Dunsdon Farm

14/09/2026

Mid-September and the swallows nesting in our barn have gone. We’ll miss them, and wish them well on their long journey south.

01/09/2026

Mackerel sky at sunrise this morning, seen from our top field. Apparently this means it's going to rain. "Mackerel sky, not twenty-four hours dry"!

22/08/2026

All those climate deniers out there claiming that rewilding causes wildfires should read this

Does rewilding make wildfires worse? 🌱🔥

In our latest blog, our CEO, Nick Bruce-White, sets the record straight on the false claims that rewilding increases wildfire risk, and explains why restoring natural processes is so important.

For more than 150 years, we have drained wetlands, straightened rivers and removed temperate rainforests and Culm grasslands, reducing our landscapes’ ability to naturally hold water.

By restoring these natural processes we can create healthier, more resilient landscapes, safer from wildfires, drought and flooding, while providing huge benefits for wildlife and society.

Read the blog here 👉️ https://buff.ly/nw71xuO

📸 Mincinglake Valley Park, Devon Biodiversity Records Centre

19/08/2026

It's raining in north Devon at long last. What a relief! The pond here at Dunsdon had dropped lower than we'd ever seen it. One small consolation - the hot, dry weather has made it a bumper year for blackberries. Early to ripen and tasting sweet and juicy

10/08/2026

A few of the butterflies we spotted in the kitchen garden for this year’s Big Butterfly Count

17/07/2026

07/07/2026

Huge thanks to Emile and Julia from Exeter University’s Moth Virome Project, who set up a moth trap in our orchard last night and found an extraordinary abundance and variety of the things. Among them are poplar hawk, elephant hawk, bear moth, large emerald and rosy footman. The buff-tail, which looks like a bit of twig, was certainly a new one for us!

17/06/2026

We're so lucky that we can walk to Tamar Lakes from where we live, along the route of the old Bude Canal. The visitor information at Virworthy Wharf (including reconstructed tub boat!) shows how the canal worked in its 19th century heyday. At this time of year it's home to wildflowers such as foxgloves, and a host of wildlife including painted lady butterflies - beautiful migrants that fly here in their thousands from north Africa. The round walk - with excellent coffee and cakes at the Tamar Lake Café - is about 8 miles from Dunsdon to the lakes and back

09/06/2026

Just been watching one of our many swallows feeding chicks in their nest in our garage. Why they went to the trouble of building a nest when I’d put a bunch of swallow cups up for them, who can say?

03/06/2026

Thrilled to see that the rare and beautiful marsh fritillary butterfly - which you can see at Dunsdon National Nature Reserve - is one of 18 species on the Bank of England’s shortlist for the new UK banknotes. Now it’s open to public vote, so let’s make it happen! The Wildlife Trusts have provided a handy summary and link to the voting page at https://I1nq.com/3sdfzei