Not everyone has experiences as wonderful as these all the time – lots of people don’t have the opportunity, or don’t know where, when or how to go about it. So, when Chulmleigh community groups and I created a nature discovery event at Cadbury Cottage in Chulmleigh and I heard a young person (about 12) say “This is my best day ever” it does really touch me that we are doing a great thing to hold these events and make these interactions and engagements possible. 

As we enter the second year of the project, I am going to be working on expanding our network of community champions, supporting new nature recovery, sustainability & climate change mitigation initiatives, deepening engagement in areas that haven’t yet had the chance to participate and always keeping the focus on local leadership and shared ownership.

If you're reading this and thinking, "I'd love to get involved, but I don't know where to start,"—reach out. Whether you have an idea, a bit of time, or just want to know more, there’s a place for you in this growing network of people who care deeply about place and nature.
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Here’s to more collaboration, creativity, and community-led change in year two. 

Rose had a clear idea how she wanted the sessions to look and had proactively reached out to the National Trust and Sunrise Diversity for support as well. When the project was ready to apply for funding, I took it along to One Atlantic, a community forum for Bideford and surrounding areas, and asked if anyone could help. Here the beauty of being open about what you are doing and talking to others reaped its rewards. Another project had fallen through, meaning there was a spare bit of money available – Sense in Nature had its funding! I have never been involved with a project where it has happened so quickly. 

Normally getting funding can be a lengthy process, luck plays a part but being very clear about your idea and being able to communicate it succinctly and with passion is vital. Rose was able to do all those things.

Supporting a community champion like Rose is one of the best parts of being a Community Animator. I also had the joy of introducing Rose to Kenwith Nature Reserve. Rose has lived in the Torridge area for 15 years having moved here from Wiltshire, but she’d never been to Kenwith - if you’ve never been either I strongly suggest you go and visit. Rose’s face was one of wide- eyed, wide-mouthed astonishment when I showed her the lake ‘I can’t believe we are in the middle of Bideford!’ Rose was so impressed with the nature reserve it became the ‘home’ for most of the Sense in Nature sessions.

The sessions were a mix of walking, natural mindfulness, nature connection and time to talk and share stories, and included one visit to National Trust’s Arlington Court. A group of 6-8 women attended the sessions. Having had the privilege to spend time with this wonderful bunch of women I got to see first-hand how vitally important this group was to them. It gave them a deep sense of belonging; to each other, to themselves, to nature and perhaps most importantly to Bideford.

As Rose explains “We gathered for a photo shoot to promote the project, immediately there was a strong sense of connection and belonging. Stories were shared, hearts opened woven through the thread of common cultural expressions.

“During our nine weeks, with nature being our backdrop, these feelings deepened. The women engaged fully using their voices, creative play, vulnerability and willingness to share lived experiences collectively.

"When you can look at the face of a woman who represents you culturally you know that she will know and share your pain, discomfort and heartache from a lifetime of being marginalised. This is why A Sense in Nature has been very successful and pivotal moment in my life. It also serves to illustrate why the project is so important from a wider perspective".

If you have an idea, an activity or event linked to nature, sustainability, climate action or getting out into the outdoors and you need a little extra help, reach out to your Community Animator. There is one in four Biosphere locations: Bideford, Appledore, South Molton and Chulmleigh. We are here to help, we are here to help you animate your idea.

On 13th March 2025, the historic Burgh Island Hotel in South Devon played host to a pivotal environmental summit — The Island Assembly: Clean Rivers, Clean Seas. The event was organised by Louise Wainright, the dedicated chair of Avon River Champions and Bigbury Net Zero, and brought together a diverse group of NGO representatives, scientists, policy makers, landowners, and community organisations, united in their commitment to improving the health of Devon’s rivers and coastal waters.

The Assembly was made possible thanks to the generous support of Giles and Niki Fuchs, co-owners of Burgh Island Hotel, whose commitment to sustainability provided an inspiring backdrop for the meeting.

The Island Assembly delivered on a key promise made at the Avon River Champions’ Annual General Meeting: to make 2025 the year meaningful action begins. With successive governments falling short of their legal obligation to ensure that all water bodies achieve Good Ecological Status by 2027, the Assembly aims to bridge that gap through local leadership, community collaboration, and science-based strategies.

Key Themes: Inspire, Inform, Connect, Act
The event featured a powerful keynote address from Monty Halls, renowned broadcaster, adventurer, and marine biologist, who urged attendees to take bold and coordinated action to collaborate and tackle climate challenges head on, introducing the day with a positive tone before focusing on Devon’s waterways.

A distinguished panel of speakers contributed their expertise, including:

• Louise Wainwright – Avon River Champions & Bigbury Net Zero
• Katrina Walter – Solicitor, World Wildlife Fund
• Guy Singh-Watson – Founder, Riverford Organics
• Cathy Case – Farmer, Deputy Chair, Devon NFU
• Simon Browning – Technical Lead, The Rivers Trust
• Gary Jolliffe – CEO, Force4Nature and Till the Coast is Clear
• Caroline Voaden MP – South Devon
• Cllr Dan Thomas – SHDC & DCC
• Nick Bruce-White – CEO, Devon Wildlife Trust

 
One of the key outcomes of the Assembly was the introduction of the Devon Rivers Manifesto and the sharing of resources for the South Hams River Report and the BLUEprint Project.
 
A Collaborative Vision for Devon
The Island Assembly shares key goals with the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere, offering opportunities for alignment around catchment-scale restoration, sustainable land management, and community engagement. By sharing data, approaches, and advocacy efforts—particularly through initiatives like the Devon Rivers Manifesto—both regions can drive a more joined-up, county-wide response to the climate and ecological crises. Working together across North and South Devon will enhance biodiversity, restore water quality, and strengthen the region’s resilience to environmental challenges.

A Call to Action
With the shared goal of achieving cleaner, healthier rivers and seas by 2027, the Island Assembly set a clear direction for environmental action in the South West. This landmark event represents a shift from discussion to implementation—building a strong, community-driven framework to protect and restore Devon’s precious water ecosystems. With continued collaboration, leadership, and resolve, the goal of restoring Devon’s rivers and estuaries is firmly within reach.

But how did anyone find this out so that the UNESCO designation could be granted, and how do they look after it? What does a sunset cup coral look like and what is a peat bog? What species make up purple moor grass and rush pasture and why is it in decline? How can we be sure the two endemic species of Braunton Burrows are still there? How do we know when there is a potential threat to nature in an area? What do we do in the event of a change in the natural landscape? And how can we monitor and maintain habitats to conserve and sustain their biodiversity?
 
This is where ecologists come in. These are the challenges that an ecologist considers as part of their day-to-day tasks. This can involve conducting field surveys to collect biological information about the populations and distribution of species using various sampling strategies and habitat survey techniques, such as the use of quadrats, historical records and mapping software. Once these data have been collected, analysed and interpreted, an ecologist can then work on methods to manage and monitor the habitat to enhance its biodiversity value, even creating new habitats if they are needed. This involves building relationships with a wide variety of people along the way, including landowners, local authorities and local communities, to achieve the most sustainable solutions. Some ecologists also contribute to changing future policy and legislation based on their findings and understanding.

At first glance, this may sound like a list of very complex responsibilities, but much of an ecologist’s skillset is built on some principal green skills that can be developed in early stages of education or learned in other employment roles. These include:

I would be interested to know how many ecologists aimed to become an ecologist when starting out their career. As someone who grew up in the local area with a passion for sustaining the natural environment, communities and wildlife, I knew I was keen to work within this sector. But becoming an ‘ecologist’ wasn’t always my plan growing up, as the generic careers advice I received never usually advertised ecology as an attractive job, even though it aligned neatly with all my interests. So I am now happy to be in a position to help the nature recovery of North Devon, with its local communities at heart, and honour the green skills developed through my early and higher education, volunteering and previous jobs.
 
The variety of ecology lends itself to dynamic project roles that focus on a particular goal, but maybe this makes it more difficult to communicate what a career as an ecologist is really like and what skills are needed. Perhaps the right approach isn’t about creating an army of ecologists out of future generations but validating the green skills that are emerging in jobs right now. I believe that there are many members within our communities who could be self-qualified ‘ecologists’ in their own right. It is with the help of the Biosphere Communities project that we hope to support local people to make use of these untapped green skills and develop new-found knowledge within each Hub, with the hope that growing community purpose and resilience may trigger innovative change in the shadow of approaching threats to the nature and climate of our Biosphere.
 
Rob Isaac, Lead Ecologist

Braunton Countryside Centre (BCC) kindly invited us to take part in their Festival of Nature on 26 October 2024. As a community project it is only fitting that our team actively supports local events from time to time. The benefits of these events include networking with other environmental groups to further collaboration, educating people about their local landscape and wildlife and inspiring people to enjoy and care for nature.
 
In preparation for the day, Project Coordinator, Tom Humphreys, and Community Animator, Martha Boalch, put together an array of attractive resources. Other groups would be covering creepy crawlies, fungi and plastic litter so we chose a unique focus for our stand. As the North Devon Biosphere is a UNESCO site which concerns itself with sustainable living (as well as the connection between people and wildlife), we decided to develop an activity to engage people with their carbon footprint. People may have used online calculators that can estimate your carbon output through your lifestyle – but has anyone ever measured the carbon stored in their bodies? Or compared that to the carbon in a tree? So, alongside our Biosphere banners and flag we also packed ‘Measure Your Carbon’ guides, ‘Calculate the Carbon in a Tree’ guide, ‘Match The Footprint’ game and a selection of inspiring books and leaflets about our work and the work of other local partners.

As well as our kit we needed to be prepared in other ways. We visited BCC to catch up with Jess Giblett, Project Coordinator for Connect 2 Nature, and discuss the set-up of the day, who would be coming and any specific safety considerations. We also scoped the nearby area for mature trees that we might use for our tree carbon calculations.
 
When the day arrived we were excited to go and set up our table. The weather was good and we were hopeful for lots of visitors. There were local crafts for sale outside and inside we were with the other environmental groups – including Claire from Plastic Free North Devon (PFND), Volunteers from Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT), Nature with Nick, members of Coastwise, Jamie from the North Devon Coast National Landscape (NL) and Renee the fungi expert.  

Throughout the day there was a steady stream of interested people joining the activities. Our ‘Match The Footprint’ activity was very popular as the wooden blocks are both attractive and tactile. They’re a great flexible resource which can be used to engage with all ages and levels of prior experience. The kids loved them and even Mary Breeds, local flower expert and volunteer at BCC, couldn’t resist handling them and chatting about them.

One of my aims on the day was to raise awareness of the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere. This was particularly poignant as the epicentre of our Biosphere is the nearby Braunton Burrows, a large and biologically diverse sand dune system. Locals and visitors were not always aware of the Biosphere or the Burrows so I was able to explain about the importance of the dunes and the unique plant life in particular, and link this to the Biosphere designation protecting the Burrows and also the vast area representing the river catchments of the Taw and Torridge plus the marine space out to Lundy Island. I encouraged people to visit the Burrows and signposted them to further information available in the hub regarding location and regular events. I also explained about the Biosphere and shared leaflets and ideas for getting involved.
 
It was a joy to meet the other nature enthusiasts. A particular example of useful networking was meeting Claire and Nick Withers, the founding members of Sustainable Chulmleigh. Claire even kindly offered to mentor any new group should they set up in Appledore where my work focuses.
 
Some learning I took away from the day is that it is possible to overload the table with different bits and bobs! We had so many things to display that we didn’t have room to lay out our carbon resources and as a result they lay forgotten as we were swept up with other conversations through the day. At a future event these resources could be given centre stage and supported with something more physical like a model tree to draw people in and help start the conversation in a carbon direction.
 
Organising and promoting an event like this takes lots of work so it’s a bonus to attend an event someone else is organising. In the process gaining the Biosphere some valuable face to face time with people encouraging them to explore and value nature and also act to protect it. Our heartfelt gratitude to Jess Giblett and the Connect 2 Nature team for organising and thank you to those who attend and continue to support nature in North Devon.
 
Ultimately our goal with these events, and our jobs overall, is to help people navigate the two major challenges we currently face on planet earth: namely accelerated climate change and faster wildlife decline. If people can appreciate and enjoy nature they are more likely to consider taking steps to protect it. If more people take steps to conserve nature and use our resources sustainably then future generations stand a better chance of a stable environment and the benefits of wildlife.
 
That’s why from now until the end of February 2025, we calling for people to respond to our survey and share your thoughts on the challenges and opportunities for climate action and biodiversity in your area of North Devon at bit.ly/BioDevSurvey
 
If you need help to complete the survey contact biosphere-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
 
Martha Boalch, Community Animator for Appledore

Earlier in the month, Tom and I gave a talk about inclusion and codesign at the 3rd Waymakers Practitioners Meeting Neurodivergent Needs Forum in Barnstaple.
 
Codesign is at the heart of what the Biosphere Communities project aims to do. Specifically, we want to learn what gets in the way of engaging with nature and taking action on climate and biodiversity for the communities and groups within our climate hubs, and then work with them to find and implement activities that can overcome those challenges and encourage nature connection and locally-led action.
 
Coming from a background of research into political participation, I can say that a lot of research work has been done and much is known about the reasons why people do or do not participate in civic life, whether locally or in a bigger field of activity. To keep it short, it’s about means, motive and opportunity.

• Means: People who participate believe they can afford the costs of time and money (or even reputation, mental wellbeing and freedom).

• Motive: What they think and, crucially, feel about an issue responds actively to what one group or another is saying and doing about it.

• Opportunity: Someone they trust asked them to join in, or they saw someone they identified with participating too, and it seemed to them they could be effective doing so.

 
These interact, so if I feel a stronger connection to nature than my neighbour, I am much more likely to find the time and pay the cost of doing something to protect it, even if I have less time and money than them. But that doesn’t make me more virtuous. My neighbour may have a lot to deal with, practically and psychologically. Even though she understands time in nature makes her feel better and kindles her desire to protect it somehow, she may rightly believe that with her commitments, she cannot afford the time or any other costs, she cannot heed messages about nature, or she cannot forge a relationship or an identity with people who are involved.
 
Codesign connects our good intentions and prior knowledge with an up-to-date understanding of a specific situation and the people in it, by working with them. At the PINN forum, Tom gave a good, brief outline of what codesign is, and what the process could look like. He said that codesign is a method that involves people with lived experience of an issue or problem with the aim of including different perspectives and developing an improved approach. Key principles for codesign are:

• Inclusiveness: Ensure that all relevant voices are heard

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• Equality: Respect the input of all participants.

• Collaboration: Work together towards a common goal.

• Transparency: Be open about processes and decisions.

• Empowerment: Enable participants to influence outcomes.

 
I can’t get away from the sense that these are five emphases of the same overall aim of inclusion. Although doing codesign is a way of making change inclusively, practical inclusion needs to be done from the beginning to really achieve codesign. Not only do people have different experiences, but some people have a much harder time getting their voices heard and views represented. The result is unlikely to be as good for as many people if some people are left out.
 
I can see parallels with a project I was recently involved in as a researcher, ENLIVEN, which aimed to help older people with dementia get outdoors into nature, using codesign. It is often said that what works for people with dementia works for everyone. So, to enable anyone who might face obstacles to take part in the events that make up a codesign process, those of us responsible for venues and organising events would do well to pay attention to three priorities that were developed in the context of thinking about people with dementia and tourism: information, place and people.

• Information: participation starts at the first moment of contact with the group, whether it is their website, Facebook page, or a poster. Anyone for whom joining a meeting or codesign event might be a challenge (exactly the sort of people we’d want to include in the process!) will want to know whether that challenge will be manageable and rewarding or too difficult and overwhelming. Whether my challenge is a physical, cognitive, sensory, sexual or social difference that the culture and environment I live in turns into a disadvantage or a disability, I will be looking for information that allows me to choose and gives me confidence that if I give it a try, I will have a good experience.

• Place: Some places are accessible because they have level access, good lighting, accessible toilets, plenty of seating and clear signage (and more), and some places are accessible because they are somewhere everyone in the area feels comfortable going in. Some places are accessible in both ways, but many are not (and if your ‘place’ is an online video meeting, there is still plenty to think about). Whether a venue welcomes tens of thousands of people every year or is a small community space, there are always characteristics that are difficult to change, and when it comes to getting outdoors, few people want all sense of adventure smoothed away.

• People: People is the most important of these. In a situation where the information wasn’t there, or wasn’t correct, or the place presents overwhelming challenges for someone, what makes the difference between a stressful or upsetting experience and a reasonable time is the reaction of the people there. Friendliness, understanding, a willingness to listen, learn and work with someone to solve a problem are the most important characteristics of any attempt to welcome diverse people in.

 
The importance of people and relationships in codesign is one of the reasons that the Biosphere Communities project hugely benefits from our team of four Community Animators. Another reason is recognising that time and money are serious constraints on the capacity of motivated people in small communities to do more. With the ambitious aims of the project, it was important that we are able to support people in key roles to carry out the work involved.

Stephan Price

Biosphere Communities Project Admin

Welcome, folks, to the inaugural blog post for our Biosphere Communities Project.
 
The regular news and updates on this page will keep you both informed and engaged with our Project throughout its lifetime, whilst also serving as both a record and celebration of the fantastic work that our Communities and Project Partners will achieve.
 
I am the Co-ordinator for this project. Before joining the North Devon Biosphere, I was bringing learners of all ages and backgrounds outdoors, supporting environmental curriculum development and delivery, improving equitable access to our wilder green and blue spaces and removing barriers, and exploring nature-based solutions in which both humans and home landscapes benefit.
 
For this post I’ll endeavour to introduce the Project and rest of the team, some of our partners, and encourage you get involved if you spot a chance.
 
The Biosphere Communities Project is funded by the ‘Climate Action Fund’  for the next four years, and is set to empower groups and individuals become champions for nature recovery and sustainable solutions to the shared environmental and social challenges faced across our communities in North Devon and Torridge.
 
Many of these challenges result from the pressures of a changed and changing climate. I embrace “think global, act local” when addressing serious environmental issues such as loss of biodiversity, carbon reduction and sequestration, pollution of our air and water, as well as energy and resource scarcity. Thinking locally, we are focusing on four key development areas:

1. Codesigned and community-led action that is further reaching, better connected, equipped with the right kit, and more resilient to future unknowns.
2. Stronger career pathways and ‘green skills’, with clearer employment opportunities for local young people to excel in a growing future industry.
3. Support for our communities to become both nature-rich and better-placed to tackle and mitigate the climate challenge at a local level that they know best.
4. Establishing a network of community climate hubs which can access expert advice and share knowledge and skills across the wider community.

 
The crucial bit to get right throughout the Project is the community codesign; it’s what most attracted me to get involved with the Project.
 
Our codesign approach will acknowledge the impactful community work that is already taking place across the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere, with the project listening to and learning from what works (and what doesn’t!) to fully understand the complex needs and opportunities across our partner communities. We will then bring resources and energy to support positive climate action that our neighbouring communities want and need.
 
The four areas that the Project is currently involved with codesign are:

• Bideford
• Appledore
• South Molton
• Ashreigney and Chulmleigh.

 
Over the summer, I have met with groups stemming from the above communities, including Bideford Sustainability Group, Ashreigney Nature Recovery Group, and Sustainable Chulmleigh. The Project can learn a lot from the wisdom within these established groups, and I have been grateful for their warmth of company so early into the Project.
 
One of the development areas is about improving access to expert advice and knowledge, and I am delighted to share our bank of Project Partners:

• 361 Energy
• North Devon Volunteering Services (NDVS)
• Plastic Free North Devon
• Westcountry Rivers Trust
• Exmoor National Park
• Beaford Arts

 
I have also had the pleasure of recruiting some fantastic colleagues to join me on the Project. The hands-on facilitators of community codesign will be our core team of four Community Animators, who are the spirited and energetic champions that are the cheerful smiling faces of the project, representing the views and ambitions of the communities that they empower. We’ll be supported by our Project Administrator, who ensures smooth running though clear communication and diligent planning. I look forward to reading future blog posts authored by members of the team (accompanied by introductions in their own style!).
 
I am excited to see what our communities develop alongside the Community Animators with support from the Project Partners, though I would expect tasks to involve realising the shared ambitions of the Devon Local Nature Recovery Strategy and Devon Climate Emergency, developing the employable skills and experience of participating young people and engaging some of the other ‘quieter voices’ that often go underrepresented in our communities (but are equally affected by climate change issues).
 
As a former young person (!) whose early career in the outdoors was steered by hundreds of hours volunteering to pull ragwort from the chalk grasslands of the Surrey Hills, I believe in the transformative work that positive local action can have on our wilder spaces as well as on the people that proudly call these spaces home.
 
If you spot a chance to join me and others by getting involved with the Biosphere Communities Project, please feel encouraged to get in touch.
 
Tom Humphreys
 
Biosphere Communities Project Coordinator
 
Email or Message