The Wildside of Sidmouth

Sidmouth has an active community of volunteers willing and able to further the cause of nature recovery in the Sid Valley and that community will always be willing to welcome additional minds and hands to the cause. The opportunities available are diverse and include:

• Species surveys and citizen science projects

• Hands on scrub clearance, balsam bashing and site' gardening'

• Management and administration tasks

Whether you have lots of experience or none, one of the organisations will almost certainly have something you can do that is rewarding both to you and to nature!

Sid Vale Association (SVA): 

Founded in 1846 and recognised as Britain's oldest civic society, the SVA operates as a major charitable landowner. They purchase and actively manage key refuges—including Margaret's Meadow, Bluebell Wood, Peasland Knapp, and Livonia Road Field—to protect them from development

Sid Valley Biodiversity Group (SVBG): 

A key local community hub on the front lines of citizen science and biological recording. They run the species surveys (including river fly and winter flower hunts) that provide the scientific data underpinning local conservation decisions

Friends of the Byes (FotB): 

A local volunteer team dedicated to practical habitat restoration, riverside maintenance, and managing wildlife corridors (including the Community Orchard) along the River Sid parkland corridor

Sidmouth in Bloom (including the "Sid-Bashers" and "Sidcombers"): 

Physical action divisions of local volunteers. The "Sid-Bashers" conduct intensive manual Himalayan balsam pulls to combat invasive riverbank plants, while the "Sidcombers" physically maintain the Beach Garden's shingle habitats

Sidmouth Arboretum (Civic Arboretum): 

Established in 2010 to celebrate, map, and preserve the valley's diverse tree heritage. They partner on local hedge restoration and spearhead the town's "14,000 Trees" campaign

Friends of Glen Goyle (FOGG): 

A dedicated community group that manages the wooded valley of Glen Goyle under a "balanced, not manicured" philosophy to enhance native biodiversity

Friends of the Knowle: 

A volunteer group that provides hands-on maintenance for the grounds of The Knowle

Vision Group for Sidmouth (VGS): 

Coordinates sustainability, solar, and coastal projects, and helps establish active local "friends of" groups to care for spaces like Glen Goyle and the Town Cemetery

Sidbury Millennium Green Trust: 

A volunteer-run registered charity that manages the Deepway Meadow pond and grassland on a restricted budget

Cherishing Sidmouth Cemeteries:

The aim of Cherishing Sidmouth Cemeteries is simple, to have graveyards which are managed but not manicured.

Lower Knapp Pond Reserve:

Volunteer group focused on Lower Knapp Pond Reserve just off Station Road, tasks include pond maintenance, wildflower meadow and hedging work.

River Sid Catchment Group:

The River Sid Catchment Group aims to reinvigorate nature within the catchment, with an emphasis on the ecosystems that depend on clean, healthy water. Current significant projects include nature-based solutions to slow water runoff, and adaptations to improve fish habitat and migration in the river system.