Public Forum: Heaths to Sea Landscape Recovery of the lower Otter Valley

You are invited to attend the Heaths to Sea Public Forum at Bicton College EaRTH Building on Thursday, 17th July.

From 12 pm to 8 pm, we will be hosting a public drop-in exhibition to share draft high-level plans for 20+ years of land management activity to encourage nature recovery across the diverse landscape of the lower Otter Valley.

You are welcome to drop in at any point during the exhibition, read about our plans, and have your questions answered by the landscape recovery team and expert ecological, hydrological, and heritage consultants. The exhibition will include information on:

• Current and proposed types and extent of habitats in the project area
• Key species and why they are important
• Impact of climate change and how the project will help mitigate this
• Importance of enhancing how the land supports productivity through farming and public amenity
• How the project should benefit the Pebblebed Heaths and Otter Estuary National Nature Reserve
• How the project actions will be monitored and evaluated to understand improvements to nature
• How the public can be involved

Additionally, from 1 pm to 2.15 pm and 6.30 pm to 8 pm, there will be a series of targeted short talks and a panel Q&A session to answer all your questions. Both sessions will follow the format of:

• 45 mins – talks on Heaths to Sea draft proposed plans (Dr Sam Bridgewater and Kirstie Ellis), Current and potential future state of nature in the lower Otter Valley (Geckoella – ecological consultants), Importance and impact of water in the landscape (Dynamic Rivers – hydrological consultants).
• 30 mins – Q&A with panel of speakers.

To know numbers, we would appreciate it if you could let us know if you’ll be attending one of the talk sessions by registering through Eventbrite.

Refreshments will be provided throughout the afternoon and evening.

If travelling by car, there is car parking at the venue. This will be clearly signposted.

If travelling by bus, Route 157 has stops directly outside the venue, heading in both directions (Sidmouth and Exmouth).

For the afternoon talk and panel, the relevant times are below:

• Travelling from Exmouth (via Budleigh Salterton), the 157 arrives at the venue at 12.38 pm and leaves at 2.34 pm
• Travelling from Sidmouth, the 157 arrives at the venue at 12.34 pm and leaves at 2.41 pm