NORTH Devon's biosphere reserve is about conservation and sustainability going hand in hand.

Essentially, it is about local people and businesses living, working and developing in harmony with an amazing environment which has been designated world class by UNESCO.

The only biosphere of its kind in the country, it is not a nature reserve as people generally know them.

It's a "living laboratory" for demonstrating sustainable development.

It is not just about the environment — although that is a major part of the designation — biosphere reserves embrace much more.

By individual actions, everyone in North Devon can greatly enhance the environmental quality of the area.

In the

Journal

's second feature readers can learn what they can do to support the designation, enhance the environment and, at the same time, save money.

Schools and colleges in North Devon are at the forefront of educating children and young people about the benefits of working for a greener tomorrow.

Local residents can do their bit, too, no matter how small.

Even simple changes at home can, collectively, help to bring about big benefits.

Adopt the '3 Rs' approach by North Devon's own Mrs Recycle — reduce, re-use, recycle — and you will be well on your way to making a difference.

Check out the many websites devoted to sustainable living and reduce your carbon footprint even further.

And, of course, your 'green' efforts can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut energy bills and make your cash go further.

With the credit crunch biting there is no better time to adopt a greener and more sustainable approach to life.

Buy local — and in season — to support the local economy and reduce 'food miles.'

Staggeringly, the food people eat across Devon in a year has travelled more than 230 million miles, generating around 240,000 tonnes of CO2. So get down to your local shop, make wise choices, and leave the car at home, too, to further boost your green credentials.

Also turn off unwanted lights as well as TVs, DVD players and computers.

Appliances left on standby cost the average Devon household more than £37 a year in wasted electricity.

Another tip is to use energy saving light bulbs. An 11 watt low energy light bulb will, over its lifetime, consume less than one fifth of the energy used by a traditional 60 watt bulb. Each one will cut your electricity bill by £35.

Insulate your hot water tank to save on bills, too, and insulate your home, preventing around 60% of heat disappearing through your walls and roof.

Reducing room temperature by just a degree could reduce your heating bills by up to 10%.

Other tips:

● Shower instead of filling the bath, it uses far less water.

● Dual-flush toilets also save on water as do flow restrictions on taps.

● No need to boil wash as modern washing powders get clothes clean at low temperatures.

● British weather can be fickle but whenever possible dry your clothes outside or use a drying rack indoors instead of the tumble dryer.

● Ditch bottled water and learn to re-love tap water.

● Buy refills for products or larger sizes that save on packaging.

● Do what your grandmother did and 'make do and mend' instead of buying new.

● Car share where you can or go car free. Just leaving the car at home for one day a week could save you more than £120 a year in petrol and around 300kg of C02 emissions.

Go to the Devon County Council website for more tips and to sign up for its car sharing scheme: www.devon.gov.uk/climatechange