SVA Diary

Landscape Recovery in East-Devon. What does it mean-and can we make the right land use choices to make it happen?

Talk by Dr. Sam Bridgewater, Clinton Devon Estates. Part of Sidmouth Science Week

Dr. Sam Bridgewater joined Clinton Devon Estates in 2012 and has responsibility for ensuring that the protection of wildlife and natural habitats are embedded into all aspects of Estate decision-making. Formerly a researcher at the Natural History Museum and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Sam’s interests include describing and explaining patterns of plant diversity, the management of cultural landscapes and the economic use of plants. He was the Estate lead on the River Otter Beaver Trial and the Lower Otter Restoration Project and is now lead on the Heaths to Sea initiative.

Landscape Recovery is a concept that has gained traction in the environmental movement in recent years, with the term adopted as one of Defra’s flagship environmental funding schemes designed to drive radical, large-scale habitat and ecosystem restoration. Using the Heaths to Sea initiative in the lower Otter valley as a case study, the talk will demonstrate that turning around the fortunes of the natural world is not just possible but also compatible with productive landscapes that also meet society’s need for food, housing, timber and recreational space. There are good reasons to be hopeful about the future of our natural world.  https://www.heathstosea.com/