A Greater Understanding of Dartmoor…

The Dartmoor Society, now in its 25th year, is an independent member charity that is devoted to celebrating the wonders of Dartmoor and to help create a thriving environment for people and nature. One of the key activities of the Dartmoor Society is its monthly events for members and larger public gatherings that look in depth at the multifaceted approach necessary to manage this diverse landscape.

‘Dartmoor is rich in cultural and environmental resources and our programme of events reflect this’, says Bill Murray chair of the Dartmoor Society. When Oke Links Magazine goes to print we will be well into our programme for 2023. In April at our AGM we welcome Helen Booker as our speaker, senior conservationist with the RSPB, Helen will talk about the efforts that go into conserving bird populations on Dartmoor.

Our farm visit in May will be to the Dartmoor Hill Pony Association at Corndonford Farm. Here we will hear about the rare genetic qualities of the Dartmoor Hill pony that allow them to thrive in the harsh conditions of a Dartmoor winter and the genetic testing programme that aims to lead the way for greater protection of these unique herds that are so much part of the pastoral landscape of Dartmoor.

In June we will walk part of the Archangel’s Way, a new pilgrimage route that connects many historic churches on Dartmoor. The afternoon will include a visit to one of the churches on the 38 miles route and will be led by Nick Fennemore, former NHS chaplain and minor canon of Winchester Cathedral now settled in Chagford and vice chair of the Society.

Our members gathering in July looks at yet another wonder of Dartmoor, its Temperate Rainforests. When we think of rainforests we think of Amazonia, but on our doorstep we have one of the most fragile and beautiful of Dartmoor’s natural environment, the broadleaf woodlands found in the river valleys and one or two upland ancient forests. We will walk through Ausewell Woods near Ashburton, described as ‘a lost world, a place of raw beauty and a haven for rare and endangered wildlife’. Rugged heath with dramatic rocky outcrops, boulders and screes, give way to dense woodland and damp lichen and moss covered trees along the famous River Dart. This will provide a great introduction to our main event of 2023 which is our conference Dartmoor’s Temperate Rainforests: Past, Present and Future to be held at the Fingle Bridge Inn in November.

In October we return to Ashburton, this time to the Arts Centre where Tom Greeves, our former chair, will talk about Francis Bedford, one of the finest photographers of the Victorian era, whose work includes many of our early photographs of Dartmoor.

Through our events programme we try to reflect the joys and complexities of living and working in the Dartmoor landscape. The ecological issues that result from human pressure and climate change, and the solutions that are proposed. For more information or to join the Dartmoor Society visit www.dartmoorsociety.com