Posts Tagged ‘dartmoornationalpark’
Batty about Bats
Devon is home to 15 species of bats, including the Greater and Lesser Horseshoe, Whiskered, Natterer’s, Daubenton’s, Noctule, Leisler’s, Common and Soprano Pipistrelle, Barbastelle and Brown Long-eared. Bats are an excellent indicator of a diverse, well-connected and insect rich habitat and we have the latter part of this year surveying their activity on our land…
Read MoreAutumn Photo Walk with Julian Baird
Dartmoor delivered its trademark grey skies and moody mizzle for the second of our photography walks with Julian Baird on the 7th of October. Our hardy group donned their waterproofs and we wandered up to Bowerman’s Nose to capture the array of autumn colours: the rusty browns of the bracken, the bright berries of holly…
Read MoreRhododendron 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 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 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 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…
Read MoreWitches and the Wild Hunt Storywalk
This has been our second year leading a storywalk as part of the Dartmoor Outdoor Festival, and these walks are always extremely popular. The focus for our walk this time was witches and the wild hunt, which are recurring folkloric motifs in Dartmoor stories, and we were treated to a suitably atmospheric and misty day…
Read MorePhotographing Dartmoor’s Heather
Late August is the perfect time to see Dartmoor’s heather in bloom, offering a photographer’s dream palate of vibrant purple alongside bright yellow gorse and the iconic grey granite tors. This year, we’re privileged to have local photographer Julian Baird lead three partner walks with us, all offering insight into capturing Dartmoor’s beauty through the…
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