## **RATTERY ENVIRONMENT GROUP ANNUAL REPORT 1[st] May 2023 - 30[th] April 2024** 

Good progress has been made this year, particularly in the following areas: 

## **a) Rattery Nature Reserve** 

Rattery Environment Group (REG) played a leading role in the successful negotiations for use of Devon County Council land in the heart of Rattery to be used for a nature reserve, with a permissive path for public use. The land has now been leased to Rattery Parish Council, who are working in close collaboration with the REG. Parklife have been engaged to draw up a management plan for the site. 

## **b) Bidwell Brook Partnership (BBP)** 

The REG is a founder member and key partner in the Bidwell Brook Partnership. This year, more partners have joined and the collaborative network widened. The volunteer Citizen Science Investigators have been collecting baseline data. More detailed testing for ecoli, total coliforms and enterococcus was also undertaken, working together with the Friends of the Dart programme. Collaboration with Plymouth University has also begun. 

The BBP helped ensure the inclusion of the Bidwell Brook catchment in SWWater’s Upstream Thinking Programme. This enabled access to some funding and provision of free advice for local farmers. 

## **c) Maintenance of existing sites** 

Volunteers carried out maintenance work on the previously planted trees in the playing park; the Kettlewell Walk permissive path was also kept clear. 

## **d) Other activities** 

**i) Rattery Plant Sale:** an REG stall provided seedlings, advice and information on plants beneficial for wildlife. 

**ii) Youth Engagement:** a local student had mapped all the verges in the Parish for the REG, as part of his DoE award. 

**iii) Japanese knotweed:** The REG alerted the Parish Council to the presence of Japanese Knotweed on sites in Rattery village, and advised landowners on the appropriate means of its management to minimise its spread. 

## **e) Trustee appointments** 

Kim Howard, Richard Haigh and Carlos Glover were all reappointed during the year. Alison Samuel and David Howard are also Trustees. 

## **g) Annual Accounts** 

**Expenditure/Commitments:** £157.99 **Reserves (for nature reserve):** £2,000 **Uncommitted funds:** £706.42 



Many thanks are due to everyone who made all of the above actions possible, and in particular to Richard Haigh. 

Kim Howard, Chair