North Devon Biosphere

Britain's first UNESCO Biosphere reserve – a special place

North Devon has always been one of the finest unspoilt locations in the UK and is now home to Britain's first new style world class UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.  The reserve  was established in 1976 and was extended in 2002 to include 870 square miles of North Devon countryside 75 miles of coastline and 570 square miles of sea.  This prestigious accolade has been awarded because this place has a high quality environment and communities willing to develop in harmony with that environment. It's not just about dunes!

Biospheres are the ecological equivalent to World Heritage Sites and are chosen because of their ability to demonstrate sustainable development on a regional scale, to educate communities about sustainability and to conserve threatened habitats. There are 553 Biosphere Reserves in the world, compared with 878 World Heritage Sites.

At the very heart of the reserve is Braunton Burrows, one of the best quality dunes systems in the northern hemisphere.  Mainly designated for its flora and geomorphology the dune system is owned and managed by Christie Devon Estates and is leased in part to the Ministry of Defence for amphibious training. Plants like the Sand Toadflax, the Water Germander and Sea Stock benefit from the mobile sand created by this activity. The land, water courses and sea around the core demonstrate critical interconnections between people and their special environment and its conservation; the Biosphere Reserve therefore covers the entire northern half of Devon - linking a whole mix of internationally important habitats, landscapes and protected sites:
•    Taw Torridge Estuary, nationally important for over-wintering birds
•    Beautiful Braunton Marsh
•    The upland bogs of Dartmoor and Exmoor
•    The river sources and catchment areas
•    Culm grasslands with their special sets of plants and invertebrates
•    Wildlife such as otters, dormice and bats
•    Special Marine wildlife including cup-corals, seals and porpoises
•    Unique Western Oak woods and their lichens and mosses

Combined, these are the very elements that our visitors come to enjoy and grow to love.  By supporting the North Devon Biosphere visitors will be helping to ensure a sustainable future.

Core support for the Biosphere Reserve comes from Devon County Council and North Devon and Torridge District Councils.  Additional funding is sought to develop interpretation and encourage the ongoing enhancement of the reserve for a good quality of life of visitors and residents alike.

www.northdevonbiosphere.org.uk
01237 423655