Project Dates: 1.9.25 to 1.3.26

Force 4 Nature provides local volunteers with the opportunity to get hands-on with exciting local nature restoration initiatives happening across South Devon. The volunteers venture out every week to undertake a wide variery of restoration tasks that give nature the helping hand it needs to recover and thrive.

Activities include: planting trees/hedges; sowing wild flower meadows; building leaky dams; creating new ponds/ditches; establishing community orchards; building no dig veggie beds; revitalising forest school areas; instaling bird boxes; removing invasive species; and much more!

This grant will enable the project to expand and replicate their successful model, of providing a free resource for farmers and landowners to carry out nature-positive tasks, and the chance for volunteers to get involved and connect with others and nature – delivering immense cumulative impact for the people involved and nature.

Objectives:

Force 4 Nature aims to fill the void where projects receive funding for capital costs (like tree planting or leaky dam building) but lack the budget or people power for the practical delivery of the work. They provide a team of reliable, resourceful, and motivated volunteers organised and coordinated by a single point of contact.

Methodology:

Volunteers visit a different project each week on a rotating basis to assist with practical work to deliver beneficial outcomes for nature recovery. The team is insured, equipped, has transport, and is free at the point of delivery. They currently visit a wide variety of projects (16 in total) that are working towards a more symbiotic relationship with nature. There are currently 100 members on the WhatsApp group, with a weekly turnout of 10-15%.

Images credits: Force4Nature

IMPACT SUMMARY JANUARY 2026: 

Project Activities:

• In the project period to date, Force4Nature have hosted 16 Force4Nature excursions to 11 different venues across South Devon.
• 104 members in the volunteer team with regular hands on engagement across this period from around 20% of the group.
• The average turnout has been 9 participants per session.
• 638 hours of hands on nature regeneration work have been delivered.
• 572 trees have been planted in some really challenging locations; put up habitat boxes for birds and bats; helped establish a new forest school education area; supported two expanding market garden businesses; harvested organic dyes and prepared the ground for future crops; laid hedges and restored a large wildlife pond; and harvested and pressed apples at a heritage orchard.
• New additional Friday sessions have been started, often based around learning new skills such as hedge laying and to help out with smaller projects. This gives a boost to the project’s impact and gives a wider range of people more flexibility to attend.
• Progress has been made implementing a volunteer incentive scheme, which provides discounts and offers with not only the projects that they support but other appropriate local businesses and organisations. Currently the scheme involves issuing what will be called a ‘Wild Card’ to active volunteer group members which they can present at participating retailers or service providers.

Project Impact:

• Force4Nature provides people with a means to get outdoors, meet with likeminded people and build community. Members stated that they felt a sense of community and that the Wednesday sessions were positive for their mental wellbeing.
• The project also helps small to medium scale conservation, regenerative agriculture and sustainability projects across Devon, through providing free volunteer assistance.
• Through carrying out on-the-ground conservation work, such as tree planting, pond creation, and putting up bird and bat boxes, the project has a direct impact on improving habitats across South Devon, thus improving conditions for biodiversity.