Penny Dixie
Community Events
Get involved and join a local community event near you...
April
Teign Greens April Volunteer Morning
April 11, 9:30am-1 pm
Help plant new veggies, tend to the garden, and enjoy the fresh air. No experience necessary - just bring your enthusiasm and a willingness to get your hands dirty. It's a great way to meet new people, learn about sustainable farming practices, and contribute to a greener community. Join anytime from 9.30am-1pm, feel free drop in/out as you don't need to be there for the whole session.
Avon Valley Project Advisory Drop-In
16 April
Based in South Devon? Come and talk to Lynne Kenderdine, Land Management Advisory Officer for the Avon Valley Project!
Are you wondering what to do with your land? Thinking about enhancing your land for wildlife and making space for nature? Want to know how to create a wildflower meadow, restore a pond or manage your hedges but don’t know where to start? Want to know about what grant schemes are available? In need of some advice but don’t know where to start? Want to learn more about how your actions can make a difference for wildlife?
ShareFest Totnes
Celebrate all things related to sharing, repairing, swapping and making! Connect with others who share this passion, and collaborate. This free and family-friendly event aims to showcase a wide range of projects that encourage a more resourceful, collaborative and sustainable lifestyle.
Wild Words, A Nature Poetry Project
April 18 & 19, Dartington Village Hall
Would you like to be part of a free nature poetry project to celebrate Dartington’s wild beings and places? Participation is free and places are offered first-come, first-served. The workshop will take place at Dartington Village Hall from 10am to 5pm.
No previous experience is required. To apply please email speedwell9@yahoo.com
Composting and Gardening Skills at Kintsugi Community Garden, Plymouth
23 April
Pop along with your food scraps and discover the power of composting. We'll also support you to learn new green skills in our beautiful community garden such as seed sowing, plant care and propogation. Pop along to support your community garden, reduce food waste in the city, learn new skills and enjoy great fresh produce and a cuppa. All tools provided and all ages and abilities welcome. Stay for as long or as little as you like!
Newton Abbot Climate and Nature Assembly
Saturday 25th April, 2-4pm
Join Newton Abbot Constituency Climate & Nature Group for an opportunity to connect with your community, share ideas, and discuss how everyone can respond to the challenges of climate change and nature loss.
Waste Energy Site Visit
April 28, Marsh Barton Exeter
This is a 2 hour site visit to learn about what exactly happens to your waste in your black bins.
To book please contact chardstockecogroup@gmail.com
May
Totnes gardening conference
Saturday 9th May, 2-4pm
Transition Town Totnes will be hosting a conference to learn about gardening for nature recovery, involving a range of talks, Q&A sessions and stalls to check out.
Plant Fair: Plant Heritage
10 May, 10am-3pm, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Torriginton Devon, EX38 8PH
On this plant fair there will be a wide variety of plants, trees shrubs and more! The local plant heritage group will also be here selling plants.
Further information jonathanwebster@rhs.org.uk
Roborough Rewilders Project Landowners' Briefing
Saturday 30th May, 10am-1pm
Roborough Rewilders will be sharing their experience and advice at an upcoming events specially designed for landowners interested in learning how to bring nature back to life on their land. Find out more about their successful rewilding project in North Devon.
June
NDVS Managing and Supporting Volunteers Forum
4 June, 1-3pm
This free forum will be a great way to stay up-to-date with and learn about the best practice around volunteer supervision and management.
The forum will be open to anyone who has direct responsibility for managing or co-ordinating volunteers, regardless of the size of your organisation and whether your role is paid or unpaid.
Rivers and Moorland Festival
5-6 June, Ivybridge & Across Dartmoor
This inaugural festival is to celebrate the people who live & work on Dartmoor.
Find out more
The Big Green Trail
20 June, Plymouth
At the Big Green Trail, there’s plenty on offer to entertain, inspire and connect people with nature and local green projects.
There will be plenty of different organisations and local community groups involved in the trail, coming together to celebrate their projects and put on engaging activities for everyone to get involved with.
July
Plant Fair: Plant Heritage
12 July, 10am-2pm, South Molton Pannier Market, Broad Street Devon EX36 3AB
On this plant fair there will be a wide variety of plants, trees shrubs and more! The local plant heritage group will also be here selling plants.
Further information jonathanwebster@rhs.org.uk
September
Plant Fair: Plant Heritage
6 September, 10am-3pm, RHS Garden Rosemoor, Torriginton Devon, EX38 8PH
On this plant fair there will be a wide variety of plants, trees shrubs and more! The local plant heritage group will also be here selling plants.
Further information jonathanwebster@rhs.org.uk
Ongoing events
Calling lovers of wildlife and nature!
Join Common Flora for monthly sessions to look at and learn about nature in fields with beautiful views in south Devon.
Looking and listening, gently walking, sitting or lying near the field edges we soak up the atmosphere and breathe the fresh air while we learn about nature and how to care for it. No regular commitment required, sessions happen about once per month. Each site has toilet facilities. Spare outdoor clothes. Delicious food and lots of laughs for free!
Travel and care expenses paid if you are on a low income or vulnerable in some way. Please contact Jane on mail@commonflora.co.uk or call 07716588749
Guided Walks
Various dates, July-September
Barnstaple and District DWT Local Group offer a series of informative guided walks over the summer months, from insights into local nature reserves, to bat & moth evening walks. Booking required, and a £3 donation is requested.
Find out more
Exeter Community Garden volunteer sessions (for all students), multiple dates
The University of Exeter Community Garden needs you! All students and staff are welcome to join for these gardening drop in sessions.
Shores of South Devon - Shoresearch Programme
Come and see how many different species we can collectively find and record. Photographic records eventually end up in the National Biodiversity Database. Shoresearch walkover surveys are citizen science projects conducted in collaboration with Devon Wildlife Trust and open to all. Bring a camera or smartphone if you have one, and wear wellies and appropriate clothing. Find out about upcoming Shoresearch events on the Facebook page and get in touch via info@shoresofsouthdevon.org.uk if you have questions.
Community events at Bowden Pillars, near Totnes
Bowden Pillars Future is a regenerative project being created on 123 acres just outside Totnes, Devon, UK. Working with nature, they will create a new community woodland, a regenerative farm, sequestering carbon and rebuilding natural systems, and a regenerative village that supports true low carbon lives. Bowden Pillars Future runs a range of community events throughout the year.
Events and workshops at The Italian Garden
Various dates. Great Ambrook Avenue, Ipplepen, TQ12 5UL
Guided tours, drawing workshops and more at The Italian Garden.
Moth and muffin mornings, various dates, Seaton Wetlands
Join us and our moth experts from Axe Vale and District Conservation Society down at Seaton Wetlands for a morning of moth ID and breakfast muffins.
Totnes Climate Hub Events
Various dates. The Mansion, 36 Fore Street, Totnes, TQ9 5RP
The Totnes Climate Hub has been created to inspire, educate and enable our community to respond to our local and planetary challenges more effectively and together. Various events are hosting each month including climate cafes, energy advice sessions, walks, talks, and more.
Conservation volunteering days at Hembury Hillfort
Devon Wildlife Trust has been working with the Devon Archaeological Society (DAS) to advise them how best to manage Hembury Hillfort with conservation in mind, and they need volunteers! DAS are keen to keep Hembury in good condition to protect the archaeology and make it easy for visitors to understand. Some of the work is being done by contractors, but the growth of scrub on the ramparts is better controlled by hand. After an enjoyable and successful event last year, they will be holding more days of clearance, socialising and tours of the hillfort in the coming year. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Hembury@devonarchaeologicalsociety.org.uk
What's on at Rosemoor.
Various dates. RHS Garden Rosemoor, Torrington EX38 8PH
Nestled in a Devon valley, RHS Garden Rosemoor blends formal and informal plantings to magical effect. Find your next event, course or workshop there.
Skills Bootcamp in Regenerative Land-based Systems
Free for participants, made possible by Devon County Council, Skills Bootcamps and Train 4 Tomorrow, and certified by Crossfields Institute, the Apricot Centre @Huxhams Cross Farm and Landworkers Alliance present the Level 2 Skills Bootcamp in Regenerative Land-Based Systems to introduce people to the world of regenerative farming and help them gain skills for furthering their work and becoming part of the future of farming. Skills Bootcamps are part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee.
12 sessions will take place on Wednesdays, 9am- 4pm. Dates are specified for each cohort upon application and confirmed once you are accepted on a course. You must attend 80% of the course to complete.
Applications are continuously open.
Community orchard webinar recording
Saving Devon’s Treescapes recently teamed up with Adam’s Apples Fruit Tree Nursery based near Honiton to deliver a webinar aimed at anyone interested in creating a community orchard – if you missed it, catch up on our YouTube channel.