Dartmoor’s unique climate and landscape offers habitats for a range of wildlife, and more importantly, provides a stronghold for some declining and threatened species.
Help us look after the important habitats that provide a home for Dartmoor’s wildlife. Money raised will help the following projects:
© House Martin – Charlie Fleming
© Southern Damselfly – DNPA
© Ring Ouzel – Laurie Campbell
Helping the House Martin
We are working with Devon Birds, Dartmoor Preservation Association and the Duchy of Cornwall to boost Dartmoor’s house martin population, which has halved in the past 30 years across Devon. We will run events in six local communities (Mary Tavy, Horrabridge, Chagford, Ilsington, Dunsford and Scorriton) to celebrate these birds and get people actively involved in surveying house martin nests in these parishes. We will also build artificial nest cups at Dartmoor wildlife events for families to take away and install in their homes. A live webcam of an active nest will be shown at the National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown.
The creation of wildlflower meadows and garden ponds will be encouraged in order to provide more insect life, mud and water for the house martins.
More information is available on www.dartmoorhousemartins.org
Conserving the Southern Damselfly
The beautiful southern damselfly is one of Europe’s rarest and most threatened damselflies and is also defined as being a globally threatened species.
Up to 25% of the world population are located in southern England and Wales, where it is on the northern edge of its range - fortunately, there are three sites on Dartmoor where the southern damselfly can be found.
Funds for this project will cover the annual monitoring costs to determine the management needed to maintain their specific habitat, together with any management agreements and agri-environment schemes.
Last stand of the Mountain Blackbird
Dartmoor is the last remaining place in southern England where the Ring Ouzel, our mountain blackbird, still breeds.
The population has been slowly declining for the last 30 years and now exists in precariously low numbers in the moorlands of northern Dartmoor.
We are working with RSPB, Devon Birds, landowners and commoners to conserve the birds through monitoring, research and habitat management.
Here’s how your money could help:
- £10 pays for materials to make 5 house martin nests
- £30 pays for 4 bales of species-rich hay (enough to turn 24 square metres into a wildflower meadow)
- £150 pays for the running of a volunteer day to carry out habitat management that will benefit southern damselfly sites.