Working Groups – dates and joining details
January 2021 sees the launch of our first round of Working Groups, which will be the engine rooms for developing the Blueprint for the Culm - our long-term masterplan and investment plan
Using trees to slow down water
One of the mantras of working with nature to tackle the effects of climate change is to “slow the flow”. When rain falls, the ideal scenario is that most of it
Looking backwards, looking forwards
2020 was a challenging year but, working with nature and local stakeholders and communities, the journey to make the Culm river and catchment better for wildlife and people, as well as becoming
Mapping the Historic Character of the Culm
Dr Antony Firth of Fjordr Ltd recently gave us a fascinating presentation about Fjordr's work researching historic features along the length of the River Culm, including the larger part of many of
Next Steps for the Forum
November saw the culmination of the first phase of the project, with the launch of the Connecting the Culm Forum following a series of events to raise awareness of the issues
Forum Launch Week
The week of 18 - 24 November sees the launch of the Connecting the Culm Forum and a host of ways to get involved and have your say. This post is a
Citizen Scientists get active on the Culm
A team of volunteers is now routinely monitoring water quality on the Culm, thanks to the Connecting the Culm project and the Westcountry Rivers Trust Citizen Science Investigation (CSI) scheme. The
Climate change and its likely impacts in Devon
This article starts with an overview of climate change globally and then moves (see section 5 onwards) into a description of its likely impacts in Devon. It includes videos of presentations by
The Blueprint Policy Map
One of the main functions of the Blueprint for the Culm is to coordinate work in the catchment so that people and organisations focus their efforts sensibly. By sharing plans and
Discover the Culm event video
The "Discover the River Culm" online event held on 22 October 2020 brought together a galaxy of specialists to detail their knowledge and insights into the science and heritage of the
Soils Matter
A new video from the Westcountry Rivers Trust gives some insights to the importance of soil health, the challenges that different soils pose, and how climate change is likely to impact
Taking care of our white-clawed crayfish
Nicky Green has been working with crayfish in Devon and Somerset for almost twenty years. Her interest has grown over the years to the point that 'crayfishing' is now a full-time
Devon’s beavers are back!
M ark Elliott, Devon Wildlife Trust's Beaver Project Lead, shares the background to and prospects for Devon's now-officially sanctioned wild beavers. The 6th August 2020 will go down in history as
What is the Blueprint for the River Culm?
This short film describes the aims for the Blueprint for the Culm, which will be a long-term plan for the River Culm, the streams that flow into it, and the land
Introducing the project – online talk
In our first online talk members of the project team Dominic Acland and Nick Paling gave a presentation about Connecting the Culm, what it aims to achieve and why it matters.
Culm Conversations – Paul Hawkins of Bradninch
This is the first in a series of short videos capturing the views of people who live along the River Culm. Paul, a resident of Bradninch and a member of Sustainable Bradninch,
A day in the life of an amateur crayfish surveyor
Bruce Payne shares the delights of crayfish-surveying... During 2018 I had the great pleasure of working with the project team and numerous volunteers on the Culm Community Crayfish project. This project
Get Involved in the Blackdown Hills
The Blackdown Hills AONB covers a wide range of habitats and communities and within this we have a variety of volunteering opportunities available on the hills. The AONB team is based in
Why anglers help protect the Culm
On 15th June 1900 a brown trout was caught on the River Culm that weighed 4 lb. The proud angler had the trout stuffed and mounted for posterity. I also know of
The National Trust on the Culm
Richard Jackson, Estate Manager for the National Trust at Killerton, which includes nearly 3 miles of the river, talks about the Trust's plans for the area and how Connecting the Culm