“We need nature.”
“What we care for, we value. What we value, we protect.”
“Nature doesn’t stop at the border.”
These were quotes from the Tamar Valley AONB Annual Forum, where around 50 delegates met at Buckland Abbey to hear more about the plans for nature recovery in the Tamar Valley between now and 2030. Nurturing nature and welcoming wildlife is the focus for the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) team’s Nature Recovery Plan for 2023 – 2030. The plan identifies priorities and actions that can be taken to deliver nature recovery in the Tamar Valley, with proposals to create and manage more, bigger, better and joined-up priority habitats; to encourage and support the management of private and public spaces for wildlife in villages, gardens, parks, heritage sites and school grounds; and to increase opportunities for people to connect with nature - because it’s good for people and it’s good for nature, too. There will be opportunities for local communities to get involved with helping hedgehogs, protecting toads, supporting willow tits, encouraging dormice and conserving a number of other valued Tamar Valley species.
The Forum included presentations from Natural England, National Trust, Devon Local Nature Partnership and Cornwall Council, as well as the Tamar Valley AONB and Tamara Landscape Partnership team. The importance of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (the backbone for ecological networks) and County Wildlife Sites for nature recovery in the Tamar Valley was discussed, as well as nature recovery in the working landscape; restoring nature-friendly habitats; investing in nature; and Local Nature Recovery Strategies. Nature recovery in practice was highlighted by Tamar Valley AONB Project Officer, Jane Hart, and one of the volunteers with the Discovering Dormice on the Bere Peninsula project. Becky Butland, Farming in Protected Landscapes Officer for the Tamar Valley AONB, provided examples of how the grant funding has already given nature a helping hand throughout the valley, and encouraged farmers and land managers to apply for available funding. Members of the Tamara Landscape Partnership team highlighted progress with their National Lottery Heritage Fund supported project, including the work they are doing with local farmers and communities.
With the UK in the bottom 12% of countries for biodiversity intactness, it’s more important than ever that Lawton’s principles of ‘more, bigger, better and joined’ are applied to the nature recovery work in the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These are exciting times, with lots of work already taking place to support nature in the Tamar Valley through the Tamara Landscape Partnership scheme and other AONB projects. We look forward to building on this work over the coming months and years.
The Nature Recovery Plan and Summary Document can be viewed at tamarvalley.org.uk/nature-recovery-plan-for-the-tamar-valley
You can view current projects at tamarvalley.org.uk/tvaonb-our-work/#projects