A romantic gesture for Devon nature lovers

Nature lovers in Devon are giving an alternative gift this year – not content with a bunch of roses, they are opting for a whole acre of wildflowers in north Devon.

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Meeth Quarry nature reserve, near Hatherleigh, is a 370-acre wildlife haven and is DWT’s newest site. The Trust has given supporters the chance to Adopt an Acre of the reserve as part of an appeal for funds to improve the recovering industrial landscape for wildlife. Of more than ninety-five acres adopted so far many were as gifts for someone special. Now on the eve of Valentine’s Day the Trust is waiting to see if there’s a romantic story behind the hundredth adoption of an acre.

For many, adopting an acre gives them a personal connection to a wild space as well as playing a part in conserving nature in Devon. Joyce and Ernie Dignam of Barnstaple said they were “concerned that so much of our county is being covered with concrete and we believe the only way to protect diversity is to own land”. Joyce added, “we would like to be able to buy a whole nature reserve for Devon Wildlife Trust but that is out of the question. The next best thing is to adopt a share of one.”

The Adopt an Acre package includes a map showing the location of the chosen acre as well as a certificate of adoption illustrated with this image of Meeth Quarry at its most colourful (left). James Wilson in Plymouth wanted to give an acre as a gift to the people closest to him after enjoying a guided tour of the reserve at a DWT event.

He says: "It occurred to me that the scheme would be a great and original way of channelling the charity donations I usually make in lieu of gifts that we don’t actually need. I managed to persuade the lovely team at DWT to supply me with multiple copies of the certificate and map to send to my family.”

The former mining and quarrying at the site created a very diverse landscape, making it ideal for conversion to a nature reserve. Dominated by two large lakes and mounds of clay spoil, Meeth Quarry also features ponds, woodland, bogs and grassland. Together these make the reserve a home for a diverse array of plants and animals including brown hare, willow tit and many species of butterflies, dragonflies and orchids.

The diversity of Meeth Quarry extends to the Adopt an Acre offer, with an option to adopt an area of woodland, grassland or open water. James Wilson says “I chose a grassland acre, as I understand this is a very valuable habitat for flowers, birds and insects alike. I look forward to visiting again in the summer months to see for myself the abundance described so eloquently on our guided walk!”

So, a few roses that will last a week, or a plot of flower-rich grassland that can be visited year after year? Adopt an Acre at Meeth Quarry is the romantic gesture for anyone who sees the natural world in Devon as something to love.