NEWS FROM EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK

Multi-national teams consisting of students from Germany, a volunteer from as far away as Switzerland and of course, the invaluable participation of those from Exmoor and the wider South West area have carried out essential restoration maintenance work at a number of sites.

A team of The Simonsbath Volunteers, the crew from TCV (The Conservation Volunteers)  and returning landscaping students from the Continent joined forces to complete quality-control checks and maintenance work, using spades, on the ditch blocks at Great Vintcombe which was first restored in 2009, looking at nearly 7000m of ditch across an area of 50 hectares.  This boosts the Volunteers’ grand total to a whopping 1017 days.

The skilful volunteers installed new wooden blocks and plugged up leaks in existing ones at Comerslade and at the well-known mire site of Blackpitts, where they also improved access by constructing a gate and building a new pathway across an eroded section. The work at Blackpitts in particular is very important as it is host to many guided walks looking at mire-specific wildlife and vegetation; the success of events such as Bogtastic (17 August 2014) depend on the ease of access and quality of bog this site now boasts.

Volunteers are central to the Exmoor Mires Project and the Project team would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their time and efforts.

If you feel inspired and would like to get into the wild moors of Exmoor to do practical restoration work, or inspire the younger generation by volunteering at events such as Bogtastic Days, please contact David Rolls on 01398 322164, or email drolls@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk. There is also information on how to get involved on the Exmoor National Park website. Help is always needed and always appreciated.