Get together with nature

I think I am so lucky to live in the beautiful Sid Valley for many reasons, but having nature brought right into the town centre has to be one of the most important for me and many of the people I know.

If you look at an aerial photograph of the town, The Byes makes a clear green wedge which, if you take a closer look by getting in there and walking around, is alive with all sorts of flora and fauna. This Saturday, the Biodiversity Group is inviting you to do just that.

From 10.00am until 3.00pm the SVBG Nature Festival will be running a whole series of family friendly activities to engage with the wildlife in the meadows, trees and even the river which is really nature’s lifeblood running through the valley. Thanks to the generous support of local volunteers and the Town Council all of the activities are free.

There will be guided walks, singing and story telling, art and craft activities, as well as displays from other nature groups. The River Catchment group will be collecting some of the fascinating insect nymphs and larvae from the river and displaying them in a way that children can take a closer look. The creatures will of course be going back to the river after a short while on display.

Because of resource restrictions, EDDC workers do struggle sometimes to do the best with managing public spaces but they are doing a splendid job at present with Sid Meadow, one of the areas gifted to the National Trust by the inimitable Annie Leigh Browne who did so much for the working people of Sidmouth and the advancement of women nationally in her lifetime.

Sid Meadow is being managed as a traditional hay meadow, most of it being left to grow until late summer, although there are some pathways mowed more regularly. The result is a display of wild flowers that we can all see but, just as importantly, it provides a home for many insects and other invertebrates that are not so easy to spot. The grasshopper and cricket population is doing particularly well.

Walking through The Byes is something that most of us are able to do, but few of us get the chance to look at life just off the beach. On Friday 6^th June undersea photographer Carol Harper will be giving an illustrated talk showing some of the sea life that she has seen in her time as a free swimmer. The talk is in Kennaway House starting at 7pm.

Wilding is a term that is bandied around but means different things to different people. The story of one inspiring wilding project is the subject of a film being presented by the Sidmouth Eco Hub. Wilding will be shown at 7pm on Sunday 8^th June in the Radway cinema followed by a panel discussion of the main issues. More details are available from the Radway website.