The 2025 Friends of Ilkley Moor Bird Survey has recently been published. This is the result of a collaboration between the Friends of Ilkley Moor and the Wharfedale Naturalists Society. The survey data was collected between April and June 2025 and identified more than...
Moors for the Future Partnership, Friends of Ilkley Moor and Bradford Metropolitan District Council invite you for a day of conservation volunteering to plant sphagnum moss on Ilkley Moor. Participants will plant sphagnum moss to help restore blanket bog habitat...
A plan to restore Ilkley Tarn as a thriving natural habitat 50 years ago, there were sticklebacks in Ilkley Tarn. 30 years ago, the population of toads breeding in the Tarn was so large that, on an April evening, walkers had to be careful not to tread on them when...
Bradford Pennine Gateway is one of the new King’s Series of National Nature Reserves. It is the first in West Yorkshire. Size and scope: The reserve encompasses 1,274 hectares, with 738 hectares (58%) designated as Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) Habitat...
The Golden Mattock On Tuesday 18th March about 30 volunteers were up on Heber’s Moss. Planting sphagnum plugs. Although this is the first time for a while that we have had so many volunteers on the Moor at the same time, it seems appropriate to devote a Newsletter to...
We shall shortly be launching a campaign to try and dissuade the public from feeding ducks on the Tarn. The notices have been printed and as soon as they are in place we shall issue a Press Release to the Ilkley Gazette, Ilkley Chat etc. The notices to be put up have...
Our Volunteers... I am a little uncertain as why and how we have come to have the biggest and best group of litter picking volunteers in the area. Indeed, I cannot now remember exactly how we took the decision to become involved with litter picking. When we started,...
Jacob’s Ladder Did you know that the steps up from the Rocky Valley onto the Dick Hudson’s Path over the Moor are known as ‘Jacob’s Ladder? Well I didn’t and I have lived in Ilkley and been involved with the Moor for about 45 years. However, diligent research has...
We are delighted to inform our members that The Friends of Ilkley Moor have been awarded a £64,000 grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. This substantial grant will help us conserve the heritage of Ilkley Moor and provide opportunities for people to learn about...
The issue of bracken control was raised at our most recent Committee Meeting. Those of us who have been members of FoIM for a long time will remember that it was the issue of bracken on the Moor that first led to the creation of FoIM. We realise that many more recent...
The work to resurface the path from the Cow and Calf Rocks down to Cowpasture Road and to Backstone Beck has now been completed. We should mention that we have received complaints about this path, both from the point of view of its visual impact and the mess that was...
Ilkley Moor and Climate Change/Climate Emergency There is general agreement that unless we all take immediate radical steps to reduce our carbon emissions, we are likely to experience potentially catastrophic climate changes that will have a profound effect on our...