50 signatures reached
To: Devon County Council, the estate and asset management department
Protect Nature Now - A Community Wildlife Area for Holcombe
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The area, owned by Devon County Council Estates, has not been used for farming and has been unused scrub for some considerable time. The area is prone to freshwater flooding and is a rare wet woodland area - which we would like to enhance, adding a wildflower meadow, community education area, storage for maintenance tools/kettle, and agroforestry area - offering nuts and fruit for the community. There are lots of initiatives now currently seeking to encourage the planting of wildflowers to help combat climate change, help wildlife and pollinators and transform our own wellbeing, we feel this area could easily become with a little work an area the local community could be proud of.
Why is this important?
We all know that we are facing a Nature and Climate emergency, and with the news this week that the UK is one of the most nature-deprived countries in the world (1), it is even more urgent that we make and protect space for wildlife in our local communities. Let’s campaign with Action on Climate in Teignbridge (ACT) to create a space for nature here in Holcombe.
It is envisioned that a Community Wildlife Area, could be created on Hall Lane, in Holcombe, near Dawlish, and might include the following:
• An unsurfaced path looping around the site, giving the public access whilst limiting disturbance to wildlife.
• Benches.
• An earth bund to remark the top of the site.
• A community wildflower garden with agroforestry trees - including nuts and fruit
• Information boards about local wildlife and other signage to promote education and appropriate access.
• Encouraging and developing a mosaic of habitats including hedges, wet woodland, seasonal flood zone.
• Installation of reptile hibernaculum, bird and bat boxes to encourage colonisation.
• Managing the Streamside habitat to promote well balanced and diverse populations of flora and fauna; possibly with the inclusion of a lined pond.
• Ensure that this trail meets the needs of less mobile people.
• Promote wellbeing - with quiet areas, and sensory areas.
The area, owned by Devon County Council Estates, has not been used for farming and has been unused scrub-land for some considerable time. The area is prone to freshwater flooding and is a rare wet woodland area - which we would like to enhance, adding a wildflower meadow, a community education area, storage for maintenance tools/kettle, and an agroforestry area - offering nuts and fruit for the community.
There are lots of initiatives now currently seeking to encourage the planting of wildflowers to help combat climate change, help wildlife and pollinators and to transform our own wellbeing.
We feel this area could easily become, with a little work, a wildlife area the local community could really be proud about.
References:
1) https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/september/one-in-six-species-at-risk-of-going-extinct-in-great-britain.html
https://www.wwf.org.uk/future-of-uk-nature
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66923930
