WATER at ‘Wild About Devon Forum’ in Ivybridge

At the end of November, WATER attended Wild About Devon’s event at the Watermark Centre in Ivybridge. It was a perfect venue being right in the heart of the Erme’s catchment area.

We were able to secure an exhibit space and a short speaker slot to explain WATER’s role in restoring water quality and habitat to the Erme. Around 80 delegates representing a diverse range of environmental organisations attended the event, a number of whom expressed their enthusiasm and support for the work that WATER was undertaking.

The Erme, a creative inspiration for writers and artists
 
On its journey from source to sea, the Erme and its tributaries meander flow and charge through some of south Devon’s finest landscapes including  Dartmoor National Park and South Devon National Landscape, before emerging as a tidal estuary that flows into the sea on a stretch of one of South Devon’s most dramatic coastlines and beautiful, unspoiled beaches. Little surprise then that this natural beauty should be an inspiration for creatives.
Dr Trevor Day is a UK writer with more than forty non-fiction books and numerous academic and popular articles to his credit.
 
Originally a marine biologist, Trevor gravitated to writing popular science before becoming an educational researcher and writing development specialist. His books have won various awards.
 
While a writer in residence on an Erme tributary, Trevor embarked on a journey down the Erme, providing him with the inspiration for a magnificently insightful article on the river, its environment and history. The work has been further supplemented with histories of the Erme’s mills and lime kilns. Trevor has also written a poem.

While the copyright of this work remains with Trevor he has kindly licenced it to WATER for the benefit of the charity and the enjoyment of all who care for the Erme.
 
Juli Fejer is a Suffolk-based painter creating expressive landscapes that are at once familiar and strange. Intense colour, use of verticals and unusual perspectives bring energy and immediacy to her work.  She is inspired by her personal experience of the healing power of nature, and the wider relationship between society and the natural environment.
 
The chronic pain condition fibromyalgia gives Fejer an acute sensitivity to smells, sounds and colours, which allows her to pick up the nuances of her surroundings.  Her art practice includes acrylic on canvas, watercolour, and painting on her iPad.
 
Juli’s variation in style reflects the Erme in its many expressive and ever-changing moods at times bucolic, dramatic and serene.
 
While the copyright of this work remains with Juli she has kindly licenced a number of images to WATER. These were created while an artist in residence on an Erme tributary. They are licenced to WATER for the benefit of the charity and the enjoyment of all who care for the Erme. You see the pictures here.