Reaching the hearts that evidence cannot reach -
arts in the Biosphere
A new study by the University of East Anglia called
"More evidence doesn't change minds"
(scroll down the page) showed that to influence people's
behaviour, we need to alter their beliefs, not just
present them with more scientific evidence. This shows
the limits of the powers of rational persuasion and
science - something that artists have known for
years.
This fact, alongside Arts
Council analysis that concludes that over three quarters
of English adults participate in the arts in some form,
means we should be encouraged by the growing Arts and
Ecology movement in England. From Arnolfini's current ‘C
- Words*' programme in Bristol to the Barbican's
‘Radical Nature' exhibition planting a wheat field in
Dalston, artists throughout the country are showing an
increasing willingness to take on these subjects,
bringing them to the attention of a much wider
proportion of the community.
Here in the Biosphere
Reserve, our arts organisations have been doing this for
some time. From Appledore Arts' Sea 4 Life project,
which brought together three artists, 120 students, a
geologist and a marine scientist through to the North
Devon Festival's important and growing Biosphere strand
each June, the centuries-old link between artists and
the environment is very much alive.
Here at Beaford, we're now
working with generations not even born when James
Ravilious was creating his archive. For example,
October's Village Band project in Burrington, from which
this picture is taken, worked with the primary school to
build a new oak tree from recycled materials. The
village turned out to celebrate this and the
400-year-old old oak - a true symbol of sustainable
environment which now has a special significance for
Burrington's next generation.
There's much more to come
from all North Devon's arts organisations in partnership
with the Biosphere Reserve. Watch this space. Mark
Wallace - Beaford Arts. Photo: Dave Green
(* oh, and, in case you were
wondering, Arnolfini's C Words are of course carbon, climate, capital and
culture)
John and Mary Breeds awarded
Congratulations to John and
Mary Breeds who received the 2009 MOD Sanctuary Award
for their outstanding 30 year involvement with
conservation, public access and interpretation at
Braunton Burrows, the core of the Biosphere Reserve.
They received their awards from Under Secretary of State
for Defence Kevan Jones who reminded everyone that the
MOD "are constantly mindful that we have a duty to care
for the environment around us".
Braunton Burrows is one of
the finest sand dune systems in the northern hemisphere.
It has been owned by the Christie family for more than
350 years and is a military training area. It is
an amazingly rich habitat with hundreds of species of
flowering plants including many that are nationally and
locally rare.
New era for the
Burrows
In 2009, the Estate ushered
in a new era for the site by entering into a High Level
Stewardship Agreement with Natural England. Large
grazing compartments have been fenced off so that stock
can be introduced to graze the site and keep the
invading scrub under control and encourage the smaller
wildflowers for which the dunes are celebrated. This
compliments the work of the MOD over a number of years.
The Estate are not preventing access to these areas but
ask that people entering them take extra care to keep
dogs on leads and under tight control as stock may be
present even if you can't at first see the animals. Matt
Edworthy
Recognising
volunteers
We are looking at ways of
recognising and awarding those legions of volunteers and
groups that support the Biosphere Reserve in various
capacities.
Access to Nature fund - final funding bid
submitted
One of the objectives in the
Biosphere Reserve Action plan is "to have a safe, strong
and healthy community in North Devon". The Northern
Devon Coast and Countryside Service has led the
development and submission of a funding bid to the
Natural England Access to Nature fund for a project
called Hawthorn.
A focus on specific
groups of people
Even in places with high
quality environments, many people continue to miss out
on the well- being benefits of time spent in the
countryside. The Hawthorn aims to overcome this for
people in areas of high deprivation and in vulnerable
groups in Northern Devon (primarily within North Devon's
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve) and a part of Cornwall, by
encouraging and supporting their increased access to and
engagement with the natural environment. If the bid is
successful, the Project will run for three years from
April 2010. We are looking to work in partnership with
organisations working with our target groups,
countryside site owners and managers, and countryside
activity providers. Interested? Project summary. Contact Matt
Edworthy, Biosphere Outreach Coordinator.
Other funding on the way?
As the Hawthorn Project shows, North Devon's
Biosphere Reserve and the fact that it brings many
different interests together in support of a sustainable
future for north Devon, has and continues to be used to
support the development of external funding
applications.
Major applications in the pipeline include
Explore
North Devon Coast (ENDC) - A bid, led by the
North Devon Coast AONB. The Leader 4 assessment panel
for Torridge and North Devon approved 50% of the £75,000
needed for the project. ENDC will create a range of
web-based resource guides that map and attractively
present key features of the AONB. The resources will be
searchable by parish according to key themes and promote
new reasons to visit and explore the coast. Contact
Linda Blanchard.
 Unlocking
our Coastal Heritage - A three year project to
raise the profile of the Coast path as a cultural
corridor, protect and restore over 30 cultural sites on
the coast path (including Hillsborough and potentially
the pleasure grounds in Combe Martin), finance a series
of route improvements including works at Watermouth and
improve education, interpretation and marketing. Contact
Mark Owen (South West Coast Path Officer based at Devon
County Council). A bid and business plan is being
considered by the Rural Development Programme for
England. Contact Mark Owen, Coast Path officer for the
South West based at Devon County Council.
Word
Quest - A funding bid has been submitted to the
Arts Council with another to the Heritage Lottery Fund,
to create a series of discovery journeys linked to
literary themes and writers across Devon, including in
the Biosphere Reserve. It is about people finding their
connection to the astonishing and exciting world of
literature amidst the grandeur of Devon's landscape.
Contact Matt Edworthy.
Marine and Coastal Conference for Teachers and
Educators
Tuesday 9th February
2010, 11am until 5:30pm, Ruda Holiday Park
Croyde
Our marine and coastal landscapes offer a wealth of
inspiring educational opportunities for children and
young people. This conference provides an unusual chance
for primary and secondary school teachers as well as
informal educators to meet with experts and discuss how
to develop projects about North Devon's world-class
marine & coastal landscapes. Conference flyer and
booking form. This is a great opportunity so please book
a place and pass on the details to someone else that you
think might be interested.
Winkleigh - considering carbon
On 30th October, over 20 households from Winkleigh
met with students from the University of East Anglia at
the Biosphere Reserve's first ever energy clinic. The
aim was to calculate the communities' energy use (carbon
footprint) and find ways to reduce energy consumption
and carbon emissions and create a better future.
Analysis of my household's carbon footprint showed
that we generated some 12 tons of carbon a year, which
is very close to the national average. Interestingly,
almost a third of that came from short haul flights.
The energy clinic is part of a wider consultancy
project being undertaken by three postgraduate carbon
management MBA students from UEA with the North Devon
Biosphere Reserve. The results will show how Biosphere
communities might be able to reduce their carbon
footprint by 34% by 2020, and by 80% by 2050 to meet the
challenging targets set in the UK government's Climate
Change Act. Find out more about how to cut your carbon
footprint. Peter Howard
Parishes asked to support the Biosphere
Like Winkleigh, other
parishes can show their support for the Biosphere
Reserve. In October, a letter was sent to all the
Reserve's Parish Councils raising their awareness of the
designation and some of the things different people have
done to support it. Councils were asked to consider what
they might be able to do to support us and those that
wish to will be able to sign up as supporter parishes on
the Biosphere website's interactive map. Please ask what
your Parish Council is doing and encourage them to make
a difference. Matt Edworthy
Knocking back the knotweed
Japanese Knotweed is highly
invasive and smothers native plants. It is easily spread
and grows so powerfully it can damage concrete and
buildings. It is notoriously difficult to eradicate but
take heart from a community project in the village of
Lee in North Devon.
Members of the community
were trained so that they could treat the knotweed
themselves and they offerred free knotweed treatment to
landowners (many of whom made a donation to augment
funding from North Devon District Council and North
Devon AONB). These sources paid for training, equipment
and the chemical needed to undertake the work. To-date,
the Project has treated 23 sites involving 18
landowners. Tom Hynes
More
information:
Devon Japanese Knotweed Forum website.
Pick up a copy of the guidance booklet on identification
and control from your local library, garden centre or
order one from nature@devon.gov.uk. |
Welcome to Rupert Hawley
Rupert has joined the Northern Devon Coast and
Countryside Service as "Biosphere Reserve Biodiversity
Projects Officer".
Rupert will help communities and landowners to carry
out conservation work and surveys to help wildlife, and
to encourage communities to work on environmental
projects. Initially, Rupert will be offering advice to
farmers to help reduce nutrient pollution and to improve
wildlife habitats.
Some examples of what Rupert has been up to look no
further than "Tree planting world record" in this
issue.
Tree planting world record
BBC Breathing Places has organised an
attempt on December 5th to break the world tree planting
record.
The Northern Devon Coast and Countryside Service has
provided trees to twenty community groups and land
owners so that the Biosphere can play a part in this
attempt. Sites include Pathfields School and Higher
Huxhill farm near Bideford.
The trees will be planted by volunteers during one
hour on December 5th. This activity will engage large
numbers of people with the environment and by careful
site and species selection, provide new habitats for
wildlife.
So, please volunteer yourself if you can and spread
the word to others.
Contact Rupert
Hawley
Hedge week heroes
Devon hedges form network across the Biosphere
Reserve. They link different places and and form
corridors and habitat for a variety of wildlife.
Hedges are identified in the Biosphere Biodiversity
Action Plan and many people are working hard to preserve
and enhance the network.
This year's Devon Hedgeweek at the end of October
included over 9 events in the Biosphere Reserve from
Hartland to Exmore to Winkleigh. Activities included
'Hedgeucation' in Holsworthy, Hedge laying with the
National Trust and Hedgerow detectives' activities
for Children. Thanks to all that took part .
In many ways hedges are illustrative of the network
of communities we want to develop in the biosphere
linked not only by physical features like hedges but by
a shared Biosphere ethos of conservation, sustainability
and education. More about Devon hedges. Tom
Hynes.
In Brief!
NDCCS new volunteering programme.
North Devon's
Biosphere Reserve Partnership . Dates for 2010
meetings. Go
Show your support - sign up on the
Reserve's website. It takes less than a minute!
The North
Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is 50
years old. See the extensive programme of
celebratory events. Something for everyone. Go
North Devon Natural
History Network - Join a network of other people
interested in the wildlife of North Devon. Contact Paul
Madgett
On 04 November 2009,
the Devon
Maritime Forum also came to North
Devon and held their annual Autumn meeting at the
Saunton Sands hotel. The Forum is a county-wide
partnership that acts a ‘champion of the sea' for Devon
and the South West.
Worldwide 350 campaign - join up now
and add your voice to a global call for leaders at the
Copenhagen Climate Summit to take real steps to reduce
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to the internationally
recognised 'manageable limit' of 350 ppm. It is
currently 387ppm. 350 video
Also join the 10:10 campain and pledge to reduce
your carbon footprint by 10% in 2010
Do you have news for
the next newsletter? Contact Matt Edworthy
or use the 'contact us' feature on the Biosphere
Reserve website
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