Project Dates: 31.10.2024 to 31.10.2025

The Dartmoor Nature Alliance (DNA) is a collective of ecologists, landowners, farmers, and park users dedicated to amplifying an independent voice for nature’s recovery on Dartmoor. The initiative focuses on enhancing biodiversity, restoring ecosystems, and promoting sustainable practices to create a resilient environment that supports diverse wildlife.

Building on the success of similar projects, DNA aims to position Dartmoor as a beacon of conservation excellence. By engaging local communities, offering educational workshops, and using creative mediums to inspire action, DNA seeks to ensure the long-term ecological health of Dartmoor.

Key deliverables include:

• Active involvement of local communities through volunteer opportunities, four educational workshops, as well as facilitated public consultation.
• Promotion of sustainable land management practices among local landowners and farmers to ensure the ongoing health of Dartmoor’s ecosystems.
• Curation of a call to action for a nature-rich Dartmoor, articulated through a compelling mixture of words, visual art, music, soundscape and personal story.

Image credits: Jill Dimmond  & FocalInsight, Unsplash

IMPACT SUMMARY JANUARY 2026

Project Activities:

The DNA core group has worked with a wide range of individuals and organisations in order to deliver this project. Collaborative activities have included:

• attendance at workshops and walks,
• confidential 1:1 meetings to discuss nature priorities for Dartmoor, and discuss the draft document being produced,
• design and production of the Call to Action and summary, display materials and logo badges,
• attendance and fedback at the Call to Action launch event on 13th November,
• discussion and feedback on the finalised Call to Action document (ongoing).

Project Impact and Outcomes:

• Developing a powerful message for Dartmoor nature recovery by bringing together ‘influential people for nature’ across Dartmoor, including many professionals from organisations, local amateurs and communicators for nature.
• Through engaging with scientists and creatives, the project is building the foundations of a wide reaching communication piece: Dartmoor vision and call to action, in all its forms.

• Sustainable Farming: number of people exposed to DNA campaign messaging around the Call to Action: 1,000.
• Management and increased designation of protected areas: number is an estimate of the number of decision-makers the project has influenced about Dartmoor’s protected sites: 2
• Number of campaigns: This assumes that all the posts and media work came under the one banner for launch of the Project’s Call to Action: 1
• Number of people reached through campaigns (via social media, flyers, TV, radio, etc.): 3,451
• Number of training workshops organised: 4
• Number of public authorities/entities involved: 15
• Number of activities (meetings, workshops etc.) involving local communities and public authorities: 2 x workshops, 2 x walks, the launch event and 9 x 1:1 meetings