During February half term the National Trust East Devon Rangers will be running another ‘family muck in’ day at Lower Halsdon Farm, Exmouth.
The session will take place on Tuesday 18 February between 10.30am and 2.30pm and families can stay for the whole session or just an hour or so to help the rangers cut back the hedges ready for laying.
Hedge-laying is a traditional method of maintaining and regenerating hedgerows and is generally carried out on a 12 to 15 year cycle which will prolong the life of the hedge, create a stock proof boundary, as well as a favourable habitat...
Have you thought about volunteering but haven't made that first step?
Sarah Schmitz, House Steward at A la Ronde, the quirky 16-sided National Trust property near Exmouth, is seeking volunteers to join the friendly team.
“A la Ronde is a unique house with a fabulous story to tell. Becoming a volunteer here will give you opportunities to learn new skills or share your own life skills with us. We are looking for room guides, people to help in the shop and visitor reception, as well as fundraisers to sell raffle tickets which fund conservation at the property."
Do you have a passion for the countryside? Are you interested in developing your skills in land management and community involvement?
The National Trust East Devon ranger team is offering volunteer ranger placements for up to a year to help them manage 755 hectares of coast and countryside. Based at the ranger’s yard in Branscombe, you will be working on a variety of habitats and sites within East Devon and along the Jurassic Coast. The role will include footpath maintenance, woodland management, working with community and volunteer groups, and assisting with events. As well as on-...
The Killerton House estate, near Exeter, has been named as the new venue for the 2014 England Athletics South West Club and Cross Country Championships.
On Sunday 5 January, over 700 athletes will arrive at Killerton house to compete in the Championship. Runners clubs from 7 counties will take on a challenging course as part of the region’s largest cross country event.
The course is spilt into varying distances to cater for the wide age range of athletes competing.
The event incorporates both club and county championships for U13s up to Senior age categories and...
On Sunday 24 November, A la Ronde, near Exmouth, launches its third annual community Christmas Tree Festival.
Local organisations are invited to bring a decorated tree to be displayed in the grounds until 15 December.
The idea is to raise awareness of your organisation in the local area and to convey key messages about what you do to other participants and A la Ronde’s many visitors during the run up to Christmas.
If you’re local and would like to know more about how to get involved, just give Hilary Burrow a call on 01395 265514. We would love to hear from you and...
The National Trust on Dartmoor is using the power of horses to help with its woodland management at Hembury Woods, near Buckfastleigh.
Hembury Woods is ancient semi-natural woodland, a site of special scientific interest and a special area of conservation; and therefore any woodland management needs to be sensitively done
A dense plantation of beech needs to be thinned because it is shading out all the undergrowth except the native bluebells which flower in the late Spring before the trees are in leaf. Thinning the beech improves the biodiversity of the undergrowth and...
If you go down to the gardens at Knightshayes this half term, you’ll be in for a big surprise.
With giant spiders, ghostly figures and busy gardeners, the National Trust team on the outskirts of Tiverton have lots on to see the summer out and the winter in.
Along with the popular annual trail around the gardens from 26 October to 3 November, there will also be craft activities and a face painter from 29 to 31 October. Both children and adults will have the chance to get their hands dirty in the formal garden, as the team attempt the mammoth task of planting over 10,000...
In stark contrast to last autumn, the Killerton National Trust estate near Exeter is celebrating a bumper crop of apples at this weekend’s Killerton cider and apple festival. On Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October, months of apple picking at Killerton culminates in an annual family festival to mark National Apple Day. The orchard is festooned with bunting, stalls are scattered between the apple trees and the amazing smell of a hog roast will greet visitors at the gates. Helen Trebble, Killerton Community Access Officer said: “This weekend we invite families to grab a sack and join us in the...
The South, West and Wales Consortium, in which the University of Exeter is joined with seven other universities – Aberystwyth, Bath, Bath Spa, Bristol, Cardiff, Reading and Southampton – has been awarded £14.2 million funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) over the next five years to deliver postgraduate supervision, training and skills development from 2014.
The consortium is one of 11 new Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and seven Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) to have been awarded a total of £164m funding from the AHRC.