East Dartmoor National Nature Reserve

12/10/2026

✨ Calling all young wizards & witches! ✨
Have you got what it takes to become a Woodland Enchanter? 🌳🔮

Join us at Yarner Wood for the Woodland School for Wizards and Witches!
📅 Sat 24th October
⏰ 10:00am–12 noon or 1:00pm–3:00pm
You’ll make your own broom to take home, brew woodland potions, and learn spellcasting + the flyway code. 🪄🧪✨

For 5–12 year olds & families (older siblings welcome!).
Places limited – book in advance
Www.trybooking.com/uk/GXAR

📍 Middle Trendlebere carpark, East Dartmoor NNR

Working in partnership. Dartmoor National Park & Natural England! 🦉🐸



By Chris Harbut

Interested in volunteering? Get in touch at www.gov.uk/volunteers.

05/10/2026

🍂✨ In October, we welcome autumn with our fungi friends! 🍄🌳

Recent commercial picking activity in Yarnerwood and along the Old Manaton Road has raised us with a few concerns.
We kindly ask ‘Look but please don’t pick!’ the incredible fungi! 🙏💚

Remember, many smaller invertebrates and other animals rely on these fruiting bodies this time of year. 🐾🦋

Let’s give Nature the space it needs and help protect our woodlands! 🌍💪

By Chris Harbut

Interested in volunteering? Get in touch at www.gov.uk/volunteers.

🌿

18/09/2026

🐾 Quiz Time! Can You Guess the Animal? 🐾

Check out these mysterious marks! 🕵️‍♂️✨

Which animal do you think made them? 🤔

• 🐜 Borrowing insect?

• 🐭 Nibbling small mammal?

• 🪲 Beetle?

• 🐦 Pecking bird?

Fun fact: You can figure it out by looking closely at the serrated edge—those diagonal grooves tell a story! 📖🔍

Drop your guesses in the comments
! 👇🗨️

By Chris Harbut

Interested in volunteering? Get in touch at

Volunteering with Natural England: how to get involved - GOV.UK

Check out our blog: [East Dartmoor Woods](https://eastdartmoorwoods.org)

🌿

11/09/2026

🌳❄️ Winter is coming!❄️🌳

As we plan our projects, we often find ourselves pulled aside for reactive works. Our woodlands are dynamic and constantly changing. This fallen oak has provided us with the perfect opportunity to emphasise health and safety! 🚧✨

We took the time to thoroughly review our risk assessments and practices, ensuring everyone is on the same page, especially when working in a team with larger trees. 📋✅

It’s essential for us not only to complete our work safely but also to have open discussions and teach others. Poppy, our placement student, has been with us this summer and is learning alongside us as we work. 🙌👩‍🎓

By Chris Harbut

Interested in volunteering? Get in touch at

Volunteering with Natural England: how to get involved - GOV.UK

🌿

01/09/2026

🌳 When we make decisions on access, we always take the time to discuss this with different community groups.

I’m always delighted to join walks around the woodlands! 😊 A big thank you to W.A.G.S. for inviting me. 🙏

Your enthusiasm for getting outdoors and your knowledge of how access affects visitor experiences is invaluable. Thank you! 💚

By Chris Harbut

Interested in volunteering? Get in touch at

Volunteering with Natural England: how to get involved - GOV.UK

🌿

WAGS

13/08/2026

Serious stuff, pls be sensible and stay safe: ❤️🌳

12/08/2026

Please keep safe… ❤️🌳❤️🌳

11/08/2026

🌟 Always working to improve our access and infrastructure!

A huge thank you to all the amazing volunteers who support this work throughout the reserves! 🙌💚

These steps are in need of some TLC.

By Chris Harbut

Interested in volunteering? Get in touch at

Volunteering with Natural England: how to get involved - GOV.UK

🌿

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

I’ve been seeing this young dear around a lot recently, I think they are finding their own feet away from mum.