Once again, we were thrilled by the level of support received for our AONB partnership annual meeting event; held this year at The Beehive in Honiton, with the central theme of ‘East Devon Ways to Wellbeing’.

A viewing of the ‘Art on the East Devon Way’ exhibition at the Thelma Hulbert Gallery was the perfect start to the evening, showcasing creative work from our joint project, before guests were invited to socialise over supper and hear from our speakers.

The real stars of the night were our shortlisted nominees for the Acland Award. Axe Vale & District Conservation Society (AVDCS), Otter Vale Association, East Devon Walk This Way and Wild East Devon were all worthy finalists for the award, recognising exemplar contributions to wellbeing.

AVDCS were announced winners of the Acland Award and were celebrated for their activities and programmes that continuously serve to protect and conserve our wildlife, whilst enriching the lives and wellbeing of those that take part.

Many thanks to all who attended – we hope to see you next year. If you didn’t attend – we’d love to welcome you too!

Do you know of anyone who is planning a project within the East Devon AONB that will help enhance their/your local community? Are you involved in a similar project?
We may be able to help…

Our  Sustainable Development Fund supports projects that benefit the landscape, people, wildlife and economy of the AONB; so far this year we have helped fund a range of projects that are contributing to our local heritage, wildlife conservation and supporting our local economy.

We still have funding available and want to hear from local initiatives looking to make a positive social, economic and/or environmental impact.

Please drop us an email or call for an informal chat to find out more.

Whether it’s food, drink or gifts, for many people at this time of year ‘tis the season to go shopping’ and shopping locally can be one of the most effective and rewarding ways we can individually support our AONB communities.

In addition to the ethical/environmental benefits, choosing to use local businesses and shops boosts the local economy, supports local jobs/makers/producers and keeps independent businesses – that give our communities personality and character – alive. Follow the Links below to just a few of our outstanding local options:

Local wine, beer and cider: 
Sidbury Vineyard, Lyme Bay Winery, Lily Farm Vineyard, Powderkeg Brewery,
Lyme Regis Brewery 
Christmas & Makers Markets: 
Colyton Christmas Market, Lyme Regis Town Mill, Trill Farm Winter Market, Cranberries Charity Christmas Fair
Artisan products and gifts: Coffee Factory, Otterton Mill, Pug & Puffin, Little Bits of Lovely

Back in May, the government launched an independent review of England’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). Since then the review team, led by writer Julian Glover and a panel with a range of experiences and interests, has carried out a programme of visits and meetings in many parts of England.

Chris Woodruff (East Devon AONB manager) has met Julian Glover twice so far, with more meetings scheduled in the New Year.

The review panel now wants you to have a chance to contribute (whether a resident of an AONB, a business owner, visitor, conservation advocate or representative of an organisation) with views that might help shape and improve their findings.

This is your chance to have your say on the future for these areas and how they are managed, some 70 years after the original government act that brought them into being.

Is your AONB Partnership working for your area? Could it do more with better resources? What is it doing really well that deserves shouting about? What do you see as the future for your AONB?

The deadline for responses is 18 December 2018

Our next AONB Ambassador event is scheduled for Wednesday 20 February 2019 at Kennaway House, Sidmouth.

We’ll be providing an opportunity to network with other Ambassadors and AONB supporters/advocates in a relaxed environment and learn more about the projects currently working to enhance our AONB – including our Acland Award winners AVDCS.

We will also be welcoming Alistair Handyside, Chair of the South West Tourism Alliance (and also our East Devon AONB Vice Chair), as our key speaker to discuss sustainable tourism in East Devon.

Full details will be available in the New Year, but please pencil us in! Any expressions of interest are welcome and can be sent to Kelly.

When it’s windy, wet, or just plain cold, it can be tricky to work up the motivation to head outside and be active, but with shorter days and less natural light (affecting our mood and energy levels!) autumn and winter are the very seasons to brave the elements.

The key to success? Remove as many barriers as you can!  

‘Where to go’ can be one of the first hurdles we stumble at, so we have 8 great ideas for places to go to help you on your way, leaving you to focus on the feel-good benefits of connecting with our AONB.

After three inspiring years, our Legacy to Landscape project is drawing to a close.

With the final four activities still to come, the project has (so far) engaged with 2947 people from local communities and also several visitors to the area.

Since launching in 2015, we are thrilled to have delivered 145 events and activities for all age ranges.

We have river dipped with children, had virtual walks with the Memory Café, scoured through dusty archives, discovered new stories and surveyed much wildlife. Significantly, it has cared for King Johns Oak, planted many trees and enhanced the landscape.

The project has proven to be a great success and has been very well supported by the communities of Colyton, Colyford, Shute and Whitford. Much of this success can be attributed to the energy and enthusiasm of the Project Co-ordinator Ruth Worsley.

In December we will be making a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a successor project, to build upon the good work that has already been completed.

Ash dieback is widely accepted to be untreatable and could see the demise of up to 95% Ash trees over the next decade. The Ash Project is an urgent cultural response to the devastating effects of ash dieback.

As part of the project, a book on Ash Trees and Ash Landscapes has been published in partnership with the Woodland Trust. Several AONBs, including the East Devon AONB, have contributed to the cost of producing the book.

Renowned tree writer and photographer Archie Miles has produced the book “to create a complete overview of the ash tree’s significance: botanically, ecologically, culturally, economically and above all aesthetically, showing what a beautiful contribution the ash makes…to so many different landscapes”.