Life on the Beach

To further your learning here are some relevant and reputable sources for the topics covered in this series.

1. Geology and the Jurassic Coast

Since Sidmouth is a gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage site, these sites provide excellent technical background on the "red beds" and cliff formation.

• The Jurassic Coast Trust: The official site for the World Heritage site. It has specific sections on Sidmouth’s Triassic geology and fossils.

• British Geological Survey (BGS) - Geology of Britain Viewer: An interactive map where learners can zoom into Sidmouth to see exactly where the Otter Sandstone ends and the Mercia Mudstone begins.

• South West Coast Path - Sidmouth to Seaton: Great for visualising the topography and finding safe walking routes to see the geological features mentioned in Parts 1 and 7.

2. Coastal Management and Erosion

For learners interested in the "Beach Management Plan" and the engineering discussed in Part 3 and Part 5.

• East Devon District Council - Sidmouth Beach Management Plan: Search their "Coastal Management" section for the most up-to-date PDFs on the new groynes and splash wall proposals.

• The Environment Agency - Catchment Data Explorer: Provides data on the River Sid’s water quality and management, relevant to the "tug-of-war" between the river and the shingle ridge.

3. Coastal Botany and "Beach Gardens"

To supplement the information on halophytes and specialised shingle plants in Parts 4, 6, and 8.

• Plantlife - Shingle Habitat Guide: Provides a national perspective on why vegetated shingle is a "priority habitat" in the UK.

• Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland (BSBI): A technical resource for identifying the specific species like Sea Kale and Yellow Horned-poppy.

• Devon Plant Heritage: The organization that helped support the Sidmouth Beach Garden; great for local conservation context.

4. Coastal Ornithology (Birds)

For further study on the Turnstones and Oystercatchers mentioned in Part 9.

• RSPB - Bird Guide: Excellent for hearing the calls of the Rock Pipit or seeing the flight patterns of the Turnstone.

• British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) - WeBS Data: The Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) allows you to look up bird count data for the Exe and Sid estuaries.

5. Local Heritage and History

To provide context for the Sidmouth Tunnel (Part 1) and the Great Storm of 1824.

• Sidmouth Museum: Their "Natural History" and "Geology" rooms contain physical samples of the rocks and historical photos of the "Great Beach" before modern development.