User Guide

This website is structured in a simple 'top down' form enabling users to explore the information in any way that suits their needs. The subject matter is divided into 'themes', each theme has a number of 'topics' and each topic has a series of 'thread' that contain the detail. This is explained below.

This gives a number of ways one might use the website resources. For example:

• If you have a need for specific information, about a specific site for example, then you will probably have arrived on the site as the result of an Internet search engine leading you to the detail, or 'thread' layer. Once you have the information you were after you may choose to leave or, if you want to explore further, you can go up a level, and choose an alternative 'topic' or 'thread'. 

• If your aim is to learn about connected issues on a specific subject then the 'topic', or middle layer, can lead you through a progressive series of 'threads' that aim to give an in depth view of the entire subject.

• Anyone wanting to engage with the entire subject of Sidmouth's natural environment should start at the very top layer, themes, which are described on the website home page  and the content of each accessed from there or from the main menu at the top of the page.

• For the inquisitively minded  who wish to ask their own specific questions or home in on 'threads' that cover related topics then an 'articifial intelligence' based 'chat and search' facility is available.

• The primary content of this website is focused on 48  'sites of nature significance' that are located in the Sidmouth area. The detail of each site forms, in effect, the foundation layer of the website content. If you search on Google, Bing or other browser for a specific site (eg: The Byes) it will be this layer you will arrive at and you will land on the page for that particular site.

• Whilst information about an individual site is very useful in itself it would be wrong to just consider each site in isolation. For example, a site will almost certainly be geographically close to, and interact with,  those other sites that are nearby. One can also look at a site in association with other sites that have predominantly the same primary habitat (eh: woodland or grassland). This layer of 'groups' of sites is useful if you want a broader view  of the natural environment and ecology of the Sidmouth area.

• At the highest level, all of these sites are to be found in a fairly limited geographical area with the town of Sidmouth at its centre. There are various factors that will influence most of the sites in the are; the geographical location of Sidmouth, the area's climate, the underlying geology and so on. This is the highest level and anyone wanting a real understanding of the natural environment of Sidmouth will wish to start at this top layer.

Resulting from this three tier structure four themes emerge:

1. The Natural Environment of the area as a whole

2. The nature and value of the primary Habitat Types  and the sites where that habitat dominates

3. The Ecology Networks that form through the proximity of sites to each other 

4. The individual Wild Places that form the basis of the natural world in the Sidmouth area

Each of these four 'themes' can be accessed from the home page menu.

Each 'theme' (other than Wild Places) is then made up of six 'topics', each with a particular focus:

• The 'Natural Environment' theme has topics exploring variuos influencing factors; climatic, geological, ecological, ecology, historical, management and political 

• The 'Exploring Habitats' theme presents six case studies, each taking an in depth view of a specific habitat type; woodland, grassland, heath, freshwater, coastal and 'brownfield'

• The 'Ecology Networks'  theme turns the focus to sites that connect up to form one of five networks; Salcombe area, Riverside Park, Town Parks and Gardens, Knapp and Knowle and the Peak Ridge.  An introducory topic introduces the National nature Recovery Plan and how it is being applied to these ecology networks in the Sidmouth area.

Each 'topic' within each 'theme' had eight individual 'threads' where the detailed texts can be found. The 'Wild Places' theme has a thread for each of the 48 individual sites. Along with the texts within a 'thread' you will find a link to a video, a slide presentaion and an audio 'podcast' so that you can choose any one of four ways to learn about the subject matter depending on your preferred learning style. You can use all four if you wish!

Many 'threads' have a navigation option to go up to the higher level, move to the next thread or go back to the prevuious thread, so the content can be read almost in book form.

All of the 'thread' pages on this website have been imported into a Gemini 'Notebook'. This gives website visitors total flexibility in how they interact with the information on the website using a 'Chat and Search' facility - more about this can be found on the 'Additional Resources' page