Zoo keepers are dedicated, passionate – even obsessed. They are devoted to the animals with which they work...
For one keeper at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in Devon, each conservation success means so much to her that she gets a permanent reminder. Dr Katy Upton marks her team’s first successful breeding of each rare frog species with an anatomically correct frog tattoo. Katy explained: “I’m very proud of the work we do with these species and I love tattoos of the animals I work with. So far I’ve got two on my right forearm - Raniotmeya summersii - Summers' poison frog - and...
Celebrate International Dark Sky Week at a Dark Sky Event on Tuesday 17 April, organised by Dartmoor National Park in association with the Department of Physics & Astronomy from the University of Exeter.
Both the importance of maintaining a night-time environment without uncontrolled outdoor lighting and the sheer joy of witnessing a natural night sky will be explored at this event with hands-on activities as well as opportunities to view the night sky under the expert tutelage of the University of Exeter.
Starting at 7:30pm at the Moorlands Hotel, Haytor, with an...
2018 has got off to a flying start for Devon’s food and drink scene and building on the success of recent years it is fair to say that Devon’s fabulous food and drink is no longer a secret. The county continues to grow in recognition as the place to turn to for the very best produce, thanks in no small part to Food Drink Devon and its members, who are continually helping to build this reputation and share the delights of Devon with a wider audience.
Barbara King, chair of the board of directors for Food Drink Devon, says: “We are delighted to see that Devon’s food fame continues to...
Office manager at Luscombe Drinks, Natalie Cook, is going the extra mile this April to raise awareness and funds for Paignton-based Leah’s Fairy Fund. On Sunday 22nd April, Natalie will be pounding the streets of London and clocking up 26.2 miles as she aims to complete the 2018 London Marathon.
With a fundraising target of £3,500, Natalie is running for Leah’s Fairy Fund, a charity set up by her work colleague Wayne Martin. Wayne and his wife Joanne set up the charity after their daughter Leah was diagnosed with a high-grade medulloblastoma at the age of just two years old....
Nearly 300,000 homes and businesses in rural areas now have access to superfast broadband thanks to Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS).
New analysis shows the total number of homes and businesses with access to CDS-provided superfast has risen to 298,900 and a further 38,000 can access improved broadband speeds.
In addition, CDS-funded construction has started to provide a further 68,100 rural homes and businesses across the region with access to superfast networks by 2020. In many cases the new networks will be capable of ultrafast speeds. (See Notes)
Can you spare a few hours a week? Are you looking for some work experience or want to meet new friends from all walks of life? If so, mark Saturday 21 April in your diary as Knightshayes Court is holding an open day for people who are interested in becoming a volunteer. From lending a hand in the garden, to caring for our precious collections, there's plenty of different ways to get involved. The 262 acre estate on the outskirts of Tiverton is reliant on over 200 volunteers to help look after it and open its doors to the public on a daily basis. Alice Morgan-Brown, who co-ordinates the...
Patients across the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital are benefitting from new pieces of equipment thanks to a £4,000 donation from the Trolley Shop.
The not-for-profit enterprise is run completely by volunteers and offers patients a range of refreshments, toiletries and stationery during its daily ward rounds. Any proceeds made by the Trolley Shop are put into a fund, and once a year, every ward in the hospital is given the opportunity to apply for support from it. The Trolley Shop Volunteers Committee then decides how the money will be distributed.
Budding photographers of all ages are invited to enter their best photographs of Seaton Devon, into Snap Seaton a brand new competition launched by Seaton Town Council.
The Snap Seaton photography competition is inviting adults and children to send their best shots of the beautiful seaside town, its beach, attractions and surrounding areas. The winning photos in the child and adult categories will be made into postcards that will be available throughout the summer.
Seaton Mayor and Town Councillor Jack Rowland, says, “We want to celebrate Seaton and the creative people who...
The annual Exeter School Choral Society concert held at Exeter Cathedral on Thursday 15 March was once again a highlight of the musical year, drawing together pupils, parents, staff, alumni and guests from the school's community.
The concert opened with Middle School Choir singing Howard Goodall's arrangement of 'The Lord is My Shepherd', best known as the theme tune from The Vicar of Dibley. The purity of their voices combined with their close attention to Mrs Guthrie's direction meant that the main chorus had to aim high and concentrate hard to meet this level of performance when...
Exeter-born, Kayla Tuvey (19), is the youngest chef (and possibly the first woman) in 41 years to win the title of Chaîne des Rôtisseurs GB Young Chef of the Year 2018 and is off to Taiwan in September for the international finals!
Testing their creativity and practical talent, the chef finalists were asked to cook a three-course meal for four in 3.5 hours, using compulsory ingredients notified beforehand, and enhanced by a ‘mystery box’ opened at the start of the cook-off in the kitchens of Lainston House Cookery School, outside Winchester. Each dish was then judged against strict...
