THE natural wonders of the moor will be highlighted by a team of experts at the Exmoor Society and Exmoor National Park Authority spring conference to be held at St Luke’s Church, Simonsbath, on Friday (May 19).

“It will be a celebration of nature,” an Exmoor Society spokesperson said. “There are extraordinary riches everywhere - in the soil, plants, insects, birds, and beasts all around us - and the conference speakers will take us on a journey into this complex web of life.”

Professor Karl Ritz - soil ecologist and emeritus chair of soil biology at the University of Nottingham - will explore the abundance of life in the earth, showing that a vast community of organisms and micro-organisms is the basis of natural resilience.

Ecologist David Boyce, who has surveyed and worked on many of the farms across Exmoor, will describe the marvels there are here on the moor and some of the successful projects that are recovering and protecting nature.

Alastair Fothergill, series producer of the BBC’s latest David Attenborough series Wild Isles, will screen remarkable scenes from the series and reveal some of the secrets of how it was made.

He will show the wildlife that lives outside our doors - species that do, did, or could live on Exmoor - all seen in new ways.

A panel discussion led by Anne May - farmer, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group advisor, and Exmoor Society trustee - will explore the ways in which local farms are making more space for nature, and how, despite the many challenges, this can be successfully integrated into a farming business.

In the afternoon, from 2 pm to 3.30 pm, speakers, including Exmoor Forest Estate’s Mark de Wynter-Smith, will conduct walks into meadows and moorland.

The conference is from 9.30 am to 1.15 pm. Tickets are £25 for members, £30 for non-members, and include refreshments and a light lunch.

Book via https://www.exmoorsociety.com or call the Exmoor Society office on 01398 323335.