Scientific monitoring is a core function of National Nature Reserves (NNRs). Bird monitoring undertaken here at East Dartmoor NNR aids management of the breeding bird assemblage which is one of the reasons the site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Natural England has a duty to maintain and enhance the breeding bird assemblage within the reserve, and to be able to do this it is crucial to have accurate bird data. Bird ringing is a means of identifyingRead more
Sun, Trees, Tools and Tall Tales
You can’t organise the sun, but if we could, we couldn’t have planned it any better. On the 25th March we had the sun, we had warmth and we had lots of people having fun and learning about how and why we manage our woods (in the past and in the present). Down in the glade – where the sun kept everyone warm – there was a lovely relaxed atmosphere whilst people ate their picnics and took part in variousRead more
Hard Work, Soft Hearts: Timber in the Bovey Valley
The sweet smell of freshly cut western red cedar timber rises above the distant roar of chainsaws and rumble of tractors. For the last time this winter season, the team of woodland contractors have been at work in Houndtor Woods, deep in the Bovey Valley. Before spring picks up pace, this final felling job is being brought to a close, opening up the shadiest part of the conifer plantation to bring in the sun and revive the depleted wildflowers downRead more
Bovey Valley Timber: Your Questions Answered
Why are trees felled in the woods of the Bovey Valley? How are they felled and how is the timber extracted? Where does the timber go after it leaves the Bovey Valley? Timber! Tools, Trees and Tall Tales is a special spring-time event hosted by the Woodland Trust and Natural England, as part of the wider HLF funded Moor than meets the eye project, where you will be able to find out the answers to these questions … and lotsRead more
On the lichen trail
Dartmoor’s woodlands are very special places for wildlife. Located close to the Atlantic Ocean, they provide conditions for life that are not found in most of the rest of the UK. East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve is the home to a diverse assemblage of lichen, but due to their small size, these miniature marvels are often overlooked by people visiting. In this blog, volunteer Janet Ritchie reports on a guided walk along the granite tramway, where a group of local artists were introduced toRead more
Take Shelter in Yarner Wood
For the wildlife of Dartmoor, Yarner Woods provides essential shelter from the extremes of the moorland weather, the swirling wind, thunderous storms and even the occasional blazing sun. The grand oaks of this nature reserve withstand the regular pressures thrown at them from the Atlantic weather systems and maintain a calm and safe hideout for the wild residents. But for those sensitive creatures that need a little more protection, a new wooden shelter has just been built among the oakRead more
Firewood for Good Gleaning
Across Dartmoor, there are visual signs of ancient boundaries where land owners once marked their land and, even today, the maps of the moor show the commons where people could graze their livestock in a regulated way. As times have changed, these rights have evolved and become more suited to our times. There were once areas where local people had the right to allow their pigs to eat acorns or beech mast but these practices are no longer relevant toRead more
Woodland birds response to climatic change: Part 2
In this blog, Malcolm Burgess from the RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, describes the importance of monitoring invertebrates and shares the findings of some innovative research in Yarner Wood – measuring insect poo to help investigate the impacts of climate change on woodland birds. As I mentioned in my last blog, the breeding success of hole-nesting woodland birds, such as Blue Tits and Pied Flycatchers, is thought to be dependent on the short seasonal spike in availability of caterpillar prey. These bird speciesRead more
Look Out! Bird Hide Under Construction
Managing a nature reserve is about creating a diverse range of habitats to support the widest variety of wild species. Establishing and maintaining the right mix of wild plants in the right places will, it is hoped, attract the wildlife to the reserve and, assuming it is not disturbed, it will settle in and make a home. Of course, the appropriate species of wild plants and animals must be targeted; only those that are indigenous to the area are expectedRead more
Vinnimore Medieval Farmstead – International Rescue
Day 1 Managing a nature reserve can be a complex job, requiring a good understanding of many ecological disciplines, but here at East Dartmoor NNR, a good knowledge of historical land use and local heritage helps too. To develop these competencies, the Natural England Eco Skills Conservation Assistants are, from time to time, given a project to manage. This time it was the turn of Elizabeth “Beany” Townsend to get a taste for planning and organising preparations for the archaeologicalRead more
