The Wild Side of Sidmouth

While our email dispatches deliver each guided and spotlight learning topic directly to your inbox, learning about nature is richer when it becomes a shared conversation.

The ‘Community Hub’ serves as the interactive meeting room for The Wild Side of Sidmouth learning community. Unlike Facebook it is a focused, ad-free, clutter-free reading and discussion space where learners can ask questions, share thoughts and observations, keep up to date with recent news and discuss local issues. It is also where the complete archive of past learning programme instalments is hosted.

You do not need to be a digital expert to take part! Whether you want to quietly browse previous guides from your armchair, ask a question about the current topic, or discuss an off-topic issue, here is how the Community Hub works:

The 'Community Hub' Feed

The main hub page features the 'Community Hub' feed that displays the various items posted to the forum. These posts may be the latest 'spotlight' or 'guided' learning programme content, occasional nature notes, recent records (direct from iNaturalist, articles and videos relevant to the communities learning focus, and items of news from various sources. The 'hub' is also where you can ask questions, make comments on posts and submit articles and notes of your own to share with other learners. The 'Community Hub' feed is the communities own closed social media service without irrelevant clutter from elsewhere.

Exploring the Feed Archive

If you join midway through a learning programme or wish to review and revisit an earlier topics:

• Visit the Hub: Go to our 'Blogger' space via the link below.

• The Active  Feed: The home page always displays the current, featured post prominently at the top, with other recent despatches arranged neatly below.

• Theme: Click on the 'themes' tab in the side bar and then on the appropriate 'theme' in the list and the full feed will be reduced to just posts matching that theme making less items to browse through

Following Up on Topics

At the bottom of every forum post, you will find an open comment space. This is not social media; it is a thoughtful, moderated forum for local naturalists and curious learners.

What kind of contributions are welcome?

• Questions: "I am not sure I understand the point about..."

• Observations: "The point made is interesting; in my experience along this path..."

• Discussion: "This seems a controversial management practice; what do people think about it?"

How to Post a Comment

To ensure that the forum is not highjacked and 'spammed' by unruly visitors you will need a Google Account to be able to comment:

1. Scroll to the foot of any article and look for the speech bubble icon or the box labelled "Leave a comment".

2. If you are signed in with the email address you used to subscribe, your name or chosen initials will appear automatically.

3. Type your observation or question into the box and click Post.

4. You can also click Reply under someone else's note to answer a question or compare sightings. (Tip: Click the small 'Newest' toggle above the comment box to see the latest comments first without scrolling all the way down.)

Going ‘Off-Topic’ Is Allowed!

What do you do if you have a question, observation, or issue to discuss that does not fit into a current post in the feed?

In the side bar you will find a 'button' with the label "Send us your post". If you click/tap this your email composer will open. Ensure you put the word 'wildpost' in the subject title, then type what you want to ask or say, attatch a photograph if you wish to and then send it. It should then appear in the forum within 15 minutes. If it gfails in the system the editorial process should pick that up later in the day and finish the post for you so no not resend if it does not appear.

A Safe, Respectful Learning Space

Our community is built around mutual curiosity and care for the each other:

• No Tracking or Pop-Up Adverts: The platform is clean, legible, and easy on the eyes.

• Modesty Over Expertise: There is no such thing as an "unimportant" question. We are all learning the landscape together.

• Privacy Respected: You can choose how your name displays in your Substack profile settings, or simply read along quietly without commenting if you prefer.

Look for the 'forum' logo in the footer of all pages on the website for direct access to the 'Community Hub'.