wildlife

How to attract and protect Autumn wildlife in your garden

Authored by Claire Small
Posted: Wed, 09/01/2021 - 12:13pm

As autumn approaches, gardeners are being given advice on how to attract and protect wildlife.

Experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have put together their tips on how to attract wildlife including birds and hedgehogs to your garden as the temperature begins to drop.

As autumn approaches, many wildlife species will be looking for a place to stay and hibernate as the cold months pass.

Gardens across the country will be acting as a home and there are small things that gardeners can do to help attract wildlife and provide them with a safe space.

Chris Bonnett...

Wildlife haven vision for former Exeter golf course backed by residents

Overwhelming backing proposals to enhance a former golf course into a much-loved green space in the heart of Exeter has been given by residents following a public consultation.

Exeter City Council earlier this year launched a consultation on how best to enhance the former Northbrook Approach golf course off Topsham Road in the year in partnership with Devon Wildlife Trust, following approval for the go-ahead from the council’s executive back in February 2020.

The Northbrook golf course was closed in 2019, and proposals initially would have seen the land disposed of, only...

Survey local riverbanks this spring to help save endangered water voles

Survey local riverbanks this spring to help save endangered water voles

Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling for volunteers across England, Scotland and Wales to search for sightings and signs of water voles along local riverbanks, canals and other inland waterways, from now until 15th June 2021.

This survey, which is part of PTES’ National Water Vole Monitoring Programme, helps conservationists find where water voles are living, how their populations are changing each year, and most importantly, where they are in most need of help.

PTES needs to build on the survey data gathered since 2015 to create a...

Fabulous response to Wildlife at Home photography competition

Organisers or a wildlife at home photography competition have been bowled over by the high standard of entries.

Exeter City Council and Devon Wildlife Trust received 93 entries for the competition, with dozens of stunning images.

In the end it was David Flint’s close-up of a garden dragonfly that impressed judges the most. David will receive a book on Wildlife Gardening, kindly donated by Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) for his efforts.

Eleven-year-old Oliver Marsh won the junior category with his shot of a robin on a bench. Oliver will also receive a book of...

The search begins for Devon's Best Churchyard of 2021

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Tue, 02/02/2021 - 1:15am

During the pandemic, Devon’s residents have appreciated the green spaces around their churches like never before and now Devon CPRE is inviting churches of all denominations to enter this year’s competition to find the ‘Best Churchyard’ in the whole of the county.

Following a year with little to celebrate, Devon CPRE applauds the volunteers helping to maintain and ‘green up’ Devon’s churchyards. During the challenging months of lockdown, many churchyards have become real sanctuaries for the local community - not just for churchgoers. In some places, they are the only public space...

Photography competition to capture wildlife on the doorstep proves popular

Organisers of a photography competition to capture wildlife in the garden have been delighted by a flood of entries.

In just a few days since the competition was launched, Exeter City Council has received 33 entries. People have until the end of the month to send in their images.

Cllr Duncan Wood, Lead Councillor for Leisure and Physical Activity, said he was over overjoyed by the response.

“The feedback we’ve had has been so fantastic,” he said. “We wanted to create some positivity during ‘lockdown’ – supporting the ‘Stay at Home’ message but giving people...

Devon Wildlife Trust, photography, Exeter

Stay at home photographers encouraged to capture wildlife on their doorstep

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Thu, 01/07/2021 - 12:23pm

People are being encouraged to take photographs of ‘Wildlife at Home’ in a fantastic new competition with some great prizes up for grabs.

Exeter City Council has partnered up with Devon Wildlife Trust, who manage Exeter’s Valley Parks on behalf of the Council, to see what wildlife people have in their gardens or backyards across the city.

The competition – which is open to everyone in Exeter (see restrictions below) – supports the government’s ‘Stay at Home’ message in trying to stop the spread of Covid-19, whilst at the same time helps mental well-being and encourages...

Devon farm brings virtual camera trap training to budding conservationists for lockdown

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sat, 11/07/2020 - 8:46am

Budding conservationists across the country are now able to develop vital nature conservation skills throughout the second lockdown without leaving their own gardens, thanks to the work of Devon based nature conservation organisation Ambios and Ufi charitable trust, revealed at the week of VocTech – an event celebrating the best of vocational technology.

With recent research revealing that a quarter of native mammals are now at risk of extinction in the UK, and as second lockdown restrictions disrupt conservation work across the country, Ambios and Ufi are overcoming physical...

New wildlife gardening guide shows big potential of small spaces in Devon

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 08/28/2020 - 2:49pm

A new guide published today by the RSPB and Barratt Developments, which is currently building brand-new communities across Devon, shows how to turn balconies and small gardens into sanctuaries for wildlife.

The RSPB's ‘Welcome Wildlife into Your World' guide gives top tips and advice for bringing nature to your home, especially for people with a small amount of outdoor space such as a balcony or courtyard.

The leading housebuilder is building new homes at Tarka Ridge near Barnstaple, Embden Grange , Tavistock, Braid Park, Tiverton (from Barratt Homes and David Wilson...

How to tell if your great ape is pregnant...

How to tell if your great ape is pregnant...

Authored by Paigntonzoo
Posted: Sat, 03/21/2020 - 11:02am

The world’s number one selling brand in home pregnancy and fertility tests has donated pregnancy kits – for orang utans.

The Clearblue brand helps over 20 million women every year – and now, a couple of broody female Bornean orang utans… Keepers at Paignton Zoo in Devon approached Clearblue because they hope their orang utans will breed this year.

Senior Head Keeper of Mammals Rob Rouse said: “We now have a male who is old enough to breed. As part of the European Endangered species Programme for Bornean orang utans, we’d like them to be trying for babies, but we need to...

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