We've been really busy as the season kicks off. Here is a round up of upcoming events and a bit of what we've been up to recently...
Upcoming events
National Plant Monitoring Scheme – Wednesday 17th May
We will be heading over to Gallantry Bower, near Clovelly, to undertake a National Plant Monitoring Scheme survey between 10am-2pm. This will be a great opportunity to practice and improve your plant identification skills as well as contributing real citizen science data. Please email joe.newberry@devon.gov.uk if you would like to get involved. Booking essential.
Wildlife Training days – dates coming soon
We will be running wildlife training days across several locations around the AONB including Hartland and Ilfracombe. These events will include plant surveying, rapid woodland assessments, reptile surveys, small mammal trapping, butterfly surveys and moth trapping. These surveys will provide you with the skills to carry out your own surveys and build our knowledge of wildlife across the AONB. Look out for dates that will be released soon.
Survey season has started!
Reptiles in Hartland
The Hartland Nature Society have successfully set up their community reptile survey, with 21 people living in and around the parish placing reptile refugia plates, small bitumen plates that reptiles like to warm up under, in their gardens. Our first check took place at the end of April, with over 20 slow worms being observed. A great start to the survey season, we look forward to hearing more updates this summer!
Reptiles in Ilfracombe
At the other end of the AONB, knowledgeable volunteer Dylan has set up a reptile survey in accordance with the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust on Hillsborough local nature reserve near Ilfracombe. We have 16 reptile refugia plates laid out all around the site with our first survey on the 21st April. We have not observed any reptiles yet, but there are tantalising signs of activity under the plates!
Hedgehogs at Hartland Primary school
Hartland Primary school have done a phenomenal job helping us to survey for hedgehogs on their school grounds. All the children got involved and had a fantastic time setting them up, changing the paper and food each day for a week-long survey. They found hedgehog footprints in every footprint tunnel, as well as many mice footprints and the occasional cat! Click here to watch the camera trap footage of what they found!
First meet up of the AONB Environment Group
On the 4th May, we had our first Environment group meet up at Mortepoint. Paul South from the National Trust came and spoke to us about the land management changes over the years, including the success of GPS cow collars in helping improve biodiversity at the site. Despite the worsening weather, we had a lot of fun and look forward to our future meet ups!
This is a group providing opportunities to young people interested in the environmental sector to gain experience with local organisations and other like-minded young people. Please email lowenna.arnold@devon.gov.uk if you are interested in joining in.
Bee walk training day at Hartland Quay
On Wednesday 3rd May, we had a bee walk training day with the Hartland Nature Society led by Jamie Buxton-Gould from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. We had a lovely time walking near Hartland quay and managed to catch several different bumblebee species as well as a few solitary bee species too.
Hartland’s Mini Bioblitz for The Big Help Out
On the 8th May, we set out into the Vale in Hartland to identify as many species as we could. As a group, we gathered 187 records including plants, insects, freshwater invertebrates and birds. Everyone had a fun time in the rain identifying everything we came across!
Photos taken by finsters_photography
