Kynoch's Foreshore Local Nature Reserve

Kynoch's Foreshore Local Nature Reserve was officially opened by Councillor Jeremy Yabsley, Chairman of Devon County Council and Councillor Andrew Eastman, Chairman of Torridge District Council on 21^st October 2011.  The 39 Ha reserve includes both Kynoch's Foreshore, which is owned or leased by TDC and also 1.6km of adjacent Tarka Trail, owned by DCC.

The opening event included talks by local experts about the importance of the reserve for wildlife.
Mike Towns, from Devon Birds, talked about the role of the Taw Torridge Estuary for birds particularly curlew and redshank and how the reserve plays an important location for these birds at high tide.
Janice Whittington, local ecologist talked about the adjacent bat roost of 500+ pipistrelle bats and how the reserve forms an essential feeding ground for both these and other bat species particularly Daubentons bat

Finally, Pete and Pip Jollands from the Hallsannery Centre went through the various plant species found on site, from Spartina at the edge of the mud through to Phragmites at the top of the site.  They also talked about the importance of the site for education. 

The LNR contains the largest saltmarsh in Torridge and it is one of the most significant salt marshes for wildlife in the Taw Torridge Estuary.  Previously, because the reserve is above Bideford's Old Bridge, it was outside the SSSI but designation as an LNR should help protect this important habitat for the future.