Our Core Team
Claire Withers
I grew up in the 1960s in the beautiful countryside on the Essex/ Suffolk border. A childhood spent outdoors in all seasons (I was lucky enough to have my own pony), left me with a deep and abiding love and wonder for our natural world.
Following time spent at agricultural college (where I met my husband Nick), we farmed for several years before coming to Devon in 1998.
We now run our own gardening business with an emphasis on helping our clients to garden in a nature friendly way.
I organise Chulmleigh Open Gardens each year and have been a committee member of Chulmleigh Old Fair since 2004.
We love to holiday in Scotland in early spring or Norfolk in the autumn, both fantastic times to watch wildlife.
In my spare time (!!) I also love to bake.
We are founding members of Sustainable Chulmleigh which we set up in 2019 along with a small group of environmentally concerned friends. We are proud of the fact our group now has over 400 members and a wide range of events behind us.
Dorette Engi
With a background as a psychoanalytic psychotherapist, she has nurtured young minds and families, gaining deep insight into emotional resilience and empathy.
In 2019, Dorette and her children purchased a 92‑hectare (230‑acre) farm in Devon, launching a bold rewilding experiment. Over five years, they’ve quite 'explosively' (literally with explosives) but also with help from the reintroduction of beavers, water vowels, Tamworth pigs and many unexpected “blown-in” wildlife visitors. She now witnesses the astonishing complexity and speed of nature’s recovery firsthand.
Nick Withers
I have spent the best part of my life working and living in the countryside. The last 23 years living in Chulmleigh. A life outdoors has fostered the greatest respect for nature and all life on our beautiful planet.
After eventually settling in North Devon, Claire and I set up our nature friendly gardening business which we have now been running for 18 years.
I am a wildlife photographer, travelling throughout the UK. My favourite times are spent waiting and watching pine martens, deer, badgers, puffins, white tailed eagle, ospreys and red squirrels to name but few.
I now teach wildlife photography, run courses and workshops and take clients for nature walks in rural Devon.
As a founder member of Sustainable Chulmleigh I believe that building local resilience , skill sharing and adaptability are so important as we face climate breakdown and an uncertain future. Growing food locally, repairing rather than replacing, sharing resources, helping each other are all very necessary as we move forward into challenging times.
Maddy Harland
Maddy Harland is the co-founder of Permaculture Magazine and Permanent Publications, a publishing company dedicated to practical and leading edge solutions to global problems. She is a trustee of Common Earth, mandated to support regenerative development within all 56 countries of the Commonwealth through the cultivation of initiatives that restore ecosystems and build on the unique bio-cultural traditions of each region. She is the author of Fertile Edges - regenerating land, culture & hope and The Biotime Log. Maddy lives in a woodland that is a designated country wildlife site and provides both advice and networking guidance.
Amy Roberts
Meet Amy Roberts - North Devon Biosphere Community Animator for Chulmleigh, Ashreigney and Riddlecombe
Q. What does your role involve?
A. In a nutshell, it's about helping communities to achieve their nature recovery pledges and plans. Getting people into action; talking to young people about their plans for a green economy; working with people to come up with ideas.
Q. What attracted you to the job?
A. I really want to get more people of all types and ages interested in nature and the environment.
Q. What makes North Devon such a special region when it comes to connecting people and nature?
A. A lot of people come to Devon because of its nature, we are lucky to be blessed with amazing landscapes and unique niche environments that are habitats to some amazing creatures.
Q. Favourite part of the job so far?
A. Being able to indulge in helping nature recovery.
Q. Do you have a favourite place in North Devon?
A. Not really, although there are some very special spots that are just perfect to me and they are just a walk from my home. Of course there are lots of very special places around here.
Q. What are some of the best ways to connect with nature here?
A. So many different ways, literally from feeding the birds in your back garden (you can easily get gold finches, green finches, marsh tits, siskins, nuthatches, woodpeckers come to you in this area) to hiking across the moors and finding incredible valleys and woodlands, coastlines. So many ways to connect with nature in North Devon.
Q. What is you favourite animal in North Devon?
A. I'm really into birds – I get huge pleasure seeing swifts in the summer… Also - Grasshopper Warbler - I’m always thrilled and amazed when I hear that they are in the Ashreigney area.
Q. What is your perfect weekend (when you aren’t working)?
A. Romping through undergrowth with binoculars.
Q. How can people get more involved in the Biosphere?
A. There are lots of events that are organised by the biosphere and its partners; lots of different community groups that are doing great things; you may want to visit some of the recommended places; you may need some advice; we are a friendly and helpful bunch of people.
Q. What are your hopes for the future?
- That we have compulsory education of the natural world and sustainability so that future generations don’t struggle to understand the importance of what we have and what is at stake