Devon community action

Dartmouth, Devon. Attribution: Arpingstone

• More flowers, fewer cars: the rewilders turning parking spaces into parks, The Guardian (Jun 22, 2022) — Across the UK and Europe, the ‘parklet’ movement is gaining pace, transforming dead spaces where cars used to be into pockets of green

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Devon (, archaically known as Devonshire) is a county in South West England, reaching from the Bristol Channel in the north to the English Channel in the south. It is bounded by Cornwall to the west, Somerset to the north-east and Dorset to the east. The county includes the districts of East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon and the city of Exeter, its county town. The other two large urban areas Plymouth and Torbay are each geographically part of Devon, but are administered as unitary authorities. Combined as a ceremonial county, Devon's area is 6,707 km² (2,590 square miles) and its population is about 1.2 million.

Devon derives its name from Dumnonia (the shift from m to v is a typical Celtic consonant shift). During the British Iron Age, Roman Britain and the early Middle Ages, this was the homeland of the Dumnonii Brittonic Celts. The Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain resulted in the partial assimilation of Dumnonia into the Kingdom of Wessex during the eighth and ninth centuries. The western boundary with Cornwall was set at the River Tamar by King Æthelstan in 936. Devon was later constituted as a shire of the Kingdom of England.

The north and south coasts of Devon each have both cliffs and sandy shores, and the county's bays contain seaside resorts, fishing towns and ports. The inland terrain is rural, generally hilly and has a lower population density than many other parts of England. Dartmoor is the largest open space in southern England, at 954 km² (368 square miles); its moorland extends across a large expanse of granite bedrock. To the north of Dartmoor are the Culm Measures and Exmoor. In the valleys and lowlands of south and east Devon the soil is more fertile, drained by rivers including the Exe, the Culm, the Teign, the Dart and the Otter.

As well as agriculture, much of the economy of Devon is based on tourism. The comparatively mild climate, coastline and landscape make Devon a destination for recreation and leisure in England. Visitors are particularly attracted to the Dartmoor and Exmoor national parks; its coasts, including the resort towns along the south coast known collectively as the English Riviera; the Jurassic Coast and North Devon's UNESCO Biosphere Reserve; and the countryside including the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape.

Climate action

• Devon Climate Emergency, see also: List of climate assemblies#Devon
• Action on Climate in Teignbridge, added 14:14, 6 October 2020 (UTC)
• Dartmoor Circle
• Bovey Climate Action

Biodiversity

Devon Wildlife Trust is aided by around 800 registered volunteers which help with running 12 local groups and habitat management work on the charity's nature reserves. - Wembury Marine Centre

Trees, woodland and forest

Broadhempston Community Woodland, located in Teignbridge, South Devon.

Community involvement

• Torbay Together, helping you find and share activities in Torbay, added 13:49, 23 December 2021 (UTC)
• Exeter Community Initiatives, charity working in Exeter and across Devon, helping people facing poverty, inequality and homelessness to get their lives back on track by involving them in community projects to improve their mental, emotional and physical wellbeing, increase their sense of belonging and provide skills to help them succeed in life. added 13:29, 12 November 2021 (UTC)
• Torridge Common Ground, non-party-political platform that puts the shared values and practical vision of the community at the heart of local governance, empowering communities across Torridge to transform their local economies and wellbeing for the benefit of all

Community currencies activism

Exeter Pound

Community energy

• Teign Energy Communities, "Our vision: To achieve the widest possible community engagement with energy use and energy generation. We want people in the local area to become more aware of, and engaged with their use of energy, so that energy becomes as familiar as money." added 14:36, 6 October 2020 (UTC)
• exeter community energy

Education for sustainability

Embercombe - Growing Devon Schools - Okehampton College, Energy Efficiency

Ethical consumerism

Plastic bag ban: In April 2007 local traders in Modbury, Devon declared that for environmental reasons, they would no longer give customers plastic bags. This initiative led to other communities across the UK pursuing similar enterprises.

Food activism

Rising temperatures have led to Devon becoming the first place in modern Britain to cultivate olives commercially.

Barnstaple Pannier Market - Bovey Community Garden - Home Grown Community Owned - Landmatters Co-operative Permaculture Project - Real Food Store, Exeter's first community owned food store

Health and wellbeing

Neighbourhood Health Watch, connecting trusted community support for health

Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle

Devon Community Composting Network - Devon Community Recycling Network - Proper Job, Chagford - Recycle Devon

Rural sustainability

Community Council of Devon

Social inclusion

• Be Buckfastleigh, make good things happen. Community project aiming to address health, social and economic inequalities. added 16:28, 23 July 2021 (UTC)

Towards sustainable economies

• Local Spark Torbay, Community Supported Enterprise CIC, added 17:35, 9 August 2022 (UTC)
• Devon Doughnut, Exploring Doughnut Economics in Devon, added 09:55, 8 October 2021 (UTC)
• New Prosperity Devon, Towards secure livelihoods and wellbeing for all, added 16:58, 7 May 2020 (UTC)

Resources

Networks and sustainability initiatives

• Bideford Sustainability Group
• Buck the Trend
• Chagford Hub
• North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
• PL:21, Ivybridge
• Sustainable Crediton
• Sustainable South Brent
• Transition Exmouth
• Transition Tavistock

Visions

• Vision Group for Sidmouth

Learning

• Bioregional Learning Centre UK, Community Interest Company (CIC) founded in 2017 to serve the people and place of South Devon.

Community resources

• Torbay Community Development Trust
• Broadhempston Community Land Trust, Community Interest Company set up in 2012 to enable local people, in housing need, to develop affordable eco-housing.

Citizens data inititiative

• Devon Doughnut, Collective asking, “Could a dashboard of some kind help to provide a picture of how Devon is faring ecologically and economically? Would this be useful to people living and working here? If so, how, and to do what?”. added 09:39, 8 October 2021 (UTC)

News and comment

2021

Doughnuts are popular in Devon: Kate Raworth’s sustainable vision flourishes in the South West of England, Sep 15

2020

New Government Proposals impose 1532 houses a year on Teignbridge, Summary of our concerns, Sep 22

2017

Tree Trail aims to highlight village’s unique species, Jul 18

2016

Devon County Council wins public sector sustainability award, Dec 7

Electric bike scheme first to be launched in the UK, Oct 13

Landmatters eco-community in Devon wins fight to remain, Jul 27

Exeter cycle network approved, Jun 12

2015

Calling all rural pubs in Devon for diversification, September 29

How does the Exeter Pound build fairness? September 25

Exeter Pound launched with plea to support city's independent businesses, September 1

Events

2016

August 11 - 14 Off Grid Festival

February 23 - April 3 Save Stewart Wood, Wray Valley

Near you

Plymouth - Totnes

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External links

Wikipedia: Devon