Unintentionally this has become a GREEN edition of your newsletter, mainly because Its nearly spring, a time of hope and renewal.

This year we have a bumper crop of hope in the form of the COVID-19 vaccine, the return to “normal”, holidays and sunshine.

Spring is also a time for the first snowdrops, primroses, followed closely by bluebell and new shoots.

The Yealm estuary, with its relatively smaller freshwater rivers input, is more saltwater dominated and supports a rich diversity of habitats with their animal, seaweed, and plant communities. Quietly sheltered from the open coast, the depths and waters of this beautiful estuary can boast, among others, seagrass jungles of marine life and prolific mudflat communities.

These natural riches are recognised by most of the estuary being designated as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation; and all within the South Devon Area of Natural Beauty.

Respect - Protect – Enjoy

         Respect other people & property:

• consider the local community and other people enjoying the outdoors
• leave gates and property as you find them and follow paths unless wider access is available
• Respect the needs of local people and visitors alike - for example, don’t block gateways, driveways or other paths with your vehicle.
• When riding a bike or driving a vehicle, slow down or stop for horses, walkers and farm animals and give them plenty of room. By law, cyclists must give way to walkers and horse- riders on bridleways.

         Protect the natural environment:

• leave no trace of your visit and take your litter home
• Protecting the natural environment means taking special care not to damage, destroy or remove features such as rocks, plants and trees. They provide homes and food for wildlife and add to everybody’s enjoyment of the countryside.
• Litter and leftover food doesn’t just spoil the beauty of the countryside, it can be dangerous to wildlife and farm animals - so take your litter home with you. Dropping litter and dumping rubbish are criminal offences.
• keep dogs under effective control. When you take your dog into the outdoors, always ensure it does not disturb wildlife, farm animals, horses or other people by keeping it under effective control. We are coming into lambing season, other animals will also be giving birth, so be extra vigilant.
• Everyone knows how unpleasant dog mess is and it can cause infections, so always clean up after your dog and get rid of the mess responsibly - ‘bag it and bin it’. Make sure your dog is wormed regularly to protect it, other animals and people.
• Leave gates and property as you find them and follow paths unless wider access is available

          Enjoy the outdoors:

• plan ahead and be prepared. For example, your rights to go onto some areas of open access land and coastal land may be restricted in particular places at particular times.
• follow advice and local signs & don’t forget the tide times

With the nation still in lockdown, many people are finding solace in taking a walk in the countryside; but farmers across the country are reporting increasing damage to crops and wildlife habitats caused by walkers not following the Countryside Code. 

“Land is very wet at the moment and likely to get worse before the Spring, with heavy rain forecast, and with so many walkers enjoying the countryside, public footpaths have become very muddy.

Unfortunately, that means many are circumnavigating the mud and walking over and damaging wildflowers, trees, planted crops and impacting farmers’ businesses. 

Our advice is to use a decent pair of wellies - or walking boots - and stick to the route of the footpath.

You can use:

• footpaths - for walking, running, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
• bridleways - for walking, horse riding, bicycles, mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs
• restricted byways - for any transport without a motor and mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs

Celebrate what’s on your doorstep & #ExploreFromYourDoor

Dont forget to check your RYDA website for details of 18 local walks

How to raise your property value in ten minutes

Wembury Marine Centre Update

Paul Martin, Devon Wildlife Trust

Well, we took a big sigh of relief when 2020 drew to its conclusion!

The Marine Centre has never had a quieter time in its 26-year history with the doors closing in first lockdown and remaining that way for the rest of the year.

However, appearances can be deceiving and, with the continued support of funders like Devon CPRE, the business of marine education has not ended, just adapted to a different way of being. DWT staff at the centre have been working hard to create resources online which families and schools could access, and during the Autumn term, when schools were open but not welcoming visitors, Coral was able to deliver sessions through Zoom and has recently been developing subject specific video talks for schools studying the sea. Lots of new skills learned and support offered to teachers.

You might not have heard of Bjarne Stroustrup, but he’s a very clever chap. 

A computer programmer.  He came up with a new way of writing programs back in the 80s that’s still used today. 

And a favourite quote of his is this: “I have always wished for my computer to be as easy to use as my telephone; my wish has come true because I can no longer figure out how to use my telephone.” – if even he found his phone… er… challenging, what chance do we mere mortals have! 

Dog Fouling (Again)

The Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014, Public Spaces Protection Order 2017; Control of Dogs states that ALL dogs must be on a lead in the following locations:

• All areas covered by Rule 56 of the Highway Code (NB - Rule 56. Dogs. ·        Do not let a dog out on the road on its own. ·        Keep it on a short lead when walking on the pavement, road or path shared with cyclists or horse riders.)  

Under the Act; “Control of Dogs”, the person in charge of a dog whether they are the owner or not, must clean up after the dog has fouled in any area that the Act applies to It is an offence not to clean up after your dog, punishable by a maximum fine of £1000 or a fixed penalty of £100.

• A person registered as blind in a register compiled under Section 29 of the National Assistance Act 1948 or assistance on a dog trained by a prescribed charity, shall not be guilty of an offence if they are alone with the dog and unable to remove the faeces. If you witness an incident contrary to this Act please report it using the following link to SHDC https://apps.southhams.gov.uk/WebReportIt/. It would help if you have photographic evidence and address details of the perpetrator.

Planning