The Friends of Ilkley Moor are pleased to announce that they have been awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £50,000 for their ‘Nature For All Project’. This is a two year project which will be delivered from October 2016 to October 2018.
Thanks to National Lottery players the project will engage the local community in learning about and conserving the natural heritage of the water habitats on Ilkley Moor and the species which are dependent on them.
The open water habitats are the upper and lower tarn. The running water bodies are Willy Hall Spout, Spicey Gill, Backstone Beck, Hybers Gill, Black Beck and some of the drainage ditches (and the peat bog surrounding these), on the upper slopes of the moor.
Training and community engagement events will be developed and delivered so that people can develop skills in wildlife identification and the surveying and recording of ponds, rivers, peat bogs, otters, water voles, frogs, toads, crayfish, newts and other priority species of these habitats.
Biological data for these habitats and species will be collated and recorded. The data will then be analysed to look at trends in the decline or increase in key species on Ilkley Moor. Based on this two habitat management projects and two habitat enhancement projects will be undertaken to help conserve these habitats and key priority species.
Projects for students will be developed to collate and analyse this data, to look at trends in the decline or increase of species. The project will offer students the opportunity to carry out scientific biological data collation, recording and analysis, as part of their studies.
Fun and accessible events, and citizen science events will be also be organised to enthuse young people and adults to learn about and develop these skills.
The project will be widely promoted to engage as many schools, colleges, local naturalist groups, local community groups, volunteers and individuals as possible. It will be inclusive so that people of all age groups, and from all areas and skill levels can be involved.
Biological data recorded from the project will be put onto a Geographic Information System and be used to produce an ecological spatial report, to inform people about the results of the project; this will include suggestions for the management and enhancement of these habitats.
All data will be passed onto biological record centres. And be used to inform future management decisions for these habitats and key priority species.
Using data from the report two habitat management projects and two habitat enhancement projects will be undertaken. 20 conservation workdays will be developed and delivered to engage the local community in carrying out these habitat enhancement and management projects.
Coming soon will be a celebration event for the local community to inform them about the project.
One of the aims of the project is to develop a more professional, coordinated and partnership approach to collating, recording and analysing biological data for Ilkley moor; and to establish a means for this to carry on into the future. So that biological data; and trends in the decline or increase in priority species for Ilkley Moor can be recorded and used to inform the Ilkley Moor Management Plan, biodiversity strategies and inform other decisions undertaken in regards to the management of Ilkley Moor.
But the main goal will be on enthusing the local community to be part of this, to take up the opportunity to develop these skills and help conserve Ilkley Moor’s natural heritage. The Friends of Ilkley Moor invite colleges, schools, local naturalists groups, community groups, youth groups, volunteers and individuals to get involved in this exciting project.
Tracy Gray, Ilkley Moor Project Officer said: “We are thrilled to have received the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and are confident the project will support the local community and students from schools and colleges to gain valuable skills, increasing their understanding about biodiversity conservation and help to conserve the natural heritage of Ilkley Moor’s water habitats.”
Groups or Individuals who would like to take part in the project please contact Tracy Gray, Ilkley Moor Project Officer, 07780535860, tracy@ilkleymoor.org