North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
Biospheres are designated by UNESCO to be sites of excellence for demonstrating sustainable developNorth Devon UNESCO Biosphere
The North Devon UNESCO Biosphere is an internationally recognised place where people and nature work together to create a thriving future.
Designated by UNESCO in 1976 as the UK’s first Biosphere Reserve, it forms part of a global network of places that demonstrate how nature conservation, sustainable development and learning can go hand in hand. Today, more than 700 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves exist worldwide, each helping to develop practical solutions to environmental, social and economic challenges.
Stretching from the high moorlands of Dartmoor and Exmoor, down through the Taw and Torridge catchments and out into the Atlantic surrounding Lundy, the Biosphere covers more than 5,000 square kilometres of land and sea. It encompasses some of England’s most important habitats, including rivers, wetlands, farmland, ancient woodland, coastal dunes, estuaries and marine environments.
A Living Laboratory
UNESCO Biospheres are often described as “living laboratories” – places where communities, land managers, businesses, researchers and public bodies work together to test new ideas and share learning.
The North Devon UNESCO Biosphere brings together over 30 partner organisations and many hundreds of landowners, volunteers, businesses and community groups. Together they work to restore nature, strengthen climate resilience, support sustainable livelihoods and increase opportunities for people to connect with their environment.
All UNESCO Biosphere Reserves have three equally important functions:
Conserving Nature
Protecting and restoring wildlife, habitats, landscapes and ecosystems, and supporting biodiversity recovery across land, freshwater and marine environments.
Supporting Sustainable Development
Creating opportunities for communities and businesses to thrive while respecting environmental limits and supporting long-term resilience.
Learning and Innovation
Bringing together research, monitoring, education and local knowledge to better understand environmental change and develop practical solutions.
The current North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Strategy 2026–2036 sets a shared direction for the next decade, focused on:
- Helping nature thrive
- Living in balance with nature
- Unlocking the local value of nature
- Learning from nature
Through partnership projects, community action and practical delivery, the Biosphere is helping to improve river health, restore habitats, support sustainable farming and fishing, strengthen climate resilience, develop nature-based businesses and create opportunities for people to enjoy and learn from the natural world.
The North Devon Coast National Landscape and the Biosphere
The North Devon Coast National Landscape forms an important part of the Biosphere and shares many of the same aims. Both champion landscape-scale approaches to nature recovery, celebrate local culture and heritage, and seek to create a future in which thriving communities and thriving nature go hand in hand.
Working together, the National Landscape and Biosphere Partnership help ensure that North Devon remains one of the UK’s most distinctive and internationally recognised landscapes.
Find out more at: www.northdevonbiosphere.org.uk