Go wild in Exeter this summer
Published: 5 July 2022
Go wild in Exeter this summer with a couple of exciting, free events in the city’s valley parks.
Both events are part of the Devon Wildlife Trusts ‘Saving Devon’s Trees’ initiative and are a chance to get back to nature and see wildlife up close and personal.
Devon Wildlife Trust manage Exeter’s six valley parks on behalf of the City Council, and Saving Devon’s Trees is all about mitigating the effect of Ash Dieback Disease and ensuring the county has a rich population of trees in the future. The project is part of the Devon Ash Dieback Resilience Forum and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Anyone who is batty about bats would be mad to miss the first event on Monday 25 July. Join bat expert Sarah Butcher to see and detect bats in Riverside Valley Park. The area is known to provide good bat habitat and those attending are likely to discover several different species during this walk and talk event.
Meet in the car park of King George V Playing Fields at 8:45pm for an introduction to bats and to learn how to use bat detectors. There will then be a walk through the valley parks as dusk approaches to see what bats can be identified via their echolocation calls. There will also be a chance to spot the bats as they whizz by.
This is an evening event and those attending will be walking on uneven ground, with some steps and slopes involved, so please wear sturdy footwear and bring a torch if possible. Older children are welcome if accompanied by an adult, but sorry, no dogs allowed (except assistance dogs). Please note that there will be no toilets available.
To register for the event visit the Eventbrite website at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebrating-60-years-wild-bat-walk-at-exeter-riverside-valley-park-tickets-368394988327
The second event is a summer’s walk and tree identification session led by John Freeman in Mincinglake Valley Park on Saturday 13 August from 10:30am until 12:30pm.
Who can tell a hazel from a beech or an ash tree from a rowan?
Mincinglake has a range of species and the trees will be looking splendid in August, in full leaf, and there to be identified and admired.
Saving Devon’s Treescapes are hoping participants will help record some of Devon's notable trees after attending this event, through the Treescapes app https://devontreescapes.com/treescapes.
The event is open to all, however, participants will be walking across fields and wooded areas and therefore the ground may be uneven. Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult, but please note this session is designed for adults. Unfortunately, no dogs please.
For more details and to register go to the Eventbrite website https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebrating-60-years-wild-tree-identification-guided-walk-tickets-377742878117