RENOVATION work at Lopwell Dam has been carried out in recent months, thanks to a Wildspace! grant of around £70,000 from English Nature.
The car park has been resurfaced, the outside of the pumphouse renovated and painted and new soffits, guttering, downpipes, fascia boards and ridge tiles installed.
Ultimately, the intention is to create a wildlife education and arts centre in the pump house, which can then be used by the community, schools and colleges and for scientific research.
The project is included in the Markets, Moors and Meadows community action plan prepared by the Tavistock and Villages Initiative group (TAVI) ? community liaison officer Paul Gregory, who is working on the project, is keeping his fingers crossed the scheme will catch the eyes of major investors at a ?brokering table? being held in Tavistock next month.
He said: ?We are trying desperately to get funds for this. Everybody wants to be involved; the Environment Agency and the RSPB have given backing, but we are still trying to get the money and to get funds for capital works like this is very difficult.?
Mr Gregory said the Lopwell Dam area was also likely to be granted local nature reserve status within the next few months, which may help the project.
Community events continue to be held at Lopwell. A moth watching evening is being held on Saturday May 22, a guided walk around the area on May 23 and a bat watching evening will be held on June 5.
For details of these events, call Mr Gregory on 01822 855700.