Nature Improvement Area

The North Devon Biosphere Reserve partnership's bid to establish a Nature Improvement Area based on the Torridge river catchment has been chosen by Defra as one of 12 national pilots. MAP

The value of special, protected wildlife sites will degrade over time unless we create better conditions for wildlife between them.  This is the ambitious vision to restore and recreate habitat shared by the Nature Improvement Area partners. It includes not just the special areas but also the land that is least well protected by existing mechanisms but which is crucial to the Biosphere’s wider ecological health and robustness. More

The Northern Devon NIA is led by the Devon Wildlife Trust on behalf of the North Devon Biosphere Reserve Partnership and covers 72,000 hectares of the Rive Torridge catchment.

What will this project do?

The project aims to restore a robust environment throughout the Torridge catchment. It will work in partnership with landowners, farmers and the wider community to enhance farmland and woodland habitats.

The partnership will:

• Restore internationally important habitats such as Culm grasslands, wetlands, neutral meadows, woodlands, hedgerows, rivers and streams within this rich farmed landscape.
• Use innovative land management techniques to re-create threatened grasslands
• Help to improve the management of water courses
• Restore stretches of river for the endangered freshwater pearl mussel
• Stimulate the development of a local woodland economy
• Engage with the local community through a diverse programme of events and activities

The ultimate goal of the project is for this vital part of the Biosphere Reserve to become a thriving and flourishing landscape, teeming with wildlife and providing a range of socio-economic benefits to landowners and local people.

Latest project news October 2012

A team of six new DWT staff, lead by the project manager Lisa Schneidau have been recruited.

School groups are learning about The River Torridge through our Giants in the Forest work.

 

If you live in or around the Torridge catchment and would like to get involved, the NIA team would like to hear from you! Contact the DWT office at Cookworthy on 01409 221823, or email the NIA Community Outreach team:

Look out for the NIA team at these Christmas events

Clare Manning, cmanning@devonwildlifetrust.org

Matt Edworthy, matt.edworthy@devon.gov.uk