Planting for our Future Young volunteers from Plymouth, Ivybridge and Tavistock planted trees around Ivybridge as part of National Tree Planting week. In December, Sixth Form students from Mill Ford School planted 220 tree whips, a mixture of English native species, including hazel, rowan, hawthorn, sliver birch trees in Woodland Park; students from the Life Skills department at City College Plymouth, and young people from the Momentum Project at Tavistock Youth Café, planted 220 whips to create a hedgerow of native English trees in Filham Park; and young adults from Dame Hannahs planted 25 native yew trees along Western Road, alongside members of the local community. Despite some very wet weather, everyone absolutely
Ally Kohler retires and Richard Drysdale rejoins the National Park Dartmoor National Park Authority has bid a fond farewell to a long serving member of staff – and welcomed back a familiar face. The authority’s director of conservation and communities Ally Kohler retired in December after 33 years of public service. Richard Drysdale, who worked at the authority
NOTICEBOARD loved having the opportunity to plant some trees which will benefit future generations, and which they can easily re-visit and watch grow! This was a partnership project between the Generation Green Project at Dartmoor National Park, which is working to provide opportunities for young people to access Dartmoor and get involved in environmental volunteering via taster days and their Junior and Youth Ranger programme, and Parklife South West CIC, a Community Interest Company not-for-profit organisation that helps to connect local communities with the environment. These projects are part of a wider initiative in Ivybridge that will see more than 2,500 trees planted this winter. Many thanks for all the help from everyone who volunteered on these days, it’s great to see so many people wanting to get involved and to be outdoors again. If you would like to find out about youth volunteering opportunities across Dartmoor contact Emily, Youth Engagement Ranger on e.cannon@dartmoor.gov.uk, or to get involved in Parklife South West CIC Projects contact Andrew Price at parklifesw@gmail.com between 2007 and 2018, has been appointed as director of conservation and communications and began his new role at the beginning of January. Mr Drysdale lives with his family on Dartmoor and regularly explores the moor on foot and bike. He’s a volunteer leader for Ten Tors and gets huge satisfaction from seeing teenagers (including his two children) exploring Dartmoor and understanding the beauty but also the complexity of the National Park. ‘I am incredibly excited by this role as Dartmoor has always been a very special place for me.’
Enjoy a venue with a difference! With the completion of our new Barn and The Ark, we are open and available for events that fit into the calm, beautiful, wildness of Dartmoor. Day or residential events to suit your every need, whether they are educational, charitable, family celebrations or business. Delicious home grown and cooked food with an opportunity to help share in the daily tasks of the farm, with the animals as the highlight of your event on the Moors.
Call us directly for a discussion on how we can help? Two miles from Widecombe in the Moor
01364 621392 / info@shallowfordfarm.co.uk Please mention PLYM LINKS when responding to adverts
Visit our community website www.dartmoorlinks.co.uk 13
