Welcome to our Website
HNS Members’ Survey October 2026
Hartland Nature Society will be 4 years old next January. We are reviewing what has been achieved, and considering what the future of the society should be.
We need your help. Please let us know what you think about the events we have organised over the past year, and how you think the society’s funds should be spent going forward.
Survey Here > Membership – Hartland Nature Society
Hartland’s BIG AUTUMN Clean Up and Litter Pick
Sat 17th to Sun 25th October
Please join with friends and family to pick up litter along the verges, coastal paths and on the beaches
*Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th 10am-12pm you can collect a litter picker from the front of 55 Fore Street*
*Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th you can collect and return litter pickers to 55 Fore Street.*
If anyone is unable to pick during the week suggested, please do do a litter pick some time in October at a time that is convenient for you
• Take a backpack or bin bag to carry your litter.
• Please wear a high viz jacket or vest or colourful clothing especially if you are collecting from the roadside
• Please photograph any large or unusual items and report fly tipping to the council using what3words as a location reference if you can.
• Please dispose of your collection in your household rubbish collection or clean glass and plastic items in your recycling
• You can leave any large plastic items at Jennie’s garage on Sunday 25th 4-6pm ONLY and they will be delivered the National Trust or Bideford recycling centre for reprocessing. Alternatively, you can take them directly to Bideford recycling.
For queries please text Jennie – 07990580925 or email jthgirw@hotmail.com
| November |
| Tuesday 17th November 7.15-9.00pm A talk by Devon Wildlife Trust’s Steve Threlkeld The Anchor, Fore Street, Hartland EX39 6BD |
Fungi Finds with Dr Eirene Williams 17th October 2026
For the fourth consecutive year, Dr Eirene (‘Rene’) Williams made the long drive from Croyde in an old Range Rover, to share more of her knowledge about fungi. We had decided on an indoor event this year, since it literally poured with rain last year – and predictably, the weather was glorious! As ever, Rene brought many different and strange examples to look at and talk about and books that might be of interest to us.
Her obvious enthusiasm for her subject is infectious, and she can talk high science as well as simplifying information for the lay person without talking down. She explained the di erence between gilled mushrooms and those with pores, chatted about different varieties of honey fungus as well as keying out some difficult Russulas.
Despite a poor year for fungi in general, various members of the HNS attended and brought along different specimens for identification and conversation. Some were as big as dinner plates, some tiny.
iNaturalist is not great for fungi and the amateur needs to have captured many characteristics for any potential species identification. Eirene shared the app she uses to help with ID for difficult specimens – Picture Mushroom Identifier
https://picturemushroom.comThis is an American developed app so has some limitations in the UK and has a subscription fee of £30 per year. But if you are keen to start learning more about fungi and want some help, this might be a good place to begin.
Eirene also shared her current interest in Giulia Furci a mycologist from Chile who is making international news and advocating for fungi, which at present have no real voice in conservation; she says..
Giulia Furci “Discussions of current [global] sustainability policy have a huge blind spot: the absence of Fungi, one of the key components of natural ecosystems”
One of the things that Giulia is keen to explore is discovering knowledge from old wisdom, amongst indigenous people of diverse countries. This captivated many.
Upcoming Events – More details here -> Upcoming Events – Hartland Nature Society
Video from our Boosting Local Diversity Meeting in February 26
For details of our Third Anniversary AGM – Click -> Past Events
About Us
- The Hartland Nature Society is a small group of like-minded individuals living in the parish of Hartland in Devon
- We are interested in sharing and developing our knowledge of wildlife and the natural environment in the Hartland Peninsula
- We are keen to protect our wildlife and to develop methods to enhance and encourage more wildlife
- We have a full calendar of activities from talks to surveys and regular nature walks.
If you want to find out more, or join us, please email
HNS has a trail camera available to borrow
This can be placed in your garden to capture videos and photos of anything that moves, day or night, so you can see what passes through – foxes, badgers, hedgehogs etc..
An instruction manual and additional notes on usage will be provided.
If you are interested in borrowing it please contact Richard Hannington at birds@hartlandnaturesociety.org.uk
The importance of hedgehog monitoring
Sadly, hedgehog numbers have declined drastically over the past 20 years, and we’ve lost a third of our hedgehogs in the UK. By monitoring hedgehogs, you can contribute to their conservation, gather data for scientific research, and gain a deeper appreciation for these remarkable creatures.
Our chairperson, Clare Gurton talks to Andrew Cotton about the Hartland Nature Society and how they work with the National Landscape Team.
“When I first decided to set up the Hartland Nature Society, I thought we might perhaps get about 20 people interested to join, but at the launch meeting in January 2023, over 50 people attended, and we now have a membership of around 80 people. Such is the interest in nature in this small Parish.
We were lucky to be able to dovetail with a North Devon Coast National Landscapes project, and they have supported us over the last years. We have grown in numbers and slowly we are having an impact. This video tells the story and shows that a small group of dedicated people can make important changes for nature. I am proud of our members and of our achievements.”
More Information here ->https://hartlandnaturesociety.org.uk
For more upcoming events click here ~Events
