One of Sidmouth’s secret jewels is the online resource Sidmouth Nature – which is absolutely bursting with fascinating and useful information about the wildlife and habitats in the Sid Valley.
Looking at what it has to offer on the River Sid, there are several pages with nature and tourist guides, historical research, infographics, study proposals and more.
What follows is an attempt to give an overview of much of this – and is done so with the permission of its creator Peter Orchard of Sidmouth.
We could start with Freshwater habitats as a general introduction, where we look at how we classify rivers, how important ‘bio-indicators’ are and how difficult it actually is to find freshwater as the dominant habitat in the Valley.
Most of the pages have either a brilliant infographic or some fabulous photos. Here is a view of the River at Sidford (published with permission), which illustrates the page on Messing about with the river, where several outdoor projects are suggested:
Going downstream, we come to the Byes – here represented in the pages on the Riverside Park, which in turn leads to further articles on the park, Sid Meadow, hedgerow scrub species, the community orchard, School Weir and invasive species – presented with excellent illustrations, background stories, references to current projects, scientific guides and much more.
And as part of this tapestry we are also presented with the Riverside Wood of the two SVA reserves next to the River – together with a look at broadleaf woodland and the forest floor.
We finish our journey at the Lower Sid – with another magnificent infographic, republished with permission:
To quote from the eloquent text:
As the River Sid completes its journey, flowing gently through the familiar seaside town of Sidmouth to meet the English Channel, it passes through a world many visitors and residents rarely see. Beyond the charming streets and bustling promenade lies a hidden landscape, a vibrant “blue corridor” of life that carves its way through the valley. This is a place where nature is both resilient and rich, a secret haven tucked within a beloved coastal resort.
These are all just mere snippets and teasing glimpses into a fascinating world as depicted with loving detail in the pages of Sidmouth Nature.
The VGS’s other websites will be exploring other aspects of this online resource over the next days – but do have a closer look yourselves!
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