Professor Michael Winter appointed Chair of North Devon Biosphere Partnership

The North Devon Biosphere Partnership has announced that Professor Michael Winter OBE has been appointed as its new Chairman.

North Devon’s Biosphere Reserve is one of fewer than 600 places on the globe given special status by UNESCO (the United Nations) in recognition of its unique environment and cultural heritage and as a spur for communities there to do things differently to make a more sustainable and resilient future.  It is the only modern Biosphere Reserve in England and provides an opportunity for north Devon to build on its unique qualities and to be a centre for sustainable development. The Reserve is centred on Braunton Burrows and includes the North Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the Taw and Torridge Estuary, Lundy Island and communities from the coast to the edge of Exmoor and the foot of Dartmoor.

Professor Winter said “I am pleased and honoured to take up this position at such a crucial time when our Biosphere Reserve is increasingly being recognised as a true demonstration area for sustainable development at a landscape scale. This is a testimony to the hard work of many dedicated people over the last decade.”

Professor Winter succeeds Dr Mike Moser.  Professor Winter continued, “I would like to thank Mike for his unparalleled contribution to developing the north Devon Biosphere Reserve; the only one inEnglandand one of fewer than 650 world-wide. All the partners recognise that we are only at the start of our journey and need to work together to meet on-going challenges such as making sure that the Biosphere is valued as a resource to bring in tourists and drive inward sustainable investment and community involvement. The upcoming evaluation of the first 10 years of the Biosphere Reserve, and the preparation of the new 5 year strategy, will set us on our way to addressing these challenges”.

A full list of Partnership members can be found at http://www.northdevonbiosphere.org.uk/management-partnership/.