Across The Wild Side of Sidmouth, we have catalogued hundreds of pages covering local geology, coastal and river processes, habitat classifications, and profiles of 50 local nature reserves and corridors.

While our website arranges these by theme and our ’Guided Learning’ and ‘Spotlight Learning’ programmes  deliver them step-by-step, you might occasionally have a very specific question. Here some examples to inspire you:

• "Which woodlands in the area have recorded sweet chestnut or veteran beech?"

• "How does the mudstone geology along the lower river affect local flood absorption?"

• "What are the primary differences between the Salcombe Hill network and Peak Ridge?"

• "Summarise the key conservation threats to our wet alder meadows."

• "What lichens or bryophytes are typical of our W14 woodland habitats?"

To help you explore these type of questions on your own terms, we have gathered our entire collection of valley research, survey records, and field guides into a private, interactive research tool using Gemini Notebook.

Unlike general internet search engines or standard chatbots that gather information indiscriminately from across the wider web, our interactive notebook is strictly grounded in our curated valley records:

• Grounded in Local Data: It searches only the verified documents, site surveys, and habitat guides created for The Wild Side of Sidmouth. It will not invent generic answers or confuse our Devon town with anywhere else.

• Built-in Citations: Every answer it provides comes with clickable reference markers showing you the exact source text and page where that information was found.

• Instant Study Guides & Summaries: In addition to answering questions, it can generate custom comparison tables, walking briefing notes, or species checklists with a single click.

Using the notebook is completely free and requires only a standard Google account.

1. 1. Click the link below to open our project Notebook:

   2. Type Your Question in Everyday English: At the bottom of the screen, you will see a simple question box. Type whatever you are curious about—no special technical commands needed. 

   3. Review the Response & Citations

   4. Ask a follow-up question if desired or change the subject and ask something else!

Try the One-Click Study Guides:

Look at the "Notebook Guide" panel on the side. You can click options like Study Guide, FAQ, or Briefing Document to have the tool create a structured overview of an entire habitat or topic for you.

A Quiet Tool for Curious Minds

Whether you are preparing a route for a family outing, looking up a botanical detail after an afternoon stroll, or researching local nature recovery for a community group, the Research Notebook puts the entire project library at your fingertips.