Where Nature Meets History: Biodiversity at Devon Great Consols

The Earth Beneath our Feet

In this season finale, we journey beneath our feet to explore the living world of soil in the Tamar Valley. From centuries of orchards and market gardens to today’s regenerative farming practices, soil has always been the foundation of community, economy, and biodiversity. But with climate change, intensive farming, and shifting land use, how healthy is the soil that sustains us now, and what choices will shape its future? This episode features Sarah Richardson, Land Management Officer with the Tamara Landscape Partnership, who shares insights on soil health, regenerative practices, and how farmers are adapting to new priorities like carbon storage and ecosystem services. We also hear from Bonny and Tim Lightfoot, Duchy of Cornwall farm tenants, award‑winning beef producers, and key players in a thriving farm cluster group in Stoke Climsland, Cornwall. They discuss their journey toward healthier soils, the challenges they’ve faced, and the benefits for business, community, and nature. The conversation explores soil as a living archive of history and heritage, while examining the pressures of intensive tillage, monoculture, pesticides, and erosion. It highlights the role of healthy soils in climate resilience, helping communities adapt to floods, droughts, and extreme weather. Market forces and policies shaping soil stewardship are discussed, alongside the rise of regenerative farming and collaborative initiatives such as Farm Net Zero and the Farm Carbon Toolkit. The episode also reflects on the personal connections farmers feel to their land, and how sustainable practices enhance wellbeing and strengthen community ties. The Common Toad is a quiet but vital resident of the Tamar Valley. With its brown, warty skin and golden eyes, it may seem unremarkable at first glance, yet it plays a crucial role as a natural pest controller, feeding on slugs, worms, beetles, and spiders. Despite its importance, the toad faces threats from habitat loss, pesticides, road crossings during migration, and the impacts of climate change. Simple actions such as creating wildlife ponds, avoiding pesticides, leaving log piles and leaf litter, or joining local toad patrols can make a big difference in supporting this species and the wider web of life. This episode is both a reflection and a call to action. By caring for soil and species like the Common Toad, we are caring for the web of life that connects us all. Expect practical advice, inspiring farmer stories, and a deeper understanding of how the choices we make today shape the resilience of tomorrow. Explore more through these resources: Farm Carbon Toolkit [https://farmcarbontoolkit.org/] Farm Net Zero [https://farmcarbontoolkit.org/farm-net-zero] Soil Association [https://www.soilassociation.org/] Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) [https://www.nffn.org.uk/] Tamar Valley National Landscape [https://www.tamarvalley.org.uk/] - TAMARA LANDSCAPE Nature Recovery Plan - Tamar Valley National Landscape Tamar Valley National LandscapePARTNERSHIP [https://tamaralandscapepartnership.org.uk/] Stoke Climsland Farm Cluster - Westcountry Rivers Trust [https://wrt.org.uk/project/stoke-climsland-farm-cluster/]

The Power of Trees

Forest for Cornwall & National Tree Week  In this episode of Nature Connects, we celebrate National Tree Week (22nd to 30th Nov) with a spotlight on the Forest for Cornwall, a visionary project aiming to transform Cornwall’s landscape through trees. We explore the vital role trees play in supporting climate resilience, restoring biodiversity, and reconnecting fragmented habitats. Our special guest, Ben Norwood shares insights into tree planting and establishment, the importance of trees outside woodland, agroforestry, and landscape connectivity, and how trees are being used to heal and regenerate the natural environment. We also delve into the social and wellbeing benefits of trees, highlighting how communities across Cornwall are coming together to plant, protect, and celebrate them. Finally, we reflect on the deeper value of trees, how they shape our sense of place and foster a powerful connection with nature. Tune in to discover why trees matter more than ever, and how you can get involved during National Tree Week and beyond. Forest for Cornwall - Cornwall Council [https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment/countryside/forest-for-cornwall-programme/] The Tree Council | Working together for the love of trees [https://treecouncil.org.uk/] Home - Tamar Valley National Landscape Tamar Valley National Landscape [https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/] Nature Recovery Plan - Tamar Valley National Landscape Tamar Valley National Landscape [https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/discover-explore/nature/recovery-plan/] - TAMARA LANDSCAPE PARTNERSHIP [https://tamaralandscapepartnership.org.uk/]

Food From the Valley

In this episode of Nature Connects, host Ginnette Sutherland takes us deep into the heart of the Tamar Valley to celebrate and reflect on British Food Fortnight. Join us as we meet the passionate team behind Tamar Grow Local and visit Wheal Farm, where pasture-raised chickens and fresh vegetables are part of a powerful movement to reconnect people with nature, community, and the food on their plates. Discover how local food systems are not only nourishing bodies but also restoring biodiversity, building resilience, and sparking joy. From community cook-ups to hedgehog-friendly gardens, this episode is a celebration of how growing, sharing, and cooking food can transform lives and landscapes. Whether you're a seasoned gardener, a curious foodie, or someone who simply loves nature, this episode will leave you inspired to dig deeper into the power of local food and the wild allies that thrive alongside it. https://tamargrowlocal.org [https://tamargrowlocal.org] Farmstart – Tamar Grow Local [https://tamargrowlocal.org/farm-start/] Your Online Farmers' Market | Tamar Valley Food Hubs | Cornwall [https://www.tamarvalleyfoodhubs.org.uk/] The Good Food Loop - Good Food Loop [https://goodfoodloop.org/] Wylde Market - The Online Farmers' Market [https://wylde.market/] https://www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/british-food-fortnight-2025 [https://www.lovebritishfood.co.uk/british-food-fortnight-2025] https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/discover-explore/nature/recovery-plan/ [https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/discover-explore/nature/recovery-plan/] https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/ [https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/] https://tamaralandscapepartnership.org.uk/ [https://tamaralandscapepartnership.org.uk/]

Where Nature Meets History: Biodiversity at Devon Great Consols

In this episode of Nature Connects, host Ginnette Sutherland is joined by Lesley Strong from Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage to explore Devon Great Consols, a former mining landscape in the Tamar Valley that has become a powerful symbol of regeneration, biodiversity, and cultural memory. Together, they discuss how this historic site now supports rare species like the Greater Horseshoe Bat and the Nightjar, and how managing such places involves balancing the needs of heritage conservation with ecological restoration.  But beyond conservation, this episode also explores the opportunity for nature connectedness, how places like Devon Great Consols invite people to rediscover their relationship with the natural world through history, habitat, and community.   Links and resources Home - Tamar Valley National Landscape Tamar Valley National Landscape [https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/]   Nature Recovery Plan - Tamar Valley National Landscape Tamar Valley National Landscape [https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/discover-explore/nature/recovery-plan/]   - TAMARA LANDSCAPE PARTNERSHIP [https://tamaralandscapepartnership.org.uk/]   Monument Management Scheme - Tamara Landscape Partnership. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vo_sxIVHIo]   Cornish Mining World Heritage Site [https://www.cornishmining.org.uk/]   www.heritageopendays.org.uk [http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk]    Devon Great Consols Circular Walk - Visit the Tamar Valley [https://visittamarvalley.co.uk/short_walk/devon-great-consols]   Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project - The Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project [https://devonbatproject.org/]   Nightjar | The Wildlife Trusts [https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/birds/swallows-swift-martins-and-nightjar/nightjar#:~:text=The%20nightjar%20has%20cryptic%2C%20bark,the%20end%20of%20their%20tails.]   FOTONOW CIC - Fotonow CIC [https://www.fotonow.org/]

Beaver and Butterflies: Summer Special Ep 6, part 2 - Butterflies

In the second part of the two-part summer episode, we head to Greenscombe Woods, a Duchy of Cornwall site near Luckett, where we meet Jenny Plackett from Butterfly Conservation. This beautiful woodland is home to the Heath Fritillary, one of the UK’s rarest butterflies and a flagship species in the Tamar Valley National Landscape’s Nature Recovery Plan. Jenny shares the conservation story of this delicate species, the habitat work that supports it, and how citizen science through the Big Butterfly Count is helping monitor and protect butterfly populations. We also explore how butterflies can spark a deeper connection to nature and how local communities are playing a vital role in their recovery. From the engineering marvels of beavers to the fleeting beauty of butterflies, this two part summer episode celebrates the power of nature to restore, inspire, and connect us all. To learn more about the projects and organisations featured in part 2, visit the websites below. You can also take part in the Big Butterfly Count from the 18th July to 10th August and be part of a nationwide effort to track and protect these vital pollinators.   Links Home page | Butterfly Conservation [https://butterfly-conservation.org/] Big Butterfly Count [https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/] Home | Duchy of Cornwall [https://duchyofcornwall.org/]   Your host Ginnette Sutherland, Community Engagement Officer (intern), Tamar Valley National Landscape/Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme (National Lottery Heritage Fund supported)   Our guest Jenny Plackett – Butterfly Conservation, Conservation Manager (South West England)   With thanks Thank you to Ross Sinclair and Jim Baldwin from Fotonow FOTONOW CIC - Fotonow CIC [https://www.fotonow.org/] for their technical support. Production This podcast has been brought to you from Tamar Valley National Landscape, one of 46 National Landscapes throughout the UK that work in partnership to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of these protected landscapes. Designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1995, the Tamar Valley’s special qualities are; * A rare valley and water landscape * A landscape of high visual quality * A unique wildlife resource * A remarkable heritage * A landscape of artistic and public appeal   The podcast has been made possible thanks to National Lottery Heritage Fund supported Tamara Landscape Partnership scheme, a project of Tamar Valley National Landscape, that aims to create a brighter future for the Tamar Valley and its communities, by creating opportunities and positive change through a programme of 10 exciting projects.   Tamara Landscape Partnership scheme - https://tamaralandscapepartnership.org.uk/ [https://tamaralandscapepartnership.org.uk/] Tamar Valley National Landscape - https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/ [https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/] Tamar Valley National Landscape’s Nature Recovery Plan 2023-2030 - https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/our-work/projects/nature-recovery-plan/ [https://www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/our-work/projects/nature-recovery-plan/]   University of Derby * Natural Connectedness research - https://www.derby.ac.uk/research/themes/zero-carbon/zero-carbon-nbs-research-centre/nature-connectedness-research-group/ [https://www.derby.ac.uk/research/themes/zero-carbon/zero-carbon-nbs-research-centre/nature-connectedness-research-group/] * Nature Connected Communities Handbook Growing community nature connectedness: A new handbook for growing human-nature community relationships. | Finding Nature [https://findingnature.org.uk/2025/01/20/community-nature-connectedness/].   Wildlife Equipment – we have a range of surveying equipment that you can borrow to find out what’s visiting your garden or community space. Please contact bryony.james@cornwall.gov.uk [bryony.james@cornwall.gov.uk] for further details.   Contact us Email: enquiries@tamarvalley.org.uk [enquiries@tamarvalley.org.uk] Social media: @tamarvalleynl – find us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn