The River Yealm runs for twelve and a half
miles from Yealm Head on Dartmoor to the sea at Noss Mayo.
It is magically beautiful in places but use
of the river and the land surrounding it means that it supports less wildlife
than it did in the past. This loss of good wildlife and fragmentation of their habitat
makes it less resilient to future changes in the climate and more difficult for
species to move around the landscape. The YEM project aims to restore and
re-connect these precious fragments for nature.
The Yealm Estuary to Moor (YEM) is a long-term community
project aimed at improving the health of the River Yealm and encouraging biodiversity
along its length by creating a wildlife corridor along the length of the river.
The YEM Project aims to establish the extent
of the problems and identify the opportunities to improve and restore both the
river and the land alongside it by working with expert
professional organisations and
volunteers.