Posts by Helen Bruce
Rhododendron Clearance at High House Waste
Continuing work in the Southern Mire, 9 volunteers joined workday leader Kate Wareham for our October workday at High House Waste. The day was still and sunny, with a blue sky that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a summer’s day. Following on from gorse clearance and the opening up of paths achieved during…
Read MoreNew Section of Drake’s Leat Uncovered
With a new volunteer workday leader at the helm, DPA Conservation Volunteers have expanded their work on Drake’s Leat, where it crosses Roborough Common. Stephen Barrow has years of experience leading butterfly workdays on Roborough Common, during which bracken and self-seeded saplings are controlled to maintain habitat for rare fritillary butterflies, and he now brings…
Read MoreWritten in Stone and Stars
Our first evening event at Sandridge Barton vineyard this year was a fascinating deep dive into the history and theories around Dartmoor’s ceremonial landscapes. Archaeologist Alan Endacott and Archaeoastronomer Carolyn Kennett shared their recent work in relation to stone circles, stone rows and burial monuments, including Bronze Age cists. Dartmoor has the highest concentration of…
Read MoreBreeding Bird Surveys
Following on from the creation of our refreshed Land Management plans, Ecologist Albert Knott has been working to gather baseline information on the flora and fauna of DPA land holdings. As well as lichen surveys, beetle surveys, butterfly surveys, bat surveys and moth surveys, he has also been collecting important data about breeding birds. These…
Read MoreSummer Gathering at Two Bridges
Now in its second year, our Summer Gathering is an opportunity for members and allies to come together to socialise and gain an insight into some of our work over the past twelve months. This year we were very lucky to have talks from ecologist Albert Knott, Dr Helen Wilson and Daniel Brown from the…
Read MoreAccessing Dartmoor with Bespoke Bike Hire
We were very pleased to award a grant from our Public Access Fund to Plymouth Bespoke Cycling, a group of volunteers who promote and lead cycle rides for those that might otherwise be excluded.As well as two wheeled bikes, the group offer the use of recumbent trikes, which offer an inclusive option allowing those with…
Read MoreGuest Blog: What the Moths Taught Me
Imagine a snow storm – satin, white, ice green, Prussian blue – streaming out of the night, texture upon texture, colour upon colour. Snowflakes pelt into my face, brush my fingers, unhitching the neat lines of the everyday. But it’s the hottest night in England since records began. Normally cool on Dartmoor even in mid-summer,…
Read MoreDartmoor Challenge Badge at Camp EPIC
We were invited to showcase activities from our new Dartmoor Challenge Badge, created in collaboration with the Dartmoor National Park Authority and National Trust, at Girl Guiding Devon’s annual county camp. Camp EPIC was held at the River Dart Country Park and welcomed over 1300 Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Rangers, leaders and Guiding volunteers. Activities included…
Read MoreWidecombe Awe Walk
The wide vistas and patchwork colours of Dartmoor have a powerful ability to inspire awe and wonder, especially when viewed from the vantage point of one of its many tors. The joy that often accompanies these feelings has a number of beneficial effects on human health, including decreasing stress, promoting a sense of well-being and…
Read MoreCutting the Southern Mire
Conservation work on DPA owned land at High House Waste has now expanded into the Southern Mire, with our volunteers beginning the task of clearing gorse from the mire margins and cutting new access tracks for people and animals. 13 volunteers, including new faces from Cornwood, spent the day working with both hand tools and…
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