Landscape Recovery in East Devon. What does it mean and can we make the right land use choices to make it happen?
Talk by Dr. Sam Bridgewater, Clinton Devon Estates.
We pride ourselves in Devon as being amongst the most nature-rich counties along with Dorset. Although we have landscapes and wildlife that are the envy of much of the rest of England, scratch beneath the surface and all is not as it appears to be in the natural world around us. Declining populations of many of our treasured species, poor water quality and landscapes that can no longer provide vital ecological services are all clear signs that something is badly awry.
Landscape Recovery is a concept that has gained traction in the environmental movement in recent years, with the term adopted as one of Defra’s flagship environmental funding schemes designed to drive radical, large-scale habitat and ecosystem restoration. Using the Heaths to Sea initiative in the lower Otter valley as a case study, the talk will demonstrate that turning around the fortunes of the natural world is not just possible but also compatible with productive landscapes that also meet society’s need for food, housing, timber and recreational space. There are good reasons to be hopeful about the future of our natural world.
Dr. Sam Bridgewater joined Clinton Devon Estates in 2012 and has responsibility for ensuring that the protection of wildlife and natural habitats are embedded into all aspects of Estate decision-making. Formerly a researcher at the Natural History Museum and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Sam’s interests include describing and explaining patterns of plant diversity, the management of cultural landscapes and the economic use of plants. He was the Estate lead on the River Otter Beaver Trial and the Lower Otter Restoration Project and is now lead on the Heaths to Sea initiative.
In association with the Sid Vale Association. Entry £2.50 on the door.
