Lisa and Marc run The Deer Wood Trust CIC, in a beautiful woodland near Loddiswell in the South Hams. For them, the heart of Deer Wood’s mission is simple: create a safe, inclusive space for learning, connection, and conservation. 

“By the time you get here, the woods have already had that magic effect on you—taking off your dusty overcoat of worries.”

The shelter wasn’t imposed on the woodland - it grew from it. Every beam and post was fashioned from fallen or dead wood, with “not a single tree felled” to create it. The circular design mirrors ancient building traditions, offering a sense of being “held within the woodland.”

This careful approach sends a message: you can build for community without taking from nature. And the wildlife seems to approve as ravens, bats, deer, badgers, and countless birds have become part of daily life here. As Marc puts it:

“If you come here quietly and gently… you start to deepen your immersion into relationship with a natural place.”

A few steps away is the Deer Wood Native Species Tree Nursery, born from the simple idea to grow enough trees to replace what’s used in woodland management.

It’s now a thriving hub producing far more than what Deer Wood needs, and therefore supplying healthy, locally sourced, and organically grown trees to other individuals and conservation groups. Every stage, from collecting seeds to planting out, is done with care and community involvement.

“There’s a lot of heart in this… a lot of love goes into it.”

Volunteers play a vital role, not only helping to raise trees but also learning how to plant and protect them. The next step for Deer Wood is to develop training and certification so that other community groups, landowners, and conservationists can replicate their low-impact, nature-led approach.

“Let’s dream a good dream together. Let’s put one foot in front of the other towards a future that is beneficial to all beings.”

Spaces like Deerwood aren’t just beautiful - they’re vital. They show that communities can create places that protect wildlife, support people, and pass on skills for living in balance with the environment. And in a world facing biodiversity loss and climate change, those actions really matter.

All across Devon, people like Lisa and Marc are doing incredible work in their communities. Our Wilder Communities team is all about helping you turn spaces where you live, learn, work or play into spaces that are greener, wilder and richer in nature. 

If you already have an idea and need some help to get started - take a look at our resource bank which includes everything from 'how to' guides to advice about setting up a community group.

Wilder Communities Resources

Prefer to have a chat? Or got a story of your own to share? Send us an email and we will get back to you. 

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