Riverside Park

Here are ten essential points that define the significance, ecology, and management of the Riverside Park cluster:

1. A Concentrated Biodiversity Hub:
   Although the nine sites in the Riverside "cluster" make up only 18% of the total area surveyed in Sidmouth, they host nearly half (49.8%) of all recorded species.

2. The River Sid as a Central Lifeline:
   The park stretches approximately two kilometres alongside the River Sid, which acts as the primary natural feature connecting the various sites between Sidford and the Old Toll House.

3. Collaborative Community Management:
   The area is managed through a partnership between the Sid Vale Association (SVA), the East Devon District Council, and the National Trust, with heavy reliance on volunteers like the "Friends of the Byes" for conservation projects.

4. Exceptional Botanical Variety:
   The cluster is particularly rich in flora, containing nearly 60% of all flowering plant species found in the wider Sidmouth survey area.

5. Vital Insect Habitats:
   Sid Meadow is a premier site for invertebrates, hosting almost two-thirds of all recorded insect species in the cluster, largely due to its high density of bramble scrub and umbellifer flowers.

6. Diverse Site "Personalities":
   The cluster is a "cluster" of varied habitats, including "recovering" grasslands (Community Orchard), "ancient" meadows (Sid Meadow), and low-level broadleaf woodlands (Riverside Wood).

7. The Impact of Urban Proximity:
   Because the park is bordered by housing, it contains a high number of garden "escapes" and cultivars (67% of the area's cultivated species), which adds to the botanical count but also presents management challenges.

8. Management of Invasive Species:
   Dedicated volunteers engage in "Balsam Bashing" to control Himalayan Balsam, an invasive plant that colonizes riverbanks and threatens to swamp native vegetation.

9. Barriers to Aquatic Life:
   Man-made obstacles like the School Weir (over six feet high) significantly impact the river's ecology by preventing fish like salmon and sea trout from reaching upstream spawning grounds.

10. Conservation of Rare Habitats:
    The cluster preserves rare ecological features, such as traditional community orchards and hedgerow scrub, the latter of which supports 80% of all such species recorded in the entire regional survey.