Have you got a Taw tale?

A storytelling and poetry project ‘Going on Taw’ is being launched. Courage Copse Creatives were presented with a cheque for £1,620 by South West Water on the riverbank at Umberleigh in March to help fund the initiative (pictured right)

Going on Taw will travel the length of the River Taw in Devon, from source to sea. It will gather stories from those who use or depend on the river and seven community groups geographically linked to it. The funding from South West Water will support the delivery of workshops to local primary schools, enabling 100 pupils to engage in citizen science activities and creative writing.

The stories will be used to create a live professional performance, seven podcasts, a short film and a 7-week exhibition at Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon in summer 2024. Going on Taw also received funding and support from Arts Council England, Devon Community Foundation, Libraries Unlimited, Westcountry River Trust, Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon Development Trust, Tarka County Trust and the Fox and Hounds Hotel, Eggesford.

If you have any stories or personal reflections about the River Taw, Courage Copse Creatives would love to hear them. Email your stories to Katy at: office@couragecopse.co.uk

Mapping Exmoor trees

Exmoor National Park have mapped the tree canopy within our landscape and the number of non-woodland trees in the area. The project found around 1.5 million trees in hedges and 500,000 in fields across Exmoor.

The study showed that while great work has been done so far planting trees, more are needed to replace those suffering from disease or climatic stress.