Plymouth's natural environment

Plymouth is located in a glorious natural setting at the mouth of the Rivers Tamar and Plym which open out onto Plymouth Sound. Plymouth's maritime resource has been exploited for centuries by the city authorities, the military, traders, industry and recreational users. Much of this 'blue resource' is now a designated European Marine Site making it the most highly protected area in the city. In addition Plymouth has numerous Local Nature Reserves (LNR), Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSI) and County Wildlife Sites (CWS) which recognise the value of the greenspace, biodiversity and geodiversity within the city.

Please use these pages to discover more about Plymouth's coast, countryside, geology and wildlife. You can simply browse the pages, or to find specific information we recommend using the search facility.

We hope the information will inspire you to get out there and enjoy nature, and we also provide details of volunteering organisations you can get involved with. If you have a project you would like people to get involved with then please email wildlife@plymouth.gov.uk. We are also interested in your nature photographs; please send them to us and we will put the best of them on the site.

If you are interested in exploring a little further afield it is a short hop from the city into areas with breathtaking landscapes such as Dartmoor National Park, Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.