Website, YouTube videos and pdf docs

Index

• Helping injured wildlife
• Information on habitats and habitat management
  • Churchyards
  • Freshwater habitats
    • University of Exeter research project
    • Reporting environmental incidents, and data on river health
    • Local organisations and projects
    • National organisations and projects
    • Information
  • Gardening for Wildlife
    • General ideas and advice
    • Birds
    • Compost
    • Environmentally friendly pest control
    • Hedges
    • Insects
    • Lawns
    • Plants
    • Ponds
  • Golf Courses
  • Grassland, meadows and wildflowers
    • General guidance
    • Arable weeds
    • Pasture
    • Traditional wildflower meadows
    • Verges
  • Hedgerows
    • Hedge management
    • Hedge surveys
  • Marine and coastal habitats
  • Nature Friendly Farming
  • Orchards
  • Peatlands
  • Pesticides
  • Rewilding
  • Soils
  • Woodland and trees
    • Woodland Creation
    • Woodland Management
    • Other information about woodland
    • Tree Protection Orders (TPOs)
    • Growing Trees from seed
    • Diseases
• Information on wildlife and species identification
  • General wildlife ID
  • Marine species
  • Birds
  • Fish
  • Flora
    • Ancient Woodland Indicator Plants
    • Flowering plants
    • Foraging guides
    • Lower plants/spore plants (mosses and ferns)
    • Trees
  • Fungi
  • Invertebrates
    • All inverts
    • Freshwater invertebrates
    • Beetles (coleoptera)
    • True bugs (hemiptera)
    • Bees, wasps and ants (hymenoptera)
    • Butterflies and moths (lepidoptera)
    • Snails and slugs (mollusca)
    • Dragonflies and damselflies (odonata)
  • Lichens
  • Mammals
  • Reptiles and amphibians
• Online mapping
• Planning and development
  • General advice and guidance
  • Specific advice and guidance
• Recording wildlife
• Resources for Schools

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Helping injured wildlife

• Helpwildlife.co.uk For finding local rescue centres
• RSPCA
• RSPB Advice on what to do if you find an injured bird

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Information on habitats and habitat management

Churchyards

• Caring for God’s Acre A national charity that promotes wildlife in churchyards
• Eco Church A scheme that promotes nature in churchyards. There are lots of useful resources on the website
• CPRE Devon’s best churchyards competition A local competition that promotes wildlife in churchyards
• Eco Church South West Support for helping wildlife and becoming more sustainable from the dioceses in the SW
• The Church of England Information about church wildlife
• Moor Meadows Dartmoor Churchyards Project
• Bats in Churches Project Sign up to survey your local church for roosting bats, and Lots of useful bat related resources

Freshwater habitats

University of Exeter research project

• James Garling, a University of Exeter student, is researching possible solutions to water pollution in the Teign catchment for his undergraduate dissertation project. Here is the executive summary of his study as well as a shortened version of his report

Reporting environmental incidents, and data on river health

• Environment Agency – Report an environmental incident Even one dead fish should be reported
• Westcountry Rivers Trust Advice on reporting pollution incidents
• Environment Agency data catchment explorer Find out the chemical and ecological status of UK rivers
• The Rivers Trust Interactive map with information about sewage discharge

Local organisations and projects

• River Teign Restoration Project
• Exe Estuary Management Partnership
• Teign Estuary and Coastal Partnership
• Westcountry Rivers Trust A charity restoring and protecting freshwater environments
• Westcountry Rivers Trust Webinars (Youtube)

National organisations and projects

• Surfers Against Sewage
• Freshwater Habitats Trust
• Salmon and Trout Conservation
• The Rivers Trust
• Freshwater Biological Association

Information

• The Riverfly Census A report on the state of riverine invertebrate populations and what this shows about the health of UK rivers
• House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee 2022 report on river water quality
• Discovering Priority Habitats in England Information on priority river and lake habitats
• Freshwater Habitats Trust Information on flowing and standing freshwater habitats
• Freshwater Habitats Trust Information on freshwater creatures
• Wild Fish Habitats Information on the threats facing riverine ecosystems and how these threats can be mitigated
• Wildlife and habitats found along the Exe Estuary

Gardening for Wildlife

General ideas and advice

• Devon Wildlife Trust Wildlife Garden Award
• PTES Useful tips and ideas
• The Wildlife Trusts Useful tips and ideas
• Wild about Gardens Website General advice from the Wildlife Trusts and RHS
• Friends of the earth Guide to wildlife gardening
• ERCCIS – Wildlife in your Garden FAQs General advice
• Guardian 12 tips on gardening for wildlife
• Blue Campaign Advice on rewilding gardens, parks, road verges and school grounds

Birds

• PTES How to bring songbirds into your garden

Compost

• Guidance on composting by Nicky Scott (Dr Compost), a local expert

Environmentally friendly pest control

• RSPB How to deal with pests without using pesticides

Hedges

• RSPB Garden hedge creation and management

Insects

• The Wildlife Trusts Action for Insects How to encouraging insects into your garden (pdf)
• UK Butterflies Larval foodplant list

Lawns

• RSPB Encouraging wildlife into your lawn
• RHS How to create a wildflower lawn (pdf)

Plants

• RHS Plants for Pollinators Guide
• RHS Plants that provide seed for birds (pdf)

Ponds

• British Dragonfly Society Garden pond and Habitat management
• Freshwater habitats Trust Pond creation and management

Golf Courses

• Bumblebee Conservation Trust Managing golf courses for bumblebees

Grassland, meadows and wildflowers

General guidance

• Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust Encouraging beneficial insects using wildflowers
• Plantlife (YouTube) A wide variety of videos, including plant ID and habitat creation
• Devon Wildlife Trusts Action for Insects Encouraging the community (pdf)
• Buglife Pollinator guidance

Arable weeds

• Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust Importance of weeds in arable fields

Pasture

• The Barn Owl Trust How to manage land for barn owls
• Pasture for Life series of Webinars (YouTube)

Traditional wildflower meadows

• Moormeadows resources page For all things to do with meadows
• Moormeadows Forum Lots more useful resources on meadows
• Magnificent Meadows Management advice
• Floodplain Meadows Partnership Advice on floodplain meadow management
• Life in the Meadow video series (YouTube)
  • Life in the Meadow – Part 1 : Bees
  • Life in the Meadow – Part 2: Wildflowers
  • Life in the Meadow – Part 3: Butterflies
  • Life in the Meadow – Part 4: Common Meadow Insects
  • Life in the Meadow – Part 5: Birds and Meadow Habitat
  • Life in the Meadow – Part 6: Beetles and Bugs

Verges

• Plantlife Managing Grassland Road Verges document
• Plantlife Save Wildflowers on Road Verges campaign
• Devon County Council Life on the verge in Devon – Guidance on how to manage road verges
• Tarka Country Trust Life On The Verge Biosphere Project (2016 – 2020)
• Moor Meadows Life on the verge: Creating and managing wildlife-friendly verges (YouTube)

Hedgerows

Hedge management

• Devon Hedge Group How to make them (pdf)
• Devon Hedge Group Management advice
• Devon Bat Project Management for Greater Horseshoe Bats
• PTES Hedge Management Cycle
• PTES Management advice
• Hedge management with Rob Walton from the Devon Hedge Group (YouTube)
• Devon Wildlife Trusts Action for Insects (pdf)
• Hedgelink Management advice
• RSPB Garden hedges creation and management

Hedge surveys

• The Conservation Volunteers Hedgerow dating
• PTES Survey Britain’s hedgerows

Marine and coastal habitats

• The Shores of South Devon A local group
• The marine life information network Information on habitats and species
• Marine Conservation Society UK
• DASSH An archive for marine species and habitats data
• Channel Coastal Observatory For coastal monitoring data
• Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority
• Data and Publications from CEFAS (The UK government’s Marine ands Freshwater science experts)
• SeaFish Public body supporting the seafood industry in the UK through research, campaigns and training

Nature Friendly Farming

• Nature Friendly Farming Network
• Soil Association – Assessing the impact of conservation tillage
• FarmED An education centre and farm which teaches about regenerative farming and sustainable food systems
• The Apricot Centre A sustainable diverse farm, wellbeing service and business located in Dartington
• Apricot Centre Carbon report 2020

Orchards

• The Orchard Project National organisation giving management advice
• Orchard Link Local organisation giving management advice
• East of England Apples and Orchards Project
• PTES Management advice
• Natural England guide Restoring and managing mature and neglected orchards
• Adam’s Apples One of the main fruit tree growers in Devon

Peatlands

• IUCN Interactive map of Dartmoor’s peatlands
• Moors for the future partnership Useful resources on peatland restoration

Pesticides

• Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN) For information about hazardous pesticides and their alternatives

Rewilding

• Join the Devon Rewilding Network A space to share news and upcoming events about rewilding in Devon
• Rewilding Britain
• Rewilding Europe
• Rewilding Principles by the IUCN (pdf)
• Rewilding Knepp A Talk by Charlie Burrell (YouTube)
• Freeing the Landscape A talk on Knepp by Frans Vera (YouTube)
• A talk about rewilding by Chris Sandom from the University of Sussex (YouTube)
• Ambios Rewilding at Sharpham Estate and information about the Devon Rewilding Hub
• Green minds A Plymouth City Council rewilding project
• Devon Wildlife Trust River Otter beaver trial

Soils

• Soilscapes Find out what your local soil type is

Woodland and trees

Woodland Creation

• Woodland Opportunity Mapping Identify land that may be suitable for tree planting
• DWT Tree Planting Guide
• UK Government Guidance on creating a new woodland
• DWT’s Saving Devon’s Treescapes project Citizen science, advice to landowners, engaging schools and a free tree scheme

Woodland management

• Forestry Commission Getting to know your wood and look after it (pdf)
• Forestry Commission Design techniques for forest management planning (pdf)
• Forestry Commission The governments approach to sustainable forestry (pdf)
• Forestry Commission European Protected Species in Woodland (pdf)
• PTES Managing small woodlands for dormice (pdf)
• Protocol for Woodland Management where dormice are present (pdf)
• English Nature The dormouse conservation handbook (pdf)
• Woodland Wildlife Toolkit Management advice
• Sylva Foundation Online tools and resources for Woodland Management
• Devon Wildlife Trusts Action for Insects Community woodland management for insects (pdf)

Other information about woodland

• The Value of Different Tree and Shrub species to Wildlife An article in British Wildlife
• Woodland Trust Resources and activities for Schools
• Woodland Trust Identify woodland wildlife
• Forest research Information about Veteran Trees
• Moor Trees A local charity
• National Trust Fingle Woods Blog

Tree Protection Orders (TPOs)

• TEMPO A systematised assessment tool for TPO suitability

Growing Trees from seed

• The Conservation Volunteers Guide to growing trees from seed
• Forestry Commission Wales A practical guide to tree nursery production
• Devon Wildlife Trust Micro-nursery guidance for schools

Diseases

• FWAG Ash Dieback Farmer Information Sheet (pdf)

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Information on wildlife and species identification

National Biodiversity Network State of Nature 2019

General wildlife ID

• British Naturalists Association A variety of free ID guides
• Discover the Wild Very useful ID posters
• Nature Spot A photographic library of species identified in Leicestershire and Rutland
• First Nature A variety of free ID guides
• Discover wildlife A variety of ID guides from the team at BBC Wildlife Magazine
• Nature’s calendar A Woodland Trust timeline of when species can be seen throughout the year

Marine species

• The marine life information network Information on habitats and species
• DASSH An archive for marine species and habitats data
• The Shores of South Devon A local group
• Rockpool species identification poster

Birds

• xeno-canto A database of bird calls
• British-birdsongs Bird calls
• Birdsong Lessons with Lucy Lapwing (YouTube)
• Guess the bird 30 bird calls for practice (YouTube)
• RSPB Bird ID guide
• The Devon house martin project
• Teign Birds A blog about bird sightings on the Teign
• The Barn Owl Trust

Fish

• Salmon and Trout Conservation Information about Atlantic Salmon and sea trout
• The Atlantic Salmon Trust Information about Atlantic salmon and sea trout
• Wild Trout Trust Information about all species of trout

Flora

Ancient Woodland Indicator Plants

• Table of Ancient Woodland Indicator Plants (AWIs) (pdf)
• Ancient Woodland Indicator species list Be careful, as not all of these species are AWIs in Devon

Flowering plants

• Buglife guide to ragwort (pdf)
• Grasses ID for Beginners (YouTube)
• The Wildlife Trusts Grasses, sedges and rushes
• FSC Key to groups of British grasses
• Identifying Woodland Plants (YouTube)
• Orchid ID guide (pdf)
• Vegetative ID guide to orchids (pdf)
• 12 Spring Wildflowers You should Know (YouTube)
• Plantlife A wide variety of videos, including plant ID and habitat creation (Youtube)
• Plantlife Seasonal spotter sheets
• Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland Monthly wildflower spotter sheets
• Wildflowers in Dawlish Apr-May ID chart (pdf)

Foraging guides

• Wild Food UK Hedgerow plant identification guides and information about foraging
• Totally Wild UK Identification guides and information about foraging
• Wild Plant Guides Includes an interesting list of poisonous plants

Lower plants/spore plants (mosses and ferns)

• Plantlife Mosses and liverworts of Atlantic Woodlands in Southwest England
• Plantlife Ferns of Atlantic Woodland

Trees

• OPAL Tree identification guide (pdf)
• Woodland Trust AZ Guide on British trees
• Tree bud ID poster
• Forest research Information about Veteran Trees

Fungi

• Discover the Wild AZ guide
• Devon Fungus Group
• Grow Wild Fungi Resource Page
• Totally Wild UK Identification guides and information about foraging
• Wild Food UK Mushroom identification guides and information about foraging
• Plantlife Waxcaps and grassland fungi
• Discover Wildlife How to identify British Woodland fungi

Invertebrates

All inverts

• Bug Life

Freshwater invertebrates

• Freshwater Habitats Trust For freshwater invertebrates

Beetles (coleoptera)

• Guides to British beetles by John Walters (A local naturalist)
• UK Beetles Comprehensive guide to UK beetles
• Bug Life Oil Beetles

True bugs (hemiptera)

• British bugs Comprehensive guide to UK bugs (true bugs/hemiptera)

Bees, wasps, ants (hymenoptera)

• ID guide to bees found in Buckfastleigh by Be Buckfastleigh. Page 1 and page 2
• Bumblebee Conservation ID guide
• Wild Ideas For all things to do with bumblebees
• DWT talk on the plight of the bumblebee (YouTube)

Butterflies and moths (lepidoptera)

• Butterfly Conservation Butterflies
• Butterfly Conservation Identify white butterflies
• UK Butterflies Larval foodplant list
• Butterfly Conservation Moths
• Discover the Wild A-Z guide to moths
• Devon Moth Group
• Atropos Moth catching techniques

Snails and slugs (mollusca)

• Identifying British slugs
• Identifying land snails

Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata)

• Dragonfly Society Identification help

Lichens

• APIS Monitoring air quality using lichens

Mammals

• Devon Mammal Group
• Mammal Society Guide to UK mammals
• Vincent Wildlife Trust Information on native mammal species
• PTES Information on hazel dormice, hedgehogs and water voles
• PTES UK mammal projects
• PTES State of Britain’s dormice in 2019 (pdf)
• The dormouse conservation handbook (pdf)
• Using footprint tracking tunnels for detecting dormice (pdf)
• Talk on dormouse hibernation (YouTube)
• How to find Harvest Mouse Nests (YouTube)
• BioBlitzr Bat Echolocation Key
• The Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project

Reptiles and Amphibians

• Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
• Devon Reptile and Amphibian Group
• The Freshwater Habitats Trust Amphibian ID guide (pdf)
• Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Amphibian ID guide (pdf)
• Countryfile Frogspawn and toadspawn guide

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Online mapping

• Magic Maps Spatial (geographic) data for Great Britain. Includes a layer for National Habitat Network Mapping
• Devon Environment Viewer Spatial (geographic) data for Devon. Includes a layer for Devon Nature Recovery Network mapping
• A Land Cover Atlas of the UK (maps) For information on land use in all UK local authority areas, including Teignbridge
• NEVO Tool Natural Environment Valuation (quantifies the economic value of land and also its value for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, water quality, recreation, timber and agriculture)

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Planning and development

General advice and guidance

• CPRE
• The Community Planning Alliance
• Friends of the Earth
• The Woodland Trust
• Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning
• Devon Wildlife Trust
• Planning Democracy Scotland There is a different planning system in Scotland, but much of the advice given is relevant for Teignbridge

Specific advice and guidance

• Wildlife and development guidance note: cirl buntings
• South Hams SAC – Greater horseshoe bat consultation zone planning guidance
• Advice on Local Wildlife Sites

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Recording wildlife

• iRecord For sending your records to a national database (which feeds into the NBN). This data is also available to Local Records Centres, including the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre
• BirdTrack The main website in the UK for recording birds
• Nature’s Calendar A Woodland Trust recording site, which aims to study the effects of climate change on wildlife. It only accepts records of certain species of interest
• National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Explore wildlife records
• Dawlish Warren Recording Group See the most recent sightings at the Dawlish Warren NNR

Resources for Schools

• Heritage in schools Online tutorials