Connecting the Culm

Drowning by numbers: the past, present and future of ancient water meadows
2025-02-06 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Coldharbour Mill, Uffculme, Cullompton, EX15 3EE
Come along on Thursday, 6 February 2025, at 7pm for a FREE evening exploring the history, ecology, and future of water meadows, one of England’s most iconic yet endangered landscapes.
Dr. Roger Cutting, a leading expert, will share his insights into the historical development of water meadows, explaining how to identify these unique features and the traditional techniques used to manage them. He will highlight their ecological importance as one of the UK’s most vulnerable habitats and discuss strategies for their conservation to ensure their survival for generations to come.
Lucy Jefferson, Senior Culm Catchment Officer, will provide an update on the progress of the Connecting the Culm project, focusing on the latest developments in the Devon Resilience Innovation Project (DRIP) and future plans for restoring water meadows in the River Culm catchment.
Free parking is available at the venue.
Booking essential: Reserve your place today!

Connecting the Culm Forum #6
2024-03-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Cullompton Community Centre, Pye Corner, Cullompton, Devon, EX15 1JX
Nature Recovery is a big topic in 2024 as, across England, statutory Local Nature Recovery Strategies are being developed for the first time. With a range of fascinating speakers we’ll explore what this means for the River Culm including:

Why does the Culm flood and what can we do with all the water? – Julian Payne, Geomorphologist, Environment Agency
What role could beavers play in a new future for the Culm? – Matt Holden, Beaver Project Lead, Devon Wildlife Trust
Crayfish of the Culm and plans for their rescue – James Maben
The Culm at Killerton: how nature is making a comeback – the National Trust
Water Quality in the Culm – citizen science driving change – Richard Horrocks and Tim Burt, Riverfly and CSI volunteers
How we are seeking nature recovery opportunities on the ground with the help of the Environment Agency, Network Rail, South West Water, National Highways, Mid Devon District Council and others, in partnership with local landowners and occupiers.

Once again the event is at the welcoming venue of the Cullompton Community Centre with complimentary wine and cheese included in your free ticket. Register on Eventbrite to be sure of a place!

Water Quality Working Group
2023-10-19 16:30 - 18:00 | Online
We are reconvening the Water Quality Working Group after quite a long gap because the problems around water quality are so persistent and we want to increase the pressure to bring about the changes needed. Our vision for the Culm is that its “waters run clear and wildlife will flourish” but that’s certainly not the case at the moment and massive changes are needed to bring this about.
Last year we held a workshop to explore the issues which mostly revolve around run-off from farms and domestic sewage getting into the river. Now we want to build on that work, drill down into the actions needed and see how we can get better water quality for the Culm.
Please join us at this online meeting to share information and help make a plan. NB: We’ll be meeting on Microsoft Teams and a link will be shared with all attendees nearer the time. Please register a place on Eventbrite (see link in column on the right) and we’ll send you the Teams invite.

Culmstock Plant Sale and Garden Fair pop-up information stall
2023-04-29 12:00 - 16:00 | Culmstock Cricket Club, Culmstock, EX15 3HS
We will be at Culmstock Plant Sale and Garden Fair, at Culmstock Cricket Club on Saturday 29th April from 12pm onwards. Come along and chat with the Culm Catchment Officer, Lucy Jefferson and find out about our Blueprint for the River Culm and how we’re working to create a better future for the river and its tributaries.
