Devon groups receive £150k lottery grant to boost biodiversity

Three Devon-based organisations have secured a £150,000 grant from the National Lottery Climate Action Fund.

The funding will support their collaborative initiative, Abundant Life, aimed at enhancing biodiversity and improving the wellbeing of local residents.

The three organisations leading the initiative are Common Flora, Pollenize, and Food in Community.

Common Flora is a Devon-based social enterprise dedicated to promoting biodiversity and sustainable land management. They are committed to creating a more abundant natural ecosystem by engaging communities

Pollenize is a social enterprise focused on pollinator conservation and habitat creation. They work to support and educate communities and individuals about the importance of pollinators and their role in biodiversity.

Food in Community is a not for profit that has been improving access to ethical, nutritious food to Devon communities since 2012. They glean surplus, largely organic produce at farms, orchards and production facilities, which is donated to food banks, including their own veg box delivery scheme for vulnerable households, and provide affordable meals at cafes and community events.

Together, they seek to address the decline in plant and animal species while also supporting farmers and individuals facing economic challenges.

The "Abundant Life" project aims to inspire sustainable farming practices and create thriving ecosystems across South Devon and Plymouth.

By offering free food and affordable access to organic land, the initiative hopes to provide resources to those in need while promoting mental health awareness among farming and landworking families.

Over the next 18 months, the project will conduct trials on Devon farms, collaborating with experts from the Food, Farming, and Countryside Commission, Devon Wildlife Trust, and other organisations. 

These trials will involve citizen science methods such as ecosystem surveys and soil microscopy to inform planting schemes and habitat creation.

Jane Acton, Ethnobotanist for Common Flora said: "By bringing people together and sharing skills, we can improve wildlife and wellbeing simultaneously."

John Severn of ‘Cows in Clover’ said: "If you give nature some room, she will move in and do the work. That is the light at the end of the tunnel, the fact that nature is so powerful and unstoppable. So you feel that you’ve got a great companion in your work to try and improve biodiversity.”