All talks start at 7.45pm.
Admission £2.50 (includes refreshments)
Everyone welcome.


Friday July 25th The Birds and other Wildlife of Lundy by authors Tim Jones & Tim Davis

Friday August 1st Discover North Devon's Special Marine life by Cat Jones marine awareness officer for Devon Wildlife Trust

Friday August 8th The Friendly Invasion – North Devon's preparation for D Day by historian & author Richard T Bass

Friday August 15th A Wildlife Filmshow, 'Woods for Wildlife' & 'Some like it hottish' our native reptiles by John Butter

Friday August 22nd Braunton, history of its landscape by Dr Paul Madgett

Friday August 29th The Healing Garden/Creating a Wildlife Garden by Dr Gavin Haig

Friday September 5th The Hidden Edge of Exmoor by Kester Webb

Thursday September 11th The Flora and Fauna of North Devon's Biosphere Reserve by Mary & John Breeds

Friday September 19th The Story of Henry Williamson's Salar the Salmon and the history of salmon poaching and netting on the Estuary by Tony Evans

Friday September 26th Conserving our Coastline for People and Nature by Jonathan Fairhurst the National Trust warden for Baggy, Woolacombe & Mortehoe.

Friday October 3rd Managing Hedgerows for Wildlife by Tom Hynes, Countryside Officer with North Devon Coast & Countryside Service

Thursday October 9th Westcountry Wildlife by Mary Breeds

Friday October 17th The Making of the North Devon Landscape by John Bradbeer

Friday October 24th (to be arranged)

For further details please ‘phone Mary Breeds 01271 817349
 

NEW SERIES OF COUNTRYSIDE CENTRE TALKS

STARTS WITH BIRDS OF LUNDY

The annual series of illustrated talks and filmshows hosted by Braunton Countryside Centre that first started in 2002 have now become a popular and well established part of the Braunton calendar. This year the series runs for 14 weeks with quite a varied programme that includes talks on North Devon's special marine life, the hidden coastline of Exmoor, how to create a healing garden, the history of salmon fishing on the Taw/Torridge Estuary, managing hedgerows for wildlife, the making of the North Devon landscape and several other topics. These talks not only help fulfil the function of the Countryside Centre by helping people discover and understand more about the special environment that surrounds us here in North Devon but they also help raise funds to keep the Centre going, as although it plays a vital role in interpreting the internationally acclaimed Biosphere Reserve attracting thousands of visitors each year, it is entirely kept manned and funded by a small group of volunteers.

The first talk 'The birds and other wildlife of Lundy' takes place next Friday July 25th
and is being given by local authors Tim Jones and Tim Davis. These two expert ornithologists and self confessed Lundy addicts have recently produced a beautifully illustrated book 'The Birds of Lundy', the result of 8 years research on this magical island upon which the talk will be based.

The talks are taking place every Friday until October 24th (except for Sept 11th & Oct 9th which will be on Thursdays) and begin at 7.45pm costing £2.50 including refreshments.
The full programme of talks can be obtained from the Centre or by e mailing Mary Breeds mary_breeds@hotmail.com


Braunton Countryside Centre is the main visitor centre that houses displays and information on North Devon's internationally acclaimed Biosphere Reserve that includes the vast sand dunes of Braunton Burrows, the historic Braunton Great Field, the coastal grazing land of Braunton Marsh and the Taw/Torridge estuary. The Centre helps visitors to appreciate and enjoy these special places with attractive displays that include a marine tank with many live rock pool creatures, a freshwater tank with live sticklebacks, photographic displays of the spectacular flora and fauna and video showings. The Centre is run entirely by local volunteers and is funded solely by voluntary donations. Therefore money raised from these talks is now a vital source of funding to help with the running costs of the Centre.
 

July 27^th Sunday 2.30pm - Horsey Island Trail

An estuary walk discovering the wildlife of this reclaimed marsh, once a tidal

island.

Meet by the White House at the end of the Toll Road.

August 2^nd Saturday  2.30pm - Braunton Burrows Family Nature Walk

Explore the variety of wildlife that inhabits these famous sand

dunes with a warden.

Meet at Broadsands Information Board.

August 7^th Thursday  8.30pm - A Moth Night at Braunton Burrows

Come and take part in recording some of the moths to be found on the dunes using  

light traps.   Meet at Sandy Lane Information Boards.

August 10^th Sunday 2.30pm Braunton Burrows Wildlife Walk

Discover the flora and fauna that is special to these Biosphere dunes

Meet at Broadsands Information Board

August 16^th Saturday 2.30pm - Braunton Burrows in late summer

Explore the natural history of the southern end of the Burrows.

Meet at Broadsands Information Board.

August 23^rd Saturday 7.00pm - Creatures at Dusk and Moth Trapping on Braunton Burrows

Experience the sights and sounds of the dunes as dusk falls – bats, bush-crickets & moths

Meet at Sandy Lane Information Boards.

August 31st Sunday 2.30pm - Braunton Burrows A Walk back in Time

A look at the WWII structures in the dunes and the history and stories behind

them led     

by historian and author R T Bass

Meet at Broadsands Information Board.                               

September 7^th Sunday 2.30pm - Braunton Burrows - Saving Nature

A look at the work to save the wildlife habitats in the southern part of the

Burrows.  

Meet at Broadsands Information Board.

September 21^st Sunday 10.00am & 1.30pm Saunton Beach

Cleans

Come and clean the beach and dunes.  Please bring gloves.  Meet at the Information Board. 

Locations of start points:

Sandy Lane SS463/350 Meet by the information boards in the car park.

NB Sandy Lane car park has been closed.  Limited parking spaces can be found on roadside verges.   DO NOT park in the passing place lay-by or block gateways.

Please car share if possible.  Contact organiser for further information.

Broadsands Take the toll road from Velator signposted to
Crow Point & meet at the information board near the
boulders SS468/328 (toll road charge).

White House Take toll road & meet by the White House SS469/330
(toll road charge).

Braunton Countryside Centre is in Caen car park in the centre of
Braunton SS486/366.  Meet here to car share.

Saunton car park is off the B3231 Braunton to Croyde road SS447/376

For further details please ‘phone John  Breeds  01271 812552 / 817349,   07773085984

e mail  john_breeds@hotmail.com