Spring at Common Flora, new beginnings and growing together

Spring has arrived again in Devon, and as always, it feels like a moment to pause and notice what’s quietly returning to life.

Across the site, things are shifting, buds are opening, birds are louder, the soil is warming. It’s a familiar rhythm, but every year it feels different. At Common Flora, spring has always been about beginnings, and this year more than ever, it feels like we are stepping into something new.

Over the past few years, we’ve been growing steadily, planting trees, building our orchard and forest garden, and working alongside people to reconnect with land, plants, and themselves. We’ve seen what happens when this work is given time, birds and flowers increasing, insects and bats returning, and people finding space to breathe again.

But we’ve also seen the bigger picture. Biodiversity is under pressure, and farmers, who manage most of our land, are often expected to respond without having the tools or support they need.

A new direction for 2026

This year marks an important step forward.

In March, we launched our Biodiversity Toolkit for Farmers, supported by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. This project builds directly on what we’ve learned through our work on the land and with communities, and takes it outwards.

We’re now working with farmers and local people across Devon to explore a simple but powerful idea, what if measuring and restoring biodiversity could be something we do together?

Through this project, we’re combining ecological surveys, citizen science, and accessible digital tools to help farmers better understand the life on their land, and take action to support it. It’s practical, grounded work, but with the potential to grow far beyond this place.

We’ve already seen how collective effort can create change. In recent projects, species diversity increased significantly in a short space of time, with more people involved in recording and caring for nature. This next phase is about building on that momentum.

Growing the team, growing the work

We’re also really excited to be welcoming new people into the team this year, including Megan, who is helping to shape and develop this next stage of the project.

Like everything we do, this isn’t just about growing bigger, it’s about deepening what we already know works, relationships, trust, and shared experience.

Looking ahead

There’s something about spring that reminds us that change doesn’t have to be sudden to be powerful. It happens slowly, often unnoticed at first, until suddenly everything feels different.

That’s how we see this work.

In 2026, we’re continuing to build something that connects farmers and communities, data and lived experience, ecology and wellbeing.

And we’re doing it in a way that feels grounded, inclusive, and hopeful.

Join us

If you feel drawn to this, whether as a farmer, a citizen scientist, or simply someone who wants to spend more time noticing the natural world, we’d love to hear from you.

Spring is here, things are growing, and we’re just getting started.