We hope everyone is enjoying the glorious summer season. What’s been your best wildlife spot? .. do let us know on the Wild About Lympstone Watch Facebook page. Mine was seeing a pair of Green Woodpeckers and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers hanging out together in my garden this week. What a treat!
We didn’t manage to submit our Lympstone Herald article following our Lympstone Environmental Action Day (LEAD) on 17th May, so would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who helped make this free event such a happy and successful community day.
As well the giveaway of 1400 wildlifefriendly home grown plants, there were swift tours up the church tower and a range of fascinating displays and activities from Lympstone’s Water Quality Group, Water Guardians, the primary school and cub scouts (see picture), Devon Swift Project, RSPB, Devon Wildlife Trust, Lympstone’s eco-church team and local artist Vicci Worthy. Mary Turner and I led a nature wellbeing walk around the village and displayed seven inspiring nature-based poems, written by children at Lympstone School, along the route. You can still enjoy these as you walk the lanes around the Mill, Church Path, estuary view, and Clay Lane.
During the LEAD day, WAL shared the feedback we had received from our ‘Stronger Together’ event back in January. These were suggestions for how we might work more collaboratively with each other, and external partners, to better protect, enhance and manage our natural environment in the face of growing environmental damage and destruction. The ideas came from the 13 environmentally-focused village groups who attended the January event (including Lympstone Parish Council and Devon Wildlife Trust), and were added to by residents during the May LEAD day. These suggestions have now been collated and shared on the village website under the Positive Lympstone and clubs sections. Full details can be found there, but here are the 7 themes that emerged for possible collaborative environmental activities and outputs:
1. Enhance the management of existing green and blue spaces (and creation of new areas) for greater biodiversity, health and nature-based solutions and resilience in the face of climate change – towards a full catchment plan
2. Create community spaces for greater nature-connection, health and wellbeing
3. Develop a community plan towards net zero
4. Build greater community awareness, understanding, connection and engagement around Lympstone’s natural resources
5. Create a ‘Developer’s Guide to protect and enhance Lympstone’s Natural Environment’
6. Develop a community process for simplifying and co-ordinating responses to new planning applications and emerging local development plans
7. Create a ‘Homeowner’s Guide to living more environmentally and wildlife-friendly’
These pointed to an emerging environmental vision of people and organisations throughout Lympstone and the Wotton Brook catchment, working together to create a thriving, resilient natural environment that brings benefits to all. At its heart, a recognition that flooding, water quality, biodiversity, people’s wellbeing, and business success are intrinsically linked, and that climate change will bring more challenges with extreme weather (droughts and storms) and rising sea level. This is an ongoing conversation which could be taken forward for implementation in part, or whole, depending on community interest, support and resource. We hope this rich data can help inform a range of parish and group activities, such as the development of our next Neighbourhood Plan.
If you’re interested to know more, to be part of this, or simply stay connected with us, please drop us an email.
Warm wishes, Rebecca Abrahams, on behalf of the WAL Team
WAL email: wildaboutlympstone@gmail.com
Website: https://www.lympstone.org/clubs-socities/wild-about-lympstone
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildAboutLympstone
