THE LIFE of Dartmoor?s greatest environmental campaigner is being celebrated this weekend on the centenary of her birth.
Once described as ?The Shield of the Moor?, Lady Sylvia Sayer served as chairman and patron of the Dartmoor Preservation Association (DPA) for many years and combated many of the greatest threats to Dartmoor.
The battle against the Swincombe Reservoir, the threat to the moor by military damage, clay quarrying and the conversion of moorland were some of the issues Lady Sayer became heavily involved with and remained so until her death four years ago.
Lady Sayer was the granddaughter of Robert Burnard, pioneer conservationist and founder of the Dartmoor Preservation Association in 1883.
Several events will be held to commemorate Lady Sayer?s centenary year starting with two walks from Princetown on Sunday. A visit will also be made to Swincombe.
Chief executive of DPA John Bainbridge paid tribute to Sylvia Sayer?s crusade for Dartmoor: ?She was a conservationist and visionary far ahead of her time,? he said.
?Without her efforts, Dartmoor would look very different today.
?The Swincombe Reservoir would have torn the heart out of Dartmoor National Park and defeating that would have been a terrific victory on its own, but Sylvia staved off the clay industry?s threat to Shaugh Moor, buying us the precious time needed to end that danger to Dartmoor.
?These were just two of her campaigns ? Sylvia?s monument is a Dartmoor that is still essentially wild and unspoiled, though still, sadly, under threat.?
The nine mile and six mile walks leave from Princetown Car Park at 10.30am.