The Kingsbridge Natural History Society talks 
are held on the third Monday of every month
September to April inclusive 


Start Time: 7.30pm, Doors Open: 7.00pm

Location: West Charleton Village Hall TQ7 2AQ on the A379 West of Kingsbridge

Non-members are welcome for just £5 per talk 
Please just turn up and introduce yourself, 
or if you prefer you can click contact KNHS


The Kingsbridge Natural History Society Talks Programme

September 2024 to April 2025

  2025 Dates

Topic

Speaker

Speaker Profile

Monday

22nd September

Water Voles in the South Hams

Sue Hadow and John Nightingale

Sue and John are managing a project to re-introduce Water Voles to selected water courses in the S Hams with volunteers help

Monday

27th October

Seals of South Devon

Stephen Westcott

For almost 20 years, Stephen has been scouring the seas around Devon and has set up the Devon Seals Monitoring Group to continue this work

Monday

24th November

A Natural History of The Saltstone

Dr Sarah Jackson

Sarah will present the recent findings and conclusions of a 'health-check' survey of this unique UK marine wildlife community in the Kingsbridge Salcombe estuary

Monday

15th December

AGM followed by

Temperate Rainforests and Cleaner Water, Wembury

Jesse

Tatton-Brown

Jesse works for the National Trust at Wembury Barton Farm, where they are developing a nature friendly future.

2026 Dates

Monday

26th January

The Birds of Thurlestone Bay

Mike Passman

Mike has been monitoring and recording the birds of Thurlestone Bay since 2003. His extensive records can be found at Thurlestone Bay Birds - 2025 Year List Birds

Monday

23rd February

Wild Meadows

John Walters

John is a lifelong naturalist, who records his work with field sketching, photography, and video. This talk is about the different wildlife that thrives in meadows and why these habitats impact our landscape.

Monday

23rd March

Conservation and Management of Marine Protected Areas

Sarah Clark

Sarah is the Deputy Chief Officer of Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are areas of sea, coast or transitional waters, such as estuaries, which are designated under legislation.

Monday

27th April

The birds (and more) of the Pantanal Wetlands in Brazil

Jeff Hacon

Jeff is the Branch Secretary of the South Devon Branch of Devon Birds. The Pantanal is a natural region in South America that covers parts of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. It has diverse ecosystems.

Recent talk topics have included; 
Exeter Peregrines, Dartmoor Commons, and 
AONB Conservation Projects
Peregrines sit at the top of their food chain and, as such, reflect the health of the environment beneath them. They are fiercely territorial which limits their numbers in areas of favourable habitat, such as remote sea cliffs and upland crags. Fifty years ago, the peregrine came close to extinction through contamination by persistent toxic chemicals. Since then, they have not only recovered their numbers, but the population has grown to its highest recorded numbers in the UK. Its fortunes and history are interwoven with mans developments, and the peregrine can now be found in closer to proximity to man than ever before. Peregrine falcons are now nesting in many towns and cities across the country, with tall buildings, cathedrals and churches now replicating the traditional cliff faces. Peregrines are also utilising man-made structures in rural areas, with power stations, bridges, refinery chimneys, cooling towers, pylons and radio masts also being occupied. As Increasing numbers of peregrines are recorded on man-made structures in towns and cities across the country, so too comes the opportunity to watch, study, record and learn about the species to ensure that some of the mistakes of the past will not be repeated.
people disagree about how Dartmoor's Commons should be grazed and managed
South Devon National Landscape is one of a family of protected landscapes in the UK. With the guidance of a Partnership Committee, the SDNL Team work to enhance South Devon’s outstanding beauty, for which the designation was applied. The special qualities of South Devon National Landscape includes rugged coastline, sandy beaches, secretive estuaries, patchwork countryside and historic villages