Teignbridge Wildlife Warden Newsletter
June 2021
| Hi all, So much has happened over the last month, so this newsletter is quite a long one! It has been really nice to meet more of you in person and to see your amazing wildlife projects |
 My most recent wildlife sighting – The blue ground beetle is our largest carabid. It is only known to occur at a handful of sites in Britain, most of which are on Dartmoor and very little is known about them. I studied these beetles a couple of years ago for my undergraduate research project, so it was great to go out looking for them again with a PhD student. Here is an interesting talk about these beetles by local naturalist John Walters |
| The Local Plan Development sites for the 2020-2040 Local Plan Review are out for consultation now. We will send all Wildlife Wardens a document with advice on this over the next few days. This is what we would like you to do if you are interested in commenting on the Local Plan a) comment on as many of the sites within your Parish as possible (if you are able to help with sites in Parishes that won’t otherwise be covered, please let us know: audrey@boveyclimateaction.org.uk ) b) submit your comments to TDC as an individual c) share your comments with the ACT Ecology Group asap, so that we can put the most important bits together and send in as an Ecology Group/Wildlife Wardens combined comment. We will use your local wildlife knowledge where it will have an effect on decisions – for example where protected species and habitats are at risk. If a site appears to have a very diverse habitat – especially grassland – it is useful to make a species list and/or find out the National Vegetation Classification (if you send us a species list, we may be able to help with the NVC). d) we will only be submitting comments that support our ecology and biodiversity – but we do, of course, realise that you will be commenting on all of the ‘sensitivities’ of your local sites. To do this, we will need your comments by Friday July 30th at the latest – it will take some time for us to combine them and to make comments on any gaps! |
| Training sessions Jess Smallcombe from the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre gave a brilliant talk about how Wildlife Wardens can get involved with recording wildlife in Teignbridge. Here is a link to the recording of the talk. Useful links that are mentioned in the talk include iRecord, the ACT ‘Activity’ in iRecord, the iRecord App for phones and the NBN Atlas. Audrey lead a training session in plant identification at TDC’s beautiful Orley Common nature reserve near Ipplepen. The limestone grassland habitat has a rich diversity of flora, which includes this stunning common spotted orchid  |
| Project visits We were visited by Amanda Keetley and Amy Harker from the Devon Environment Foundation, who are one of our main funders! Throughout the day, we saw lots of Wildlife Warden projects across Teignbridge. Thank you to everyone who came along to show Amanda and Amy what you have been up to  On a separate day, the Chudleigh Wild group gave a tour of their projects to Wildlife Wardens from other parishes. We saw their wildflower verges, award winning bat garden, wildlife gardening scheme and bat fields. Everyone gained something from the visit, including Chudleigh Wild, as we discussed possible ways in which they could improve an area of green space for wildlife and people. Please do let me know if you would like to give a tour of your projects to other Wildlife Wardens  |
| Ogwild’s Rectory Field open afternoon The Ogwild group are hosting this event on the 10th of July! It is a good opportunity to meet other Wildlife Wardens and to see what Ogwild have planed for the site. They have an agreement with the Woodland Trust to manage Rectory Field for the next 3 years. If you would like to help on the day, please let Ogwild know via email info@ogwild.org  |
| Launch of Wild About Devon The Devon Local Nature Partnership recently launched their new initiative Wild About Devon. Audrey played a big part in the development of this initiative. It will provide advice and support to communities around Devon who don’t have a Wildlife Warden Scheme, but would like to take action for wildlife |
| Devon Rewilding Network Ambios (who are rewilding lower Sharpham Farm near Totnes), in collaboration with the Woodland Trust and Rewilding Britain, have launched the Devon Rewilding Network, which you can join here. It is a place for people to share news and upcoming events about rewilding in Devon |
| Current projects Here is an overview of some of the wonderful things that you have been up to Ashton Shira has been engaging with her local community by writing articles for the parish magazine and getting in touch with local experts. She helped to survey an area of species diverse meadow and is in the planning stage of creating an orchard on Village Hall land. Planting of the orchard will be linked to the Queen’s Green Canopy tree planting initiative, which will mark the queen’s Platinum Jubilee Broadhempston Conducted a botanical survey of the local churchyard Dawlish Dawlish Wildlife Wardens, Clive, Neil, Scott and Dave, have continued to discuss the potential of a community wildlife space in the village of Holcombe. Dave requested that a tree preservation order be made for a rare elm tree, which was approved! Dave also contacted the local vicar in the hope of establishing a wildlife area at St. Gregory’s Church. He has also set up a scheme for allotment plot holders to record wildlife and wrote an article for The Town Crier introducing the Dawlish Wildlife Wardens. Neil is collaborating with Friends of Teignmouth Cemetery and Thriving Teignmouth to create wildflower areas at Teignmouth Old Cemetery Dunsford Conducted a botanical survey of the local churchyard Exminster Peter received 120 saplings from the Woodland Trust and planted a hedgerow with the help of the local Green Spaces Group. He gave advice to a local landowner and has continued to promote ‘no mow may‘ and the blue heart campaign. Peter met up with Kitty Straghan, who is running the grey long eared bat project for DWT, and gained advice on how to improve a local meadow for bats Holcombe Burnell Kate created a sculpture out of Monster energy drink cans with the aim of raising awareness about littering. Kate held a stand about wildlife at Longdown Farmers market. She created an information sheet about butterflies for the local notice board and has visited a site to give advice to a local landowner  Kenn Kenn Wildlife Wardens hosted a wildlife friendly gardening competition to coincide with ‘no mow may‘ Kingsteignton Kingsteignton Wildlife Wardens are liaising with the local town council about the potential for a nature trail. They are also discussing potential improvements to the management of the towns verges and are looking into the possibility of planting trees for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Shaldon Paul and Julie have worked very hard on writing a statement in support of TDC’s stance on the dredging of Exmouth Marina and the deposition of dredged material in Lyme Bay. Julie has also commented on a local planning application and surveyed the flora of her local churchyard |
| Thanks for all of your hard work! Best wishes, Flavio |