The third annual Wild About Devon Awards were presented at the Devon Local Nature Partnership Conference on 25th March 2025 at Sandy Park, Exeter.
More than 70 nominations were received from all across the county, and judged by a panel of Wild About Devon Steering Group members alongside guest judge, naturalist and science communicator Kelvin Boot. The panel were blown away by the quality of nominations, and enjoyed learning about the many extraordinary people across Devon who dedicate their time and efforts to looking out for local wildlife.
The Awards were presented by Nora Corkery, Devon Communities Together Chief CEO and Wild About Devon steering group chair. All the winners received a voucher from NHBS, thanks to their generous sponsorship.
Jerry received several nominations for his work on the Devon Swift Project. As the driving force behind the project, he has personally installed Swift nest boxes into more than 30 church towers this year, including the South Tower of Exeter Cathedral. This represents over 1200 individual boxes for Swifts, a Red-listed species that has declined by over 60% between 1995 and 2020.
The Judges unanimously agreed on Jerry as the winner of this award. They were particularly impressed with the way he engages communities, supporting Swift Champions in each parish to maintain the project long into the future.
Two quotes from his nominations:
‘I have never met anyone so completely dedicated to the conservation and recovery of any species, especially one as threatened as the Swift.’
‘I believe Jerry is single-handedly turning around the conservation status of Swifts in Devon. His commitment, dedication and enthusiasm make him the ultimate Swift Champion and he deserves to be recognised as a most worthy recipient of this award.’
Archie began volunteering with Chardstock Eco Group during his Duke of Edinburgh Award. He designed and ran a project called Our Birds Join Us, raising money for bird feeders to be installed and maintained around the village, and providing information on the importance of keeping feeders clean.
He has a love of bird photography and in 2024 he won the Dorset Wildlife Trust Junior Photographer of the Year Award for his 'over-the-border' picture of a cuckoo at Arne Nature Reserve. He has showcased his work at village event stalls, gave a talk to more than 50 people, and raised funds for Chardstock Eco Group through sales of his bird photography calendars.
The panel loved Archie’s work combining his passions for birds and photography to engage his community.
Judge quote: ‘What a story - inspirational, refreshing, and unique’
Runner up: South Molton Town Council
Rattery Parish Council stood out to the judges as a relatively small council showing what’s possible with the right support and joined up thinking.
They have leased land from Devon County Council to enable the creation of a new Nature Reserve in the heart of Rattery village. They have also opened a new permissive path in the village, planted new hedging in the playground, and given a free tree and wildflowers to every parishioner.
Their lead Parish Councillor on the environment, Richard Haigh, is very involved with both Rattery Environment Group and the Bidwell Brook Partnership, two organisations the council has supported and enabled.
The judging panel were impressed by the way that the Parish Council is working with local groups and stakeholders, their meaningful environmental impact and landscape-scale aspirations.
Runner Up: Chudleigh Wild
Exminster Green Spaces was a previous Wild About Devon runner up so we’re very pleased to see them back to take the top spot this year. 2024 also marked their tenth anniversary of working to enhance the village for people and nature.
They’ve engaged in a fantastic range of activities over the last year, including hosting Wassails to celebrate the orchards they maintain, establishing a demonstration wildflower bed, clocking up over 50 volunteer working parties and events, working with local schools and mentoring a new neighbouring community group.
With a huge selection of community groups nominated, there were several groups scoring highly with the judges, but the judges were very happy to see the massive commitment of this group and the multiple routes they are taking to support their local wildlife.
This award reflects the ambition and immense effort behind Moor Trees, which celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year. The judging panel noted it as one of Devon’s best examples of a conservation project that has engaged people and made a significant impact for nature.
Their achievements include two Community Tree Nurseries at Dartington and Diptford - annually producing more than 35,000 trees supplied directly to local planting schemes - an Annual Seed Gathering programme in partnership with the Woodland Trust, and extensive landowner advice and project collaboration.
Moor Trees has continued to expand and develop since its founding, but continues to have at its heart a dedicated and hardworking group of volunteers, whose work totals around 4500 hours each year.
Although it has now perhaps grown beyond a community group into something larger, the panel were keen to recognise the incredible legacy and ongoing work of this valuable organisation.
