Wildlife Trust’s income Together we are making a and spend in 2018-19 difference to Devon’s wildlife Devon Wildlife Trust works for local wildlife and wild places. Our charity is able to achieve so much because of the Gis, Donations and people and organisations that support us. These include… It has been an excellent year for Devon Corporate Support Your Wildlife Trust. Total income for the Group 4% was £5,236,187 against expenditure of Commercial Trading • Our 35,000 loyal members £4,168,784 and the charitable Group Legacies 6% accounts show a surplus for the year 28% • Our more than 300 regular volunteers of £1,067,403. This means that our Contracts Support Winter 2019-20 unrestricted financial reserves have 17% • The charitable trusts, businesses, grown and are now at a level that is in line foundations and grant-giving bodies that with Charity Commission guidance. generously support our work What a year! Westminster may have been in utter chaos, but in the much saner world of Devon Wildlife Trust it’s A significant legacy is responsible for the • Our dedicated network of volunteer Local been an unforgettable 12 months for much better reasons. bulk of this unplanned surplus in 2018- Our dedicated team of staff Photo: Aram Atkinson In this issue of Your Support you can read about some of 19. Legacy income and membership Groups the highlights. continue to be critical sources of income Grants and for the Trust. We have also continued to Charitable Trusts Membership • Our committed board of trustees We’ve fought a long, tough battle to secure a new 23% 22% benefit from the support of a range of • The people and groups who donate to our Environment Act. At the centre of our call to government grant funders, from businesses and from has been a focus on putting nature back. Much of what partners. Please do see the full Trustees’ fundraising appeals we have argued for has found its way into draft legislation, Annual Report and Accounts on our but sadly little progress has been made over the last nine website for detailed information about Devon Wildlife Trust’s income in 2018-19 • The generous people who remember us in months due to the turmoil in Parliament. Our supporters who supports us and how we spend and Total £5,236,187 their Will have been fantastic and have written more letters to MPs manage our money. than any other county. • Our dedicated team of staff We simply couldn’t do the work we do We launched the Wilder Future campaign with Devon without our supporters and I cannot For a full list of the people and organisations who support hosting the first local showing of our Wind in the Willows Resources and Wildlife Recording (Devon thank you enough for your generosity and Governance Biodiversity Records Centre) our work for wildlife go to www.devonwildlifetrust.org/ film trailer. With over two million viewings, this helped your commitment to protecting Devon’s 5% 6% what-we-do/about-us/our-supporters raise awareness of the threats to our natural environment amazing natural environment. If you have and how depleted in wildlife Britain now is. But it ends in a any questions about the annual accounts Nature Reserves and message of hope. We followed up the film’s success with Land Management Our 35,000 loyal members or if you want to find out more about 42% Membership the biggest mass lobby event in Westminster’s history. supporting our work or leaving a gift in 11% After a marathon negotiation, we took on the management your Will, please don’t hesitate to get in of the six Valley Parks in . With their annual footfall touch. of around 500,000, this was a huge milestone for us and

Commercial Trading our work engaging people in urban areas. Watch our plans for these stunning sites unfold in the coming year. Penny Mason 11% Director of Resources As the River Otter Beaver Trial entered its fifth year, we and Marketing set out to the then Secretary of State Michael Gove how we believe these amazing animals should be managed once the trial comes to an end. Who knows when the Advocacy, Education and Engagement government will decide on their future, but in the meantime 25% donations for the project have continued to pour in. As always you, our supporters, have been extraordinary. Devon Wildlife Trust’s expenditure in 2018-19 + And I’m delighted to say that your numbers have swelled Total £4,168,784 Our 300 inspirational volunteers to more than 35,000, our highest for a decade. That’s great Photo: Kevin McDonagh news, because in these troubled times we need as many voices as possible to speak out. Thank you all. Devon Wildlife Trust Follow us on social media. Cricklepit Mill Your support really A charity you can trust Commercial Road is making a world of Exeter EX2 4AB difference to Devon’s As a member of the Fundraising Regulator, Devon Wildlife Trust follows the Code of Fundraising Practice. We make a Harry Barton public promise to adhere to best practice, honesty, transparency, clarity and accountability in all fundraising activity. Telephone: 01392 279244 wildlife. Thank you. Printed in Devon using vegetable based inks on recycled paper. Email: [email protected] Devon Wildlife Trust is a registered charity, number 213224. Goldfinches and teasel. Photo: Chief Executive, Devon Wildlife Trust www.devonwildlifetrust.org Vat no. 585473501 Mark Hamblin

See our full audited accounts at www.devonwildlifetrust.org Support DWT at www.devonwildlifetrust.org www.devonwildlifetrust.org Protecting Wildlife for the Future Our River Otter We continued to work to influence Devon’s built Devon Wildlife Trust: Beaver Trial After strong campaigning from development for the benefit of wildlife. In the past us and you, new Marine continued to reach nine year, we scrutinised major planning applications, Conservation Zones (MCZs) 19 an impressively commenting on , and submitting objections to around Devon’s two coastlines 16 our recent highlights large audience. seven of these. The team of two were announced. This takes the This is what your support has allowed us to achieve for local wildlife part-time staff county’s total to 14 MCZs. They deliver 90 public include Morte Platform, close to the events during and the Devon the year, bringing estuaries of the Erme, Avon, Dart, Otter and Axe. Horsey Island, near the total to more ’ new short film, Braunton in North A new wildlife watching hide than 350 with a using the familiar faces of ‘Wind in Devon, became our constructed by local volunteers rises combined audience the Willows’ characters was seen in latest nature reserve. on the banks of the River Torridge of 16,000 people cinemas in Devon and across the UK. Its hectare mix of 80 taking pride of place at our Halsdon since the Trial Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, mudflat, sandbank and nature reserve. Board walks at began in 2015. Alison Steadman and Stephen Fry, saltmarsh on the edge Emsworthy Mire and a sand martin the film showcases ourWilder of the Taw Estuary is nesting wall at Meeth Quarry are Future campaign. one of the South West’s just two of the other new features to premier birdwatching appear at our nature reserves. spots. Look out for more on Horsey Island in the next edition 333 people of your Wild Devon 728 people conduct Wembury Marine Centre regularly gave their magazine. bat surveys in Devon celebrated its 25th time and skills to as part of our Devon birthday with another volunteer for us. Greater Horseshoe successful summer. In From Christmas Bat Project. The October Wembury’s card packing and ’s last remaining colonies of narrow-headed ants at Our Sow and Share project started data they produce is of Devon Wildlife ‘Bioblitz’ – a 24 hour race to answering wildlife our Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve became the Two work with pupils in Exeter to create combined with Trust’s volunteer groups record as many species as helpdesk queries, to focus of a project, Back from the Brink. Supported by The 184 20 new wildflower areas in schools landowner visits won accolades for possible attracted national building boardwalks National Heritage Lottery Fund and working with partners across the city. The planting brings and landowner their wildlife gardens TV coverage from BBC on nature reserves at Buglife, work began, not only to secure the ant’s future on 32 colour to school communities and workshops conducted in the annual Royal Countryfile.1,310 species and undertaking the reserve, but to ‘translocate’ some nests, establishing new much-needed nectar sources to by project staff to help Horticultural Society were discovered, including bat surveys, our colonies at other Devon Wildlife Trust sites nearby. pollinating insects. ensure that a further Britain in Bloom 610 never recorded before volunteers make a 1,510 hectares of awards. Gardeners at Wembury. huge impact on land is brought into from Exmouth Local our work. good management Group and Cricklepit for bats and wider Mill (DWT’s Exeter wildlife. headquarters) both secured ‘Outstanding’ in the ‘It’s your 2,500 school children Our Working Wetlands project helped Devon farmers Neighbourhood Award’ visited our Seaton Jurassic secure £3 million of funding targeted at wildlife- category. visitor attraction – an friendly land management, with special focus on increase of 61% on the improving the health of local rivers. previous year. They were joined by more than 33,000 other visitors. In June we joined 15,000 people from other Wildlife The work of Active Helping them enjoy their Trusts and conservation groups at Westminster to take part Neighbourhoods in five exploration of the Jurassic in a mass lobby of MPs titled ‘The Time is Now’. Our Nora of Plymouth’s most Coast’s unique history are Three key projects - Exeter Wildlife In May we took on the the Beaver attracted lots of attention as we pushed home deprived neighbourhoods regular volunteers who Champions, Marine Champions and management of six 50 messages about the need for urgent action from Government comes to an end contributed nearly South Devon Wildlife Champions – beautiful urban green Our Action for Insects campaign (a 2,700 to address the climate crisis and other issues facing wildlife. afterthree years hours of their time for free. enabled us to take our experience and spaces. The Exeter joint initiative with 19 other Wildlife of engagement with messages to more than schools, Valley Parks include Trusts) goes global after its launch in 60 local communities and reaching students. stunning riverside, London in November. The campaign’s 12,000 Plymouth City Council. Our most successful social media woodland and messages around the drastic declines wildflower meadows. A resounding 84% of post of the year, a film which in insect populations are picked up Devon Biodiversity Records Centre (hosted by people now see our daily news updates on Twitter, Together they attract people surveyed in those 45,000 explained the positive impact by CNN, the World Economic Forum DWT) trained more than 70 people, including many Facebook and Instagram. people also keep up to date with more than communities said they 12,000 beavers can have in mitigating half a and Hollywood A-lister, Leonardo conservation professionals, helping them improve their our local work via regular e-newsletters. If you don’t receive these against the worst effects of million visitors were now getting out and DiCaprio, who shared the campaign about more in local green plant ID skills. DBRC increased its own inventory of the then turning your inbox wild is easy at www.devonwildlifetrust.org flooding, was seen by70,000 each year. with his social media spaces targeted by the 38 million county’s natural heritage to 4.6 million individual people around the world. followers! project. species records during the year.

Photos: Paul Naylor, Andy Thatcher, Amy Lewis, Martin Batt and Megan Lowe