Taunton Deane group

French Weir Park and River Tone

French Weir Park and River Tone - Ian Brown 

Local area group

Taunton Deane

Where are we and what do we do?

Taunton Deane Area Group covers the old District Council areas of Taunton Deane - including Wellington, Wiveliscombe and Milverton. As part of Somerset Wildlife Trust, the Group aims to promote and support wildlife issues in the widest sense through local wildlife walks, talks and events, featuring conservation issues from climate change to food production, and biodiversity both on land and in the ocean.

Taunton Deane Area Group was very involved with the Taunton Living Landscape and the Routes to the River Tone project, as one of the partners. The project brought together the community to enhance and connect green spaces with the River Tone and its tributaries so creating a network of places where wildlife can thrive, and people can engage with it.

As part of the River Tone project, teams of volunteers carried out wildlife surveys across the town and gathered significant amounts of data. This was then analysed and now forms the basis of ongoing discussions between Somerset Wildlife Trust staff and the local Planning Authorities about where and how future development should take place, particularly bearing in mind the designation of Taunton as a 'Garden Town' and the proposed housing and employment developments in Taunton up to 2028. The Group is now closely involved in how to follow on with the legacy of the project to ensure that its benefits are sustained. In the future the Group will also work closely with other environmental groups in Taunton through the 'Green Forum' which has been established to bring together like-minded groups from across the town. 

Where do we meet?

During the winter months the Group organises a series of talks, normally on the second Tuesday of each month at St George's Primary School inTaunton, Summer throws up a variety of events, so each year is very different.

All the talks are held in the School Hall at St George's Primary School, The Mount, Taunton. TA1 3NR unless indicated otherwise. This is close to the centre of Taunton and there is plenty of free parking on site. The cost of these talks is £3.00 to Somerset Wildlife Trust members and £3.50 for non-members - this includes tea or coffee and biscuits in the interval.

The talks are normally held on the 2nd Tuesday of the month but can vary based on hall availability. 

The Goup also organises occasional walks around local Nature Reserves to help people to appreciate the beauty of the Somerset countryside all the year round. Everyone is welcome no matter what your level wildlife knowledge. If you do know a Blue Tit from a Buzzard or a Daisy from a Dandelion, your input on the walk would be greatly valued, and we would love to hear from you.

Most of the footpaths on the Reserves are unmade, potentially uneven and muddy and may also be steep in places. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear for these walks. Car parking at most of the Reserves is limited, therefore if you know other people who are going on the walk, we really encourage the sharing of transport where possible. If you can car-share all the way to the reserve that would be excellent, but if not please consider meeting up part way and car-sharing for the rest of the journey.

Browse all events in our What's On

 

How can you help?

The group urgently needs more members for our Committee. The duties aren't onerous: committee members meet every 2 or 3 months to organise future events and help to support other activities organised by Somerset Wildlife Trust. Committee members also attend the events to ensure that those attending are properly looked after and have an enjoyable and interesting time. If you can help or want to know a bit more about what this entails, please get in touch using the contact form below.

Please note Local Area Groups are not responsible for practical reserves management. To find a practical volunteer group or explore the range of volunteering opportunities offered by Somerset Wildlife Trust please visit our volunteer opportunities page.  

Looking for family friendly activities?

Our Wildlife Watch clubs are for children to make friends with other nature-loving young people and have lots of fun taking part in practical nature activities.

Find out more about Wildlife Watch Clubs

 

Contact Taunton Deane Area Group

Looking for other volunteering opportunities?

From practical conservation tasks to engaging with the public at our events Somerset Wildlife Trust have lots of different volunteer opportunities across the county.

Find out more online or email volunteering@somersetwildlife.org 

Current volunteering opportunities

Nature reserves in and around Taunton Deane