Devon charity celebrates £1 million milestone

The Devon Environment Foundation (DEF) is celebrating a major milestone, having granted over £1 million to support nature restoration projects across the county since its launch in 2020.

The grant-giving charity, co-founded by Ben Goldsmith, Simon Nicholls, and Mitch Tonks, is committed to its vision of making at least 30% of Devon ‘for nature’ by 2030.

In just four and a half years, DEF’s support has enabled transformative projects that protect and restore Devon’s natural environment.

Simon Nicholls, DEF’s Chair, said:

“The sheer scale of the work that grantees have achieved is astonishing. Our model of giving seed funding to kickstart impactful local projects brings massive rewards for nature. We have seen hundreds of trainees learning regenerative agriculture practices; first-of-its-kind trials using mycelium to clean up river pollution; several tonnes of plastic cleared from large stretches of inaccessible coastline; and communities creating and connecting more spaces for wildlife – to name but a few. There are some incredible projects going on in Devon, and it’s an honour to enable them to do their vital work.”

DEF has funded a wide variety of impactful projects across the county:

- Torbay: Initiatives include a pesticide awareness campaign, sustainable scallop fishing practices, seagrass protection, and connecting schools with wild spaces.

- East Devon: Support has been given to nature-friendly farming clusters and improving salmon passage on the River Exe.

- Dartmoor: Projects include peatland restoration, a native tree nursery, meadow-growing initiatives, and the Dartmoor Nature Alliance.

- South Devon: Highlights include harvest mouse surveys, trials using mycelium and biochar for river pollution, and helping landowners adapt to the presence of beavers on the Tamar.

DEF Executive Director Amanda Keetley highlighted the importance of nature-based solutions,“Nature-based solutions are the biggest sources of hope in this era of climate and nature emergencies. If we learn to share space better with nature, and recognise its true value, we will be rewarded by seeing it recover and thrive.”

Local businesses have played a crucial role in DEF’s success, providing essential funding to scale up grassroots initiatives. Mitch Tonks, DEF Co-Founder and Founder of Rockfish Sustainable Seafood Restaurants, explained the significance of business contributions: “Rockfish donates to DEF to pool funds with other donors that care about our local environment which levers our impact so we can support even more local projects.”

DEF continues to welcome donations from individuals and businesses alike. The foundation is currently running a Crowdfunder campaign to support its work and further its mission of protecting Devon’s natural beauty.

The Devon Environment Foundation is part of the Conservation Collective, a global network of 20 local environmental foundations. Led by Ben Goldsmith, the Conservation Collective supports initiatives that protect habitats, restore native species, reduce pollution, and build climate resilience.

To learn more about DEF’s work, donate, or get involved, click here.