Local author and amateur naturalist Ed Dolphin will be sharing his knowledge of the Sid Valley's plants and flowers in a talk on Wednesday, March 20.

The Sid Valley is a haven for nature; thanks to its mix of mild climate and very varied habitats, it is home to a host of wild flowers, insects, birds and other wildlife. The Sid Vale Association is custodian to several important nature sites including the Knapp Nature Reserve, and its volunteer force works hard to make the most of the natural potential in several areas.

Ed Dolphin spends a lot of his time cataloguing the valley's nature with the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group and he has many records from the SVA sites. He wrote the SVA book 'Sidmouth's Wild Flower Year' and has a keen interest in how nature changes over the seasons and how it is responding to the ever changing climate.

His talk is called 'Spring in SVA Land - What to see in April and May' and will be illustrated with pictures from his extensive collection. The talk will focus on wild flowers mainly, since they are the easiest to find, but there will be one or two other things that might escape the attention of the casual walker.

The talk will take place at All Saints  Church Hall at 2.30pm on March 20. Admission is £5 on the door, or £2.50 for SVA members, with the price including tea and biscuits.