About Us
OUR VISION
At least 30% of Devon ‘for nature’ by 2030.
Given the scale of the climate and nature emergencies, our ambition is to protect and restore at least 30% of Devon’s land and water by 2030.
We will implement the vision by supporting grassroots projects that regenerate nature, especially those that can be replicated and scaled across the county.
#ForNature
Our people
A Steering Committee (SC), comprising of founding and actively involved donors, directs the strategy. They analyse and approve grants and use their personal networks to broaden the base of supporters. The SC members have a wide array of backgrounds and interests, but all share a passion for protecting Devon’s outstanding natural beauty.
Our local team consists of one person as the local Executive Director in charge of day-to-day management and coordination work on the ground, assisted by advisors and the SC.
LOCAL TEAM
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AMANDA KEETLEY
Executive Director
Amanda campaigned to reduce plastic pollution globally via her non-profit Less Plastic (2015-2022); creating widely shared infographics with tips for living with less plastic, growing an Instagram following that peaked at 162k, and writing a book, Plastic Game Changer (2019), to empower businesses to reduce plastic waste.
She joined Devon Environment Foundation as Executive Director in 2020, taking it from a concept to a fully-fledged UK branch of the Conservation Collective.
Amanda is driven to go beyond minimising negative environmental impact, striving for the more ambitious and rewarding goal of nature restoration.
She is excited by the power of funding the local projects who are best-placed to restore nature in the places they love; and the positive impact of sharing their uplifting stories to inspire hope and ignite wider action.
She lives in Kingsbridge, South Devon with her husband, teenage sons, and dogs; connecting with nature daily on woodland and coastal walks or sea dips.
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AMBER VEACOCK
Project Coordinator
Amber is the Project Coordinator for the Devon Environment Foundation. She is also studying a part-time masters course at Exeter University, MSc Global Sustainability Solutions. She is passionate about finding local solutions to challenges which can be further applied in a global context.
She believes in adopting a holistic approach that recognises the importance of environmental protection in all areas. She has been involved in numerous initiatives aimed at reducing waste, such as zero-waste and plastic-free campaigns, and enjoys working collaboratively with individuals and organisations to optimise collective impact.
How we work
Channelling funds from businesses and philanthropists to grassroots nature regeneration projects.
Helping donors achieve net zero emissions by coupling their carbon reductions with our nature regeneration projects.
Tapping into our network of experts to ensure we support the projects offering the largest returns for nature.
Seeking to build local coalitions that catalyse systemic change.
Filling a gap by being agile, unbureaucratic, and ‘getting stuff done’.
Providing projects with vital funds to scale their impact.
Attracting new sources of environmental funding by showcasing what can be achieved by nature regeneration.
Pooling funds and creating leverage for each donor to share in the successes generated by total DEF funds raised.
We strongly believe that supporting local environmental groups can make a positive impact and bring about long-lasting change.