giving pesticides the boot!
Unfortunately, one of our lovely volunteers was recently bitten by a dog whilst leafletting for an event – a very shocking and painful reminder that this can be a real hazard.
If you are out delivering, please never put your fingers into a letter box on a door; instead, only post to boxes that are already open, or use a stick or tool to lift the flap. It’s also worth remembering that dogs can be loose in gardens, so if you notice any signs that a dog is present at a property – such as a warning sign or barking – please don’t enter and just move on to the next address. It’s just not worth the risk!
Devon Local Nature Recovery Strategy – what’s it all about?
The Devon Local Nature Recovery Strategy is a countywide plan to restore and protect wildlife and habitats, guiding investment and action to enhance biodiversity across Devon. It gives an overview of Devon’s wildlife and sets out priorities and actions to help nature recover and is a tool to help us all do our bit to create a wildlife-rich Devon, today and for generations to come.
Want to find out more? Devon Wildlife Trust and Community Action Groups (CAG) Devon are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 2 June, from 7.00pm to 8.30pm. This webinar will run through all you need to know to begin using the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and its many resources, including a mapping tool. The talk will be led by the Local Nature Recovery Strategy team and is aimed at organisations and individuals working to take action for nature.Find out more and reserve your free spot.
Narrow Headed Ant Photo credit: D TurrellGrizzled Skipper Photo credit: D Turrell
Keeping the work going – funding and legacies
Throughout the year a group of ACT steering group members meet regularly to discuss ongoing funding for the Wildlife Warden scheme, which is a continuous task. Funding can often be easier to get for new initiatives, but becomes more challenging to secure for the continued support of a successful project. Funding is predominantly needed for the core costs of paying a part-time coordinator which ensures training opportunities for the group continue, new wardens are found and supported whilst networking across the group is facilitated.
We have been very lucky to have received funding last year from the National Lottery Awards for All, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Teign Energy Communities, along with a series of donations from individuals working closely with the scheme. However, we are still looking to match fund our Awards for All grant, so every little extra counts.
We are deeply grateful to share that we have also recently received a generous legacy donation from the estate of a warden’s late mother. The warden has asked to remain anonymous, but wished us to share this news in the hope it might inspire others to consider leaving a legacy to the group. If this is something you would like to explore, please do get in touch.
Thank you to Dawlish WW Jo who has recommended these two books for us:
Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane As with all his books it is well researched, perfectly written and strikes a chord… essential reading for those who love and respect water.
The Book of Trespass by Nick Hayes is (as the Spectator describes) ‘ a devastating exposure of land inequality and also an absolute delight to read.’
Blue Ground Beetle Photo credit: D TurrellLichen Running Spider Photo credit: D Turrell
Calling for your Wildlife Warden stories
If you find a spare moment – we’d love to hear from you! Thank you to everyone who has already sent something to me.
We’re continuing to update our website and would like to include more of your personal stories about being a Wildlife Warden. These stories really bring the WW scheme to life, helping others understand what it’s like to be involved and why everything we do matters.
We’re not looking for anything long or fancy – just 10 or 15 minutes of your time. A few bullet points, a short paragraph, or even a single sentence is perfect. Whatever you feel like sharing, we’d be very grateful.
Please take a look here for a few prompts if you need inspiration. Thank you!
Nightjar and glow warm walks at Yarner with expert Albert Knott (3 spaces available for 14th and 1 space for 20th)
Sat 27th June (10.30am start)
Visit and picnic lunch at Kelland farm, Dunsford – WWs land managed for wildlife
Sun 12th July (Time and venue TBC)
Bumblebee ID training with expert Debs Rylands
July (date tbc)
Love your weeds walk with Audrey Compton
Dates throughout June, July and August
We will be doing multiple surveys throughout the summer for potential County Wildlife sites and monitoring of TDC sites – if you are not on the WhatsApp groups for these but would like to be involved, please let me know.
Teign Valley Facilitation Fund – A huge thank you to WWs Shira, Lucy, Jo, Julia, Tess, Jane and Larissa, who have all helped install dormouse nest boxes into hedgerows this spring as part of this ongoing project supporting local landowners and farmers in the Teign Valley.
Black-Veined White Butterfly Reintroduction Project, led by Ambios Ltd – An exciting project for the Teign Valley this summer is the reintroduction of an extinct butterfly, the Black-Veined White and a group of WWs have got stuck in to help with this. Thank you to Julia, Scott, Shira, Andrea, Clemence, Jacqui, Peter and Sophie, who are all carrying out every-other-day checks to ensure caterpillars have sufficient food plant (hawthorn) and monitoring pupae. With the first butterflies having emerged this week, it’s a tremendously exciting phase for the project!
Devon Swift Champions – When Dawlish WW Jerry Horn, who runs the Devon Swift Project, called on WWs to help survey local churches where swift boxes have been installed, the response was fantastic – fifteen of you stepped up! A huge thank you to WWs Sarah B, Helen, Anna, Shira, Elliot, Jo, Edmund, Julia, Jeremy, Fran, Sarah C, Vince, Betina, John and Janet for becoming Swift Champions. Fingers crossed for plenty of nesting this season following all Jerry’s extraordinary work across the county.
Ashburton Welcome to new WW Audrey! WW Elaine gave a wildlife gardening talk in Ipplepen, organised by the local WWs, which was a great success with over fifty people attending.
Ashton WW Shira continues supporting work on reducing pesticide use in Teignbridge. See Shira’s recent update for more on progress over the past year.
Bishopsteignton WWs Kirstyn, Laura and Sarah continue their work with the Bishopsteignton Climate Impact Action Group, organising a series of community talks. Sarah is also organising a screening of the National Emergency Briefing film on 20th June, with a facilitated discussion afterwards. Check the map for other local showings, and if you’d like to organise something similar in your parish, Sarah is happy to share her experience – do get in touch.
Bovey Tracey Welcome to new WW Mo! Thanks to WWs Andrew and Janet for helping run a free tree giveaway in Bovey in March, where hundreds of whips grown through the Devon Treescapes project were given away to very happy recipients! Andrew was also involved in planting and maintaining 120 whips in Bullands Field, with habitat enhanced by leaving areas unmown. Janet has been instrumental in getting the Bovey Swift Project off the ground, supported by a Wild About Devon community fund – fingers crossed for nesting swifts this year! WW David continues as an expert guide for regular wildflower walks at the National Trust’s Parke site, and several Bovey WWs contribute regular wildlife updates to the local Cottage magazine alongside Ilsington WWs.
Bridford WWs have updated the verge management plan for Bridford Parish Council, addressing local concerns about wildflower verges looking untidy later in the season by ensuring a mown edge surrounds them. This very useful plan has been added to the WW shared folder – get in touch if you have any trouble accessing it. WW Lucy has been monitoring a local planning application to ensure bat-friendly lighting is used, with 14 recorded bat species in the area.
Buckland-in-the-Moor WWs here have been supporting Albert Knott and the Dartmoor Preservation Society with ongoing monitoring and work at Pudsham Meadows. There is an open day on Sunday 7th June – email Derek Collins to find out more and book a place.
Chudleigh WW Jayne has launched a new initiative offering her expertise to residents of new-build developments, helping them plan wildlife-friendly gardens. An initial launch stand, supported by WW Tess, generated strong interest, and Jayne will be offering garden visits and personalised plans – a brilliant idea for plots often left bare following major soil disturbance. We look forward to hearing more as the project develops. WWs Tess, Sue and Charlotte continue with regular bat monitoring in the town and also helped survey the Pudsham Meadow site. WW Val, alongside Audrey, has created a WW display stand for the Dawlish Turn the Tide festival. WW Barbara continues her dedicated work raising the profile of hedgehogs in the town.
Dawlish – Welcome to new WWs Rosie, Jacqui, Caroline, Alan and Antony – bringing this busy parish to 44 active WWs! Many are involved with the Waterways Around the Dawlish Environment (WADE) group, whose work includes litter picking, water quality monitoring and planting along the Dawlish Brook. WWs Sonia, Brian, Pete and Mariya helped run a WW stand at the Turn the Tide festival, an event spearheaded by WW Scott, who is also involved in planning a major new woodland creation project with several local schools. WW Sonia will soon be leading a group of lichenologists to survey a County Wildlife Site in the Teign Valley, adding to an already impressive species list.
Dawlish Water Community Orchard with WWs Jo, Ric, Tim, Mariya and Pete all involved. It’s been a hugely productive season! New additions include a compost toilet, pissoir, bug hotel (built using roof tiles salvaged 30 years ago from The Old Mill House), plenty of new seating made from storm flotsam, and a tea shed almost ready to open. The blossom was stunning despite the trees’ youth, donated daffodil bulbs put on a great show alongside Pete and Mariya’s snowdrops and bluebells, and hundreds of yellow rattle flowers are now appearing across areas seeded last autumn. A small birch wood has also been planted, with lovely silver birches donated by fellow WW Jo. The micro campsite is nearly complete, with a solar shower room joining the compost loo and kitchen area – all are welcome! We hope to get more people camping and spending time directly in nature. A big thank you to everyone who has pitched in – here’s to enjoying it all this summer!
Dunsford WWs ran a stand at the Dunsford Annual Parish Meeting. WW Julia has recorded ancient and veteran trees on the Ancient Tree Inventory and written an article for the Unity magazine on the benefits of planting for bird food rather than relying on feeding stations. WWs Pip, Glyn and Julia are hoping to take part in nightjar surveys through the summer.
Exminster WW Jeremy, along with the Exminster Greenspace team, has installed a living willow fence grown from cuttings to mark out the tree sapling nursery, run in partnership with the local allotment society. The saplings are doing well and there may be some available to share – please get in touch with Jeremy if you’d like any for local projects. Wildflower beds around the village have been refreshed for the season, although the one above needed little intervention having self-seeded beautifully from last year. The Community Garden is now in its second year, filling up with spring sowings and managed organically, with wildlife nestboxes throughout. To mark Dawn Chorus Day on 3 May the group held a small walk and made a short film using the InShot video editing app. Plans are also in place for a tour of wildlife-friendly gardens in the village on 13 June – a great chance to share ideas and find inspiration.
Ideford WWs Robin and Dom organised a well-received community talk by Kelvin Boot earlier in the year.
Ilsington Thanks to WWs Linda and Janet for helping run a free tree giveaway in Ilsington in March, alongside a woodland celebration event in the village. WWs Dawn and Debbie also led a guided walk to local woodlands as part of the event. Linda continues to manage the Shapley Green wildflower area, seeded by TDC this spring. Liverton Village Hall’s wildflower area is now in its fourth year, with a flora survey planned for this summer; Dawn manages the cutting regime and maintains a summer pathway through the area. Dawn also runs bi-monthly walks to special places in the parish. Several Ilsington WWs are taking part in DWT’s citizen science Woodland Mammal Survey, using tracking cameras to learn more about mammal presence in parish woodlands. WW Debbie has been building strong connections with Ilsington Parish Council and is exploring the possibility of a pesticide collection in the parish, supported by Andrew Rothery from Green Futures Newton Abbot and the Devon Pesticide Free network.
Ipplepen Welcome to new WW Alison! The group hosted WW Elaine from Ashburton for a wildlife gardening talk, with fifty people attending – a great success!
Kenton Welcome to new WWs Annette, Emma and Katie, who are part of the Kenton Nature and Green Spaces group! The group has been working hard to establish a wildflower field at Harmony Meadow and has been supporting the Parish Council with new tree planting.
Lustleigh and Moretonhampstead Welcome to new WWs Sarah and Emma! WW Rachel organised a spring get-together for local WWs to discuss past and future projects, with discussions underway about a swift-focused initiative for the area. Rachel and Bee continue regular checks of the Wray Valley Trail to manage overgrown vegetation and avoid the need for full trail cutting over summer.
Newton Abbot – WW Eloise has been monitoring the ongoing situation regarding development at Wolborough Fen and gave a valuable update to the group earlier this year.
North Bovey WW Susan has been helping with surveys at Pudsham Meadows alongside her regular volunteer work at Yarner Woods, and continues to support her local allotment group to increase biodiversity.
Ogwell WWs arranged a community talk by Kelvin Boot, with ongoing work continuing in the community orchard and on local verge management.
Starcross Welcome to new WW Vic!
Stokeinteignhead WW Sam, alongside Nicky from Ilsington, is exploring the creation of parish biodiversity audits in partnership with the Devon Biodiversity Record Centre – more to follow as this develops.
Chalcidoidea Pteromalinae Photo Credit Helen Harding
Trusham WW Helen has now recorded an extraordinary 722 invertebrate species including this stunning 2-3mm wasp, Chalcidoidea Pteromalinae, at Trusham churchyard – a staggering achievement!
Widecombe-in-the-Moor Welcome to new WWs Vince and Michael! WW Vince has hit the ground running, setting up a project to find novel nightjar sites during the 2026 survey season. Following a training session last week, WWs are now identifying suitable survey areas within their parishes, with the aim of filling some existing gaps over the coming months.
Welcome to ACT’s latest newsletter keeping you informed of the activities our Groups have been working on. Do get in touch if you are tempted to join in with any of our projects!
Is Climate Action Becoming Less Of A Priority To The British Public?
The whole purpose of ACT, enshrined in our Vision, Mission and Practice Statement, is to support our District Council, and residents of Teignbridge to take action towards achieving carbon neutrality.
So I was drawn to some recent research (read it here) that shows this is slipping DOWN in peoples’ priorities. So if we are all going to stay motivated to continue to take actions, big and small, and within our own capacities, we need to understand why this is happening.
However, people have not stopped believing in climate change (84%), and are still worried about it (72%). But paradoxically, we hear little from our government and policymakers about it, even to celebrate our achievements; for example, the fact that we eliminated coal as a source of energy in October 2024, the first G7 country to do so.
Ashurst’s research shows that other more immediate material challenges have taken over as top priorities for us, such as the cost of living, housing, and immigration. This seems obvious to me, when I think about it. And people don’t know about or feel they benefit from climate action taken to date. The research conducted roundtable discussions with communities and policymakers, which revealed that the narrative of ‘fight’, ‘loss’ and ‘guilt’ risks disengagement and needs to be replaced with something positive. And we don’t feel listened to, or consulted, leading to a loss of trust in policymakers. Social psychology suggests we are able to support even controversial policy changes if we feel they are fair. Our national response to the pandemic is a good illustration of this.
There are some clear steps to stop this slide in priorities and rebuild effective action about the crisis. The government should build environmental concerns into all policy areas , so that climate action is seen as part of how the government meets people’s top priorities, for example, in housing, transport and health. The messaging needs to be positive and constructive, such as referring to economic and social justice outcomes. And we need to listen to each other to find out what action people feel is fair and just, for a better future.
In the next Newsletter, I will write about another angle on this vital topic.
Mandy Cole ACT Public Engagement Group
Come Together For The Future
Assemblies are a great way for people to come together and make decisions about what they want to see happen in their local area. They are structured to make sure everyone has a chance to speak. The Newton Abbot Constituency Climate and Nature Bill Group is holding a Climate and Nature Assembly on April 25th at the Courtenay Centre in Newton Abbot. The aim is to come up with actions for our councillors and MP that will help protect our communities from climate change and nature loss. The Newton Abbot MP, Martin Wrigley, will attend the assembly to hear from constituents.
The assembly runs from 2-4pm, with refreshments served from 1.30pm. You can book via Eventbrite or use the QR code on the poster.
People’s Emergency Briefing
Watch out for screenings of the People’s Emergency Briefing film in your local area, or organise one yourself. The film features nine UK scientists and experts updating us on the climate and nature crisis and its impacts on everyday life, including extreme weather, food security, health, and cost of living.
The film features Chris Packham, Deborah Meaden, some other surprise guests, and a wide range of other voices. Is it based on the National Emergency Briefing that took place in Westminster, as covered by ITV, Channel 4 and the Times newspaper.
Film screenings should be followed by a short open discussion about what we can do and what it means locally.
The organisers hope to attract anyone and everyone to screenings so as many people as possible are properly informed about the emergency, can take part in discussions about what needs to happen, and encourage their MP to join the call for briefing the entire nation in a prime-time televised emergency briefing.
Pauline Wynter ACT Public Engagement Group PE Co Chair
Wildlife Warden Diary
9 March: One of Vicky’s evening TEAMS meetings, to share tips on running Community Bioblitzes.
10 March: Vicky and Audrey did a ‘Bite-sized’ meeting with the Idverde contractor team and Mark and Chrissie from Green Spaces. We were looking at the five previous meetings to see what had been achieved and how everyone felt. We had made some display boards up showing information we’d put together.
13 March: We had a ‘catch up’ meeting with two of our Wildlife Wardens and Ian Eggerton of Devon Biodiversity Records Centre, to discuss the best ways to do Parish wildlife surveys for Parish Councils. We’ll be piloting a method with and for DBRC.
17 March: We ran a hedge survey training session at Deer Park Farm for 13 WWs, using the method approved by Defra. We looked at and evaluated several different hedges for condition and future management advice.
23 March: A Bramble Brook Bioblitz Wild Walk at Deer Park Farm – a tough walk recording all of the wildlife that 11 of us saw, including a quick ‘Brook dip’ for watery invertebrates.
24 March: A TEAMS training meeting covering all aspects of events/walks/volunteer days/fetes etc run by WWs.
Coming up:
April 13: A WADE intro training session.
April 16: A walk around Chudleigh looking at street lighting, its effect on bats, and how to hold developers to their legal planning obligations.
April 22: A Healing Herbs walk at Deer Park Farm with Kerry, our herbalist WW.
April 30: A visit to the Barn Owl Trust Centre in Ashburton.
If you are interested in any of these, but you aren’t a WW, ask Vicky if there are any spare places.
Audrey Compton ACT Wildlife Wardens
Keeping Climate And Our Environment On The Agenda
With all the turmoil in the world and its repercussions soon to arrive here, it’s easy to forget about the climate and environmental threat. After all, these are framed as problems of the future. This is far from the truth as the damage we are causing now cannot be undone in human timescales. Climate tipping points are likely to take millennia for complex life to adapt to.
Politicians are more likely than others to respond to these short-term impacts, in part down to the nature of our electoral system and political discourse. It’s therefore important that those who’ve declared their concern about the climate and nature, e.g. people signed up to ACT, make their views known to their political representatives. It came as surprise to learn that locally and more widely in the UK, demands to take effective action on climate change are one of the least frequently received by MPs and Councillors. There are plenty of national/international lobbying initiatives that require a tick to send an e-mail to your MP. If you feel you want to make a more targeted point, go to our FAQs on “Is lobbying local/national government worthwhile?” to see how/what.
Fuad Al-Tawil Energy group coordinator
ACT Community WhatsApp Group
We have set up a WhatsApp group that any ACT member is welcome to join using this invitation. We already run several WhatsApp groups, including for Wildlife Wardens and Carbon Cutters. We decided to add another group, called ACT Community, to make it easy to communicate with you, and so you can chat to each other about ACT related issues and share your ideas and concerns.
Lots of you probably already belong to a number of chats so are familiar with the pros and cons of signing up to a group. But we must point out that if you do join, your phone number will be visible to everyone in the group.
We look forward to chatting together!
Pauline Wynter ACT Public Engagement Group PE Co Chair
Climate Update: Close to the Line
I write regular articles in Reconnect Magazine, here’s one I wrote early last year, and even more pertinent than in 2025….
We are now brushing the 1.5°C threshold. After record-breaking heat in 2024, global temperatures have hovered around that critical Paris Agreement limit—though not yet consistently beyond it. Scientists expect temporary breaches in the coming years, especially with climate patterns like El Niño amplifying warming.
This matters. Not as an abstract number, but as lived stress—on ecosystems, food systems, and communities. The real danger isn’t just heat, but wet-bulb conditions: heat plus humidity, where survival itself becomes difficult.
Many thinkers saw this coming—long before it reached headlines. The question now isn’t if, but how we respond.
From Awareness to Action
The framework is simple:
Notice – What’s no longer working? Who and what is being harmed?
Imagine – What does a liveable future actually look like?
Act – What can we build, protect, and change—starting here?
We already know the tools: reduce, reuse, rethink. But this moment calls for more—community action, creativity, and courage.
Local Futures Matter
Real change is grounded locally. Whether it’s restoring habitats, supporting community events like Turn The Tide (the festival I organise happening on Saturday 23rd May at Dawlish College), or shaping greener towns through planning and design—this is where resilience grows.
Think of it this way: if things worsen, what do we choose to save? A place, a species, a community? Then start there.
Imagination is Infrastructure
We may lack perfect leadership, but we don’t lack imagination. Picture neighbourhoods rich in nature, safe to walk and cycle, powered sustainably, and built for connection.
This transition is already underway. It’s messy, uneven—but real. And it won’t come again in quite this way.
Be Part of It
Plant verges. Join groups. Create spaces. Campaign. Welcome others in. Small acts, multiplied, reshape systems.
We are living through the Anthropocene—but its direction is not fixed.
Explained why reducing global carbon emissions is important
Set out simple things we can do to reduce our personal carbon emissions including home, transport and holiday ideas
Discussed heat pumps
This month I break from my previous pattern of articles to think about the news.
For 18 years, since Al Gore’s 2006 film “An Inconvenient Truth”, scientists and the press have regularly warned of approaching climate tipping points that, if breached, will lead inevitably to climate breakdown. There is a wider discussion of how society will either function or perhaps break down following climate breakdown.
A tipping point is a critical point beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place.
The media routinely reports impacts of climate change, for example the recent extreme flooding in Florida, North Carolina, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mexico, India, Nepal and Vietnam; and receding glaciers in Norway, the Dolomites and Nepal that have been features of our landscape since the last ice age. Yesterday I was reading about the possible collapse of the Greenland icecap and the resulting seven meters of global sea level rise that may inundate some of the world’s major cities.
s an individual I worry about the impact climate breakdown may have on our children and grandchildren, but most of us struggle to see how we can change the course of events.
Some good news? Professor Tim Lenton, Director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter, has identified that “positive tipping points” are happening.
For example, Norway’s dramatic shift to EVs with nearly 80% of new car registrations being electric, and globally, new solar and wind energy supply projects are cheaper than new fossil fuel energy supply projects.
According to a report by Systemiq, positive tipping points could be reached by 2030 in sectors representing 90% of greenhouse gas emissions. For this to happen we will need a positive policy environment in which solutions are adopted because they are affordable, attractive and accessible. We each have personal power in this.
Paul Bloch ACT Carbon Cutting Team
Take the Together For Tomorrow Survey
ACT is partnering with CAG Devon and Libraries Unlimited on a new five‑year project funded by the National Lottery that is designed to inspire more people to get involved in climate and nature activities and events in the area.
As part of this work, Libraries Unlimited is launching a survey to hear from people who live and work in Devon — especially those who aren’t currently involved in sustainability projects or events.
We want to understand what kinds of activities appeal to people, what barriers might be stopping them from taking part, and how we can better promote events to reach new audiences.
There’s a £50 voucher up for grabs to encourage members of the public to complete the survey, which closes on 3rd May 2026.
Thank you so much for your support. Please note that the survey is relevant to everyone, even if they don’t live anywhere near a library!
Project team Action on Climate Teignbridge, Together For Tomorrow
Teign School Community Environment Engagement Event
Teign School are excited to be hosting our first environmental film night and fundraiser, supported by the Rotary Club. They hope to see you there!
Teign School says:
Our young people benefit hugely from interactions with people they may not meet in their every day lives. Gaining the knowledge and experience from members of their community helps them to develop life-long skills.
Do you have concerns about the environment and want to help us with ways to develop change within our schools and to support schools with their Climate Action Plans? We would love to hear your ideas.
6pm – 7pm We would like to invite you to Teign School to talk to some of our student leaders and subject ambassadors who are keen to show you their eco initiatives and what actions we are putting in place for them, see what plants are on offer, enjoy some refreshments and maybe try your luck at the raffle.
7pm – 8.30pm Watch Future Council, a film by Damon Gameau (2040, THAT SUGAR FILM) takes eight kids on the ultimate school excursion: a road trip across Europe to challenge powerful leaders and find solutions to our greatest ecological challenges.
8.30pm – 9/9.30pm Question our panel of climate change, sustainability and regeneration experts lead by Education South West Multi Academy Trust’s Sustainability Lead and South West Coordinator for Ministry of Eco Education – Tom Pether
Supported by the Rotary Club and Friends of Teign School
Kate Benham ACT Director
HVO Heating Oil
On 7th March ACT screened the film “Power to the People” from Cornwall Climate Care. A piece in this film highlights a pilot scheme where use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is being trialled instead of Kerosene for heating on oil boilers in 150 houses in Kehelland, Cornwall. This Devon Live advertorial highlights how the supplier is now seeking to expand this service to Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. So it would appear that there is now adequate supply of HVO in Devon.
How is HVO produced
HVO can be made from a variety of feed stocks including used cooking oil, animal fat, technical corn oil, Tall oil pitch, residues from vegetable oil processing. the feedstock is treated with hydrogen at high temperatures (280–450°C) and high pressure (10–50 times normal atmospheric pressure). This process, called hydrotreatment, removes impurities and converts the oil into a clean, renewable fuel that works just like heating oil — but with far lower carbon emissions.
Emissions from HVO production depend on the fuel stock used and the source of hydrogen.
Where does the hydrogen come from
Blue hydrogen is derived by steam reforming of gas, which has higher emissions than green hydrogen, which is formed by electrolysis of water. Green hydrogen is cleaner than blue hydrogen but more expensive to produce.
HVO Properties and uses
HVO is cleaner than heating oil as shown in the following table:
Properties/pollutants
HVO Reduction vs. Heating Oil
Why this matters
SO2 (Sulphur dioxide)
~ 100% (Near eliminated)
Eliminates acid rain risk and boiler corrosion.
NO2 (Nitrous Oxide)
20-40%
Reduces respiratory irritants in rural homes.
Particulate Matter (PM)
50–80%
Cuts soot and indoor air pollution.
CO (Carbon Monoxide)
10-30%
Safer for poorly ventilated spaces.
CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide)
15gCO2 vs 300gCO2 Up to 90% (well-to-tank)
Lower global warming potential.
Energy Density
44MJ/kg same as diesel or heating oil
Same amount of fuel burnt for the same result.
Cetane Number
70-90 vs 45-50 (for diesel)
Better burning than diesel makes it suitable for both diesel and heating oil
Cloud point
-20C to -30C
Colder when it starts to thicken
If you were to use the same HVO in a diesel engine its NO2 would be higher.
Stable drop in replacement
As well as heating oil, its unique chemical properties mean that it can be used as both diesel and with slight modification even as aviation fuel. It similar density means it delivers the same output per litre as heating oil, so there is no need for larger tanks or more frequent deliveries.:
Unlike Fatty Acid Methyl Esters(FAME) commonly called biodiesel, HVO doesn’t degrade, absorb water, or support microbial growth in tanks. This makes it ideal for long-term storage in home heating systems.
In many cases an existing boiler can be used with just the fuel being replaced, in other cases filters, jets and tanks might need replacing or cleaning, at an estimated cost no more that £500 from experience with the Kelland trial.
Supply
HVO is produced from UK refineries, but most production (784 million litres 2024) is for transport (road, air and sea) usage.
Most supply for heating oil is a blend with some HVO,though a trial has been done with 150 houses, which has proved feasibility and the necessary modifications.
There was a scandal in 2024 where it was suspected that palm oil was used as feedstock, since then at least one supplier of HVO heating oil has certified that they only use waste cooking oil. Clearly it is much better that waste oil is used, than oil derived directly from plants, both from a carbon footprint point of view and to avoid using edible crop bearing land for other usesTo produce HVO, The feedstock used for HVO is reported under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), the latest report being for 2024.This shows overall production for 2024 of 800 Million litres of HVO across all uses.
Recycling
Waste oil must be collected by a licenced oil collection facility, who collect waste oil from commercial premises, and supply it to a refinery. Waste oil goes to refineries like Phillips 66 (Humber), Essar (Stanlow) or Neste (Rotterdam). As waste oil as a feedstock has a lower carbon footprint, sending waste oil to a collector provides a ready recycling route that avoid other means of disposal that are more environmentally damaging, and would save agricultural land being used growing feedstock. According to the RTFO report for 2024 most HVO is produced from waste cooking oil.
Demand
I haven’t been able to find a government statistic for the amount of heating oil consumed, so have to resort to an estimate which for now is quite crude.
According to Census 2021 there were 865,940 homes that relied on oil heating in 2021. If these were to use an average of 2000 Litres each, that would give a total demand of about 1.7billion litres of heating oil per year.
This would exceed current production by a considerable amount, before any transport use is considered. Since the supply of used cooking oil is limited, it is likely that any expansion of supply would not use waste products and would therefore compete for land use with agricultural crops.
Cost and Taxation
Recently HVO has cost between £1.20/litre to £1.60/litre whereas heating oil costs between 60 and 80p/litre. This difference could partially be explained by excise duty. Currently HVO costs between.
Following the US war on Iran and inevitable oil price rise, the government announced a price cap for domestic electricity and gas, and has now followed this with a £53m support for households affected by domestic heating oil prices, but surprisingly no corresponding support to encourage the use of alternatives to fossil fuels for heating such as HVO.
According to the Future Fuel Oils Campaign HVO still attracts the same level of excise duty as diesel, as well as VAT. Whilst other uses of HVO for transport are subject to Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) exemption from duty, HVO used as heating oil has no such subsidy.
The government ran a consultation which finished on 10th February , but this anomaly wasn’t mentioned.
The Future Fuel Oils campaign claims that HVO has 88% fewer CO2 emissions rather fossil fuel heating oil and can run in an existing boiler with possibly small modifications costing in the order of £500. If supplies are available now this seems to be a low-carbon substitute when installing a heat-pump is not yet practical.
Currently the cost of HVO for heating oil is significantly higher than ordinary heating oil, this is likely to act as a deterrent.
The government could equalise the duty and VAT on HVO to level the playing field at least whilst taking action of the effects of raised oil prices pending the outcome of the consultation.
Conclusion
Initially HVO looked an attractive alternative to replacing an oil boiler with a heat-pump, but analysis of supply and demand shows that this is not feasible for the majority of cases, even if the tax disadvantages were to be removed.
Most houses would be better off with a heat pump.
Further reading
Here are a few articles that give further reading:
Hello everyone! I’m not quite sure where 2025 has gone — but here we are! As we head into the festive season, I hope you can find a quiet moment to sit down with a cuppa, watch the birds, and catch up on all the great things that have been happening over autumn and early winter with the Teignbridge Wildlife Warden group.
If you’re up for a post-Christmas dinner wildlife treasure hunt, take a look at the article on winter butterfly eggs — or, if it’s a good stomp you need, read all about natural food management at Yarner Woods and then go and see it for yourself!
You’ll also find details of some of our plans for the colder months ahead …..
Back in September, we enjoyed a fabulous visit to the Moor Barton Wilding site, located between Moretonhampstead and the reservoirs near Bovey Tracey. Over fifty Wildlife Wardens and friends joined us for the day and thoroughly enjoyed learning about the site’s history and how it is now being managed for wildlife.
We took part in two guided walks and were all thrilled to step inside the seven-acre beaver enclosure (equivalent to about fourteen standard football pitches) and see the incredible dams the beavers have engineered. The valley has been transformed from a narrow, one-metre-wide stream into a series of large ponds brimming with wildlife, mosses, and ferns. The enormous increase in water-holding capacity will greatly reduce flooding downstream and help lessen the impacts of drought.
After a shared feast of soup and cake, we exchanged updates on recent warden projects and shared ideas and experiences across the group. In the afternoon, some people headed out to remove tree guards—an ongoing task with the 8,500 trees planted back in 2010–11! Some trees were literally bursting out of their guards, so it was very satisfying to “free” them!
A huge thank-you to all the wardens who came along, and to the team at Moor Barton for making it such a memorable day. Also, thank you to Ipplepen WW Mabel, who created a fab video which captured the day.
In October, we visited Yarner Wood and were led by Albert Knott on a really informative and enjoyable walk focusing on the Natural Flood Management (NFM) project. Until recently, Albert worked for Natural England at Yarner Wood, and we were very grateful to him for sharing his incredible knowledge and insight into the area.
“Sorry folks, but climate change is happening,” were Albert’s first words. We are now seeing extreme rainfall events, where unusually large volumes of water fall over very short periods. This water hits the soil and runs rapidly across the surface, damaging wildlife habitats and creating flooding downstream. Modelling has shown that the floodplain around Bovey Tracey is particularly vulnerable. One possible solution would be to build flood defences for the town, but this would be hugely expensive, potentially risky, and would offer little additional value, for example for wildlife.
The alternative is to tackle the problem upstream by using natural methods to slow the flow of water higher up, preventing it from rushing straight down into the Bovey basin. This approach has positive impacts for flood prevention, drought resilience, and wildlife, and is far cheaper than constructing man-made flood defences. Unsurprisingly, this second option was chosen, and the Environment Agency funded the project, working along two stream systems that feed into the River Bovey.
The key to natural flood management is creating natural interventions that slow the flow of water and encourage it to spread out when volumes are high. These interventions are not intended to stop the water completely, but instead to slow it and cause it to spread over a wider area, reducing the risk of flash flooding while also helping retain water during prolonged dry periods. This type of habitat engineering is something beavers naturally do through their impressive dam-building activities. However, as beavers are not present at Yarner Wood (yet!), humans have had to channel their inner beaver and take on this role.
Yarner Wood is predominately a sessile oak woodland, with most trees roughly the same age, and structure. With so many young trees of a similar age, there are not enough falling naturally, so one of the key actions at Yarner Wood has been the strategic felling of trees. This has multiple benefits – trees felled across river channels act as natural interventions that slow water flow, while the resulting breaks in the woodland canopy allow dappled light to reach the woodland floor giving rise to a richer variety of plants and therefore other species. Honeysuckle, for example, is an important nesting material for dormice and also a food source for the white admiral butterfly. These open woodland areas are also vital for lichens and bats. It also allows for cut stumps to coppice or young saplings to grow – creating a new understory while the remaining trees grow older, therefore diversifying the age structure of the wood.
When a tree falls naturally, the lifting of its roots creates a large hollow where water can collect, providing additional habitat and water retention. The value of this process was recognised, and where possible, trees were pulled over rather than just cut to replicate this effect. Trees were not only felled and laid across stream channels, but logs and brash were also wedged in place, running in line with the water flow. When Storm Bert hit in November 2024, the team could see that even more of this work was needed across the site.
So, what about fish, you may ask — do these obstacles in the water channels cause problems? The short answer is no. Fish can easily wriggle through these naturally gappy structures and will actually benefit from more stable water levels during both heavy rainfall and drought conditions. It is important that the low flow rates are allowed to continue as well.
When we visited, the preceding weeks had been fairly dry, so we didn’t get to see the NFM measures in action. However, as I sit and write this with rain pounding down, I am itching to go back and take another look. I would strongly encourage everyone to visit and take a stroll, as it is truly impressive to see habitat management like this in practice. It is also well worth visiting at different times of year to fully appreciate the new habitats created by this work.
Thank you to Albert for helping us discover so much about this project. It is fantastic that Yarner is now an example site for others to learn from and, hopefully, take these ideas to other river systems as well as other parts of the River Bovey, as this work is just the beginning….
Common bird’s nest Crucibulum laeve Photo credit: Helen HardingTrooping funnel Clytocybe sp. Photo credit: Helen Harding
Fungal foray with Dr Christian Taylor
In November, Dr Christian Taylor led around 20 WWs on a fabulous fungal walk at Stover. In truth, calling it a walk is generous — we only managed a 500-metre loop from the visitor centre, as there was just so much to see and talk about that we barely got anywhere!
Dr Christian was a fantastic guide, with enormous amounts of enthusiasm and knowledge. He also said how much he enjoyed talking with people who were interested in the wider fungal world and its relationship with nature, rather than focusing solely on edible species.
One fascinating phenomenon we discovered was the “green island effect,” seen in some leaves during autumn. Fungi living inside a leaf can keep small patches green while the rest of the leaf turns yellow. These green areas continue to photosynthesise, providing a steady supply of sugars and nutrients for the fungal mycelium.
The “green island effect” – in this instance caused by Stigmella tityrellaTrichia sp. slime mould Photo credit: Helen Harding
WW Helen also shared that leaf-mining moths can produce a similar effect. The moth Stigmella tityrella was responsible for the striking pattern and colouration seen in the leaf we found on the walk and shown in the photo above. Helen explained how “the larvae use bacteria to produce a chemical that mimics a plant hormone. This prevents chlorophyll from breaking down and stops nutrients being withdrawn from that part of the leaf. The green patch then continues to feed the insect, even after the rest of the leaf has died or fallen.”
The group came away with many highlights, and the walk felt like a brief glimpse into a much bigger world, which will hopefully inspire many of us to delve further into.
As we head into the gloomier months, we hope to bring some cheer with a series of online evening meetings for Wildlife Wardens, and anyone else interested. With 160 WWs across Teignbridge, we have a huge pool of knowledge and experience. One of the great strengths of this network is the way we can share information, tackle challenges together, and spark ideas across parishes – this ripple effect is a great way to multiply our actions.
These informal winter chats will be a chance to hear what others have been doing, swap tips, and ask questions. We’re a friendly bunch, so it would be lovely to see lots of familiar faces on screen! For each session we will have a few wardens with experience of the topic who can share insights and help answer questions. Even if a topic doesn’t seem directly relevant to your parish, you may still pick up useful ideas—or share something others will value, so please do join us if you can!
Collaboration Chat Topics – all meetings will start at 7.30pm ONLINE:
Working with your Parish Council – Wednesday 14 January Many WWs are working closely with their parish councils, and some are councillors themselves. So bring your thoughts and questions and we can discuss building positive relationships.
Behind the scenes at ACT WWs – Tuesday 27 January Find out more about what Audrey and I have been working on and the wider projects WWs are involved with—think of it as an interactive newsletter! It’s also a chance to tell us what else you’d like us to do.
Running a wildlife open garden event or competition – Tuesday 10 February Several parishes ran events last year which are great for raising awareness and having conversations about helping wildlife in gardens. Come along to find out more about how this might work in your parish.
Running a church or school bioblitz, including moth breakfasts – Monday 9 March Many wardens have been working with local churches and schools. Bioblitz events are a fun way to record local wildlife, raise awareness, and plan future management. Hear from people who’ve already done it and get inspired.
A surprise dormouse sighting! Photo credit: L.SmerdonWW Jo collecting dormouse nest tube
Dormouse surveys for TVFF
A group of Teign Valley Wildlife Wardens has been supporting the Teign Valley Facilitation Fund project by helping landowners and farmers carry out wildlife surveys on their land. The dormouse survey aims to find out whether dormice are present on the farms which will feed into further discussion around hedgerow management and connectivity across sites.
Over recent weeks, the busy team has been out collecting the dormouse nest tubes they placed in hedgerows earlier this year, and on one wet, windy morning a few of us joined expert and WW Sue Smallshire to take a closer look at them. We learnt how to tell the difference between the beautifully woven dormouse nests and the more haphazard constructions of wood mice. Of the 250 tubes checked so far on 5 different farms, 14 dormouse nests and 18 wood mouse nests have been found. With a couple more farms still to review, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for a few more dormouse finds—very exciting! If you would like to get involved with this project in the future, drop me an email.
Thanks very much to WWs Tess, Shira, Julia, Lucy, Jo and Sue for all your hard work!
Butterflies in winter: what you can find at this time of year
Thank you so much to Kevin Barstow for writing the WWs this excellent article all about winter butterfly egg searches.
You would think that winter is a quiet time for lepidopterists (those that study butterflies and moths) like myself but there are three butterfly species that can be found if you know where to look.
The Purple Hairstreak is our commonest hairstreak and often overlooked. The caterpillars feed on all our species of oak and it’s the eggs that can be found during the winter months. They are laid in the oak canopy in full sunshine and partly sheltered from the wind. I often search for the eggs after a period of stormy weather when the top small branches have broken off and fallen on the forest floor! The eggs are laid at the base of a fruiting bud at the end of July, the caterpillars not hatching out until March when they bore into the heart of these buds.
The Brown Hairstreak is a much less common butterfly but have strongholds in Devon, SW Wales and west Weald. On the GB Red List it is considered vulnerable. It is found where there is blackthorn growing on scrubland, along hedgerows and on the edges of woodland. Its decline has been linked with hedgerow clearance and annual flailing that removes the eggs. To see the adult during August to September, you will need to find a ‘master tree’ where the hairstreaks congregate to mate. They generally use an ash tree, generally growing near the lowest point of the basin of countryside that contains a colony.
Eggs are laid in August/September on one year old blackthorn branches growing from a two year old stem. They are usually found about 1 – 1.5metres off the ground and are laid at the base of the 1 year old branch.
During the winter blackthorn bark darkens and as the eggs are white they stand out. Interestingly, the caterpillars that hatch out in March and feed at night can be easily seen by using an ultra-violet light torch. Although in text books it describes eggs as only being laid below 200m, I recently discovered eggs on Mardon Down at an elevation of 300m. Studying the 2500 records of this butterfly in Devon, it appears that in this county, since the early 1990s they are also being found between 250 and 300m elevation, albeit my record at Mardon Down is the only one found at 300m.
The third butterfly species that can be found during the winter months is the hibernaculum of the White Admiral caterpillar. White Admirals are woodland butterflies and again spend most of the time, high up in the canopy of oak woodlands, albeit occasionally they come down to feed on bramble flowers. Eggs are laid on spindly honeysuckle and often choose straggly, trailing wisps that dangle in the half light around a tree trunk. The caterpillars hatch out in July and in the autumn makes a hibernaculum (shelter) by fastening the stalk of the leaf to the stem with silk to stop the leaf from being shed. It then chews off the outer two thirds of the leaf before folding the remainder over the mid rib.
So despite the shorter, colder, wetter days of winter, I would encourage anyone to look out for these three species.
Kevin Barstow, Dunsford
Audrey and I continue to have ‘bite-sized’ meetings with the Teignbridge District Council’s Idverde team, who look after many of our public open spaces.
Run over a coffee before the team heads out for the day, these sessions offer a relaxed opportunity to share ideas and information on supporting—and hopefully increasing—biodiversity across the sites they work on. It is also an opportunity for us to hear about the challenges the team encounters on site.
Heading into autumn, our topic was all about creating micro-habitats and winter refuges in public open spaces. We talked about spotting opportunities for small habitats — such as leaving dead wood, leaf piles, seed heads, or standing stems — and the benefits of leaving soft edges around hedges, trees and damp areas. We also chatted about how contractors may need to think creatively at this time of year and leave areas that could (hopefully!) develop into good habitats for the next season. Finally, we highlighted habitats that need careful management in public spaces, such as brambles, large nettle patches near play areas, and hazardous plants, to ensure sites remain safe and accessible for everyone.
Brash pileLeaving pond edgesSoft path edges
In November we were asked by TDC Greenspaces to discussed the important topic of pesticides, and had a really good two-way discussion with the contractors about it. We talked about how insecticides, herbicides and fungicides impact an ecosystem and revisited a previous theme about “seeing the things in nature you love”. It may be that a native plant seen as a “weed”, or a target insect, is in fact a valuable food source for other wildlife. To continue seeing the things in nature that we love, we need to support the whole complex web — even those things we might see as a “problem”.
We also spoke about the growing body of independent research around the potential human health implications of exposure to these chemicals, as well as the PPE and training contractors require before using them. Teignbridge District Council is working towards using these harmful chemicals as little as possible, and we chatted about possible alternatives, including our role in raising awareness of the benefits of “weeds” and accepting them where possible. TDC do not use insecticides which was great to hear.
We were very grateful to Colin Taylor for giving the Wildlife Wardens a great insight into his role as an enforcement officer for Natural England last month. This was an area many of us were unfamiliar with, so it was helpful to learn more about the work the enforcement team does and how it fits alongside the roles of other regulatory organisations.
The enforcement team helps protect biodiversity by ensuring environmental laws are followed thereby reducing habitat loss and species decline. Their work also acts as a deterrent to deliberate damage of valuable habitats and protected sites.
Colin outlined four main areas of enforcement:
Wildlife Incident Investigation Service (WIIS): investigates suspected pesticide poisonings that harm wildlife or pets, whether deliberate or accidental.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs): damaging or disturbing protected features of these sites without a licence is an offence.
Wildlife licensing offences: involve the killing or disturbance of protected species such as bats, great crested newts and dormice, or damage to breeding sites. These cases may involve both Natural England and police wildlife crime officers.
Environmental Impact Assessment offences: protecting uncultivated and semi-natural land from harmful agricultural activities. Land that has not been cultivated for over 15 years requires consent from NE before being brought back into use.
There was also discussion about the valuable role Wildlife Wardens can play within their parishes, as quick and accurate reporting is often crucial. Colin advised taking clear notes and photographs if an offence is suspected and reporting it to the appropriate authority. Getting familiar with any SSSIs in your area by using online mapping tools would also be valuable.
Thank you to everyone who attended, and especially to Colin for sharing his knowledge and experience with the group.
DWT Pine Marten Project: Looking for camera trap enthusiasts for a pilot scheme
Do you have your own camera trap? Do you have access to your own woodland or a garden that backs onto woodland?
The Devon Wildlife Trust Pine Marten team are trying to find some volunteers for a camera trapping pilot, and they thought of us! Is anyone up for it?
If you’re keen, email me and I will forward you further details. If you’d like to get involved but don’t have a camera, then there may be a couple available to loan.
If you find a spare moment over the festive period — perhaps after one too many mince pies, as a brief escape from family chaos, or as a small New Year’s task — we’d love to hear from you!
We’re updating our website and would like to include more of your personal stories about being a Wildlife Warden. These stories really bring the WW scheme to life, helping others understand what it’s like to be involved and why the role matters.
We’re not looking for anything long or fancy — just 10 or 15 minutes of your time. A few bullet points, a short paragraph, or even a single sentence is perfect. Whatever you feel like sharing, we’d be very grateful.
Please take a look here for a few prompts if you need inspiration. Thank you!
Round up of Wildlife Warden activities across Teignbridge
Ashton WW Shira has been sharing her “Murder in the Garden” talk with Chudleigh Wild and a large local audience. The interactive talk explores how gardens can be healthy ecosystems, highlighting plants and wildlife we enjoy (and some we don’t!) and the impact of pesticides on the garden food web. Shira has also been preparing a document as an update about pesticides, which will be shared with wardens and local authorities in the new year.
Bishopsteignton There’s been lots happening here over the past few months, and WWs Sarah, Laura and Kirstyn have achieved so much. They are helping to develop signage about local bats for a parish council-owned site and have also begun transforming an old telephone box into a wildlife resource hub for the community. Sarah has also been planning a series of winter talks for the parish, and we look forward to hearing more about what’s coming up.
The team has been supporting the Parish Council and has become part of the recently formed “Climate Impact Action Group,” providing guidance and support. Their collaboration with the PC, alongside Andrew Rothery as part of the Pesticide Free Devon movement, has led to the fantastic outcome of the council declaring the parish pesticide-free. Here is the recent press release. What an achievement!
Bovey WW Janet has been working with swift enthusiast and WW Alistair Whybrow after getting a Wild About Devon grant for swift boxes. Three boxes have been installed at Make, ensuring all Grade 2 listed building regulations were met, and plans are underway to place two more at the Old Town Hall.
Chudleigh Welcome to new WW Clemence!
Dawlish Welcome to new WWs Kerry and Brian! The Dawlish Community Orchard team is gearing up for winter work on the site, while the WADE group continue their fantastic efforts along the Book, controlling the weir gates during heavy rain, clearing litter and debris, and welcoming not only the usual trout but also visiting salmon. WW Scott has some exciting plans for developing several micro forests in Dawlish – watch this space! WW Jerry, who runs the Devon Swift Project, continues to be incredibly busy and has been involved with an exciting community project in Buckfastleigh and Ashburton with funding from Riverford Planet Fund – find out more about this in Jerry’s blog. And finally, a huge congratulations to WW Sonia, whose incredible hard work has been recognised with a DWT Volunteer Award — well done, Sonia!
Dunsford WWs have continued their regular Teign Valley wildlife meetings, sharing local sightings and actions. At the last meeting, the group discussed the issue of hedgehogs often being killed on roads at village entrances, and Julia will be speaking to Dunsford School about children creating hedgehog awareness signs.
Exminster WW Jeremy and the Greenspaces team has been busy! They have recently released a revised Walking Trail map and leaflet which has been given to every child in the local primary school along with an introductory talk to the school’s Eco Team. In October, Jeremy gave a talk to the Parish Council on biodiversity duties under the Environment Act using the WW PowerPoint presentation as a starting point. A tree sapling was planted at a local residential home and 500 crocus bulbs with the agreement of Teign Housing, while a new fingerpost now guides visitors to the village orchard. Meanwhile, the Exminster Community Garden has grown, with two new sheds built thanks to a Parish Council grant, and an open morning is planned in January to celebrate its first anniversary.
Ilsington Welcome to new WWs Debbie and Nicky! WW Linda held a display stand at a recent community Christmas get together organised by the school PTFA. Linda’s display was all about creatures of the night and the kids enjoyed leaning more about bats hedgehogs, moths and creating a Moon garden. WW Dawn shared a summary of all the local walks she has led to date with the walk participants – a great reminder of the variety of places that have been visited so far. In October she led a final walk of the year to the DWT East Lounsten Nature reserve.
North Bovey WW Susan continues to be involved in a range of local surveys, including moths, river flies, butterflies and a meadow. She has also been helping with Himalayan balsam clearance and has joined a group working to rejuvenate the village allotments, hoping to add bird boxes, bug hides, wood piles and insect-friendly planting to the site.
Stokeinteignhead WW Jill organised a community talk with ecologist Kelvin Boot, who spoke about the “opportunities for wildlife in the village.” She was also asked to create a child friendly display board and event stand about local wildlife for a Christmas fair in early December – this has already helped build a connection with the local school, and Jill hopes to support them further next year. Meanwhile, WW Sam has been busy throughout the summer and autumn walking all the local footpaths, roads and byways to map and record the habitats and features of the parish.
Trusham WW Helen gave a talk to the local gardening club about how caring for the Trusham churchyard has become an immensely rewarding passion for her, with more and more species being added to the incredible list there – a whopping 688 invertebrates to date!
A huge thank you to everyone for your support and hard work throughout 2025 — our collective actions really do make such a huge difference across Teignbridge.
Wishing you a peaceful festive time and a Happy New Year, and looking forward to lots more events, surveys, plants, and bugs in 2026!
Maps on the site are currently being updated between 17:00 16/10/2023 until this notice is withdrawn, during the update all mapping functions will be tested so will need to be available, but results cannot be predicted and shouldn’t be relied on.
Update: 21:30 16/10/2023
The maps and references to them have now all been updated so that they will be easier to maintain and are all served directly from this server. Please email me if you encounter any problems.
