The latest podcast promoting the Tamar Valley has been released.
Welcoming visitors sustainably and the Visit Tamar Valley’s green initiatives is the theme of this month’s Nature Connects podcast.
This latest episode from Tamar Valley National Landscape focuses on Visit Tamar Valley’s eight green ambassadors, their sustainability pledge and work towards a sustainable tourism charter, with a talk by Visit Tamar Valley’s Sarah Bartlett held at Lopwell Dam to mark English Tourism Week.
Charlotte Dancer says; “The Tamar Valley is such a special place to visit, but we need to get the balance just right.
“Visit Tamar Valley’s work to encourage visitors in a sustainable way, and making people aware that sensitive areas are a priority for nature, is a big positive step in achieving that balance. I’m really looking forward to seeing how their work develops further.”
Tamar Valley National Landscape podcast hosts Ginnette Sutherland and Charlotte Dancer also spend time at Okel Tor in this episode, chatting with one of the first walkers to complete the 87-mile Tamara Coast to Coast Way when it launched in summer 2023.
Senior heritage officer for Tamara Landscape Partnership, Gary Lewis explained how he and Sarah Richardson walked the entire length in seven days, and offers advice to walkers who would like to explore the route.
Nature Connects was launched in January this year, to bring the benefits of nature to a wider audience, by celebrating the stories and sounds from Tamar Valley National Landscape, through a series of immersive walk and talk podcasts.
At least one Tamar Valley special species of 17 plants and animals identified within Tamar Valley National Landscape’s Nature Recovery Plan 2023-2030 as needing a helping hand to thrive are discussed in each podcast. In this episode Gary Lewis talks about the Willow Tit that favours willow or other suitable thicket and scrub habitat in damp places.
A regular section of the podcast includes taking a moment to pause, engage and connect to the natural sounds that can be heard in the valley, this time with the sounds of nature at Okel Tor.
Research from University of Derby’s Nature Connectedness gives five different pathways to form a stronger connection to nature include senses, beauty, emotion, meaning and compassion.
Host Ginnette Sutherland also reminds listeners that Tamara Landscape Partnership has a range of equipment that can be borrowed to find out what wildlife may be visiting a garden or community space, including wildlife cameras and bat detectors, sweep nets and magnifying glasses. Contact [email protected] at Cornwall Council for more information.
All episodes of Nature Connects can be found on podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music and Podbean. New podcasts will be released at the end of each month throughout the year, and have been made possible due to National Lottery Heritage Fund supported Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme, a project of Tamar Valley National Landscape.
You can find out more about Visit Tamar Valley’s sustainable tourism initiatives at www.visittamarvalley.co.uk/sustainability-pledge, with further details on the Tamara Coast to Coast Way at: www.tamarvalley-nl.org.uk/discover-explore/walking/tamara-coast-to-coast-way/