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Building Homes for Dales House Birds project
Yorkshire Dales Millenium Trust has secured funding from the Heritage Lottery fund to help save four iconic bird species through a ‘Building Homes for Dales House Birds’ project. Though once a common sight, a drastic decline in breeding populations has meant that house martin, house sparrow, starling and swift are all now on the UK Red List. Working alongside the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, the RSPB and the British Trust for Ornithology, YDMT’s three year project aims to bring local communities together in several key areas—including Swaledale—to create more suitable nest sites. Watch this space!
Free webinar: Snaizeholme, one of the boldest habitat restoration projects in England's uplands
As part of the Yorkshire Rewilding Network free webinar series, Alec Pue, Site Manager for the Woodland Trust, will give a 40-minute overview of its groundbreaking project at Snaizeholme, near Hawes. Hear how natural processes are being restored at scale—including woodland creation, meadow, peatland and river restoration—at this inspiring site that goes way beyond tree planting in its ambitions. Wednesday 26th February, 7.30-8.30pm. You can register for free here.
Government to backtrack on the cleanup of England’s waterways?
Concerns have been expressed by the Rivers Trusts and Wildlife Trusts that the present government might be backtracking on its support of the Water Restoration Fund. Launched by the previous government, the fund would see £11m of sewage fines levied by the Environment Agency, reinvested into local projects to protect and improve England’s waterways. However, although applications were sought for projects commencing July 2024, no grants have yet been awarded… Read the full article from The i here.
Is this the end of the throwaway society?
The Government has pledged to clean up Britain and end the culture of a throwaway society with its plans to implement a deposit return scheme for drinks containers. 25 billion single use containers are bought across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland each year, with around 6.5 billion going to waste rather than being recycled—and many ending up as litter across our countryside and in our waters. By giving the public money back for returning containers to a central collection point, the Government hopes to turn the tide on plastic waste and promote a more circular way of living. Ambitious but possible: The average return rate for European countries with a scheme already in place is 87%. Read more about the scheme on the DEFRA Environment Blog.
New LED street lighting across North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire Council has announced a three-year project to replace 4,500 lights with LED bulbs, half of which will be set to turn off at midnight. The warm white lighting will be better for nature and switching off lights when not required will help preserve the International Dark Sky Reserve status of the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, Savings of £300,000 in annual energy costs are also projected making the project cost neutral in 10 years. Read the full article on BBC North Yorkshire here.
North York Moors to create new insect ‘superhighways’
A new project is aiming to boost insect populations across the North York Moors National Park, by creating a series of interconnected wildlife ‘superhighways.’ By linking various nature restoration efforts across 200 square miles of land along the A170, the GrubsUp! Scheme hopes to halt the “alarming declines in species abundance” seen in recent years. As well as being crucial to a healthy ecosystem, pollinating insects play a vital role in crop yield and keeping the air clean. Read more about the project here.
‘Plants didn’t evolve to be kind to each other’ research finds
It has long been known that the root systems of plants and trees are connected underground by a vast fungal web known as the mycorrhizal network. Until recently this network was also believed to act as an altruistic warning system, allowing plants to share information about resources and jointly fight against disease. Not necessarily so, say researchers from the University of Oxford, who now believe that plants may deliberately misfire distress signals in order to gain advantage over local competitors. Read more about the study here.
Songbird chicks killed by pesticides found in pet flea treatments
SongResearchers at the University of Sussex have found that a harmful chemical used in preventative pet flea treatments is having a disastrous impact on songbird chicks. Fiprinol—which is banned for agricultural use in the UK, but still widely used to stop pets getting fleas—was discovered on the fur used to line every nest they surveyed. It has already been widely reported that the chemicals in similar flea treatments are affecting life in rivers and streams. Now scientists are calling on the government to undertake a “comprehensive environmental risk assessment of veterinary treatments.” Read the full article on The Guardian here.
‘The window of opportunity is closing’ warns the Office for Environmental Protection
The latest annual assessment by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has found the Government remains largely ‘off track’ in achieving its legally binding environmental targets. This includes the obligations to halt declines in water, air quality and nature as outlined in the statutory Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). “The window of opportunity is closing,” warns the OEP. “The Government must act urgently and decisively to catch up.” Access the full report, including eight key recommendations for action, here.
Watch Sandi’s Great British Woodland Restoration on 4OD
This interesting three part series on Channel 4, follows Sandi Toksvig and her wife, in their bid to restore a patch of neglected ancient woodland on the Hampshire/Sussex border—using ‘wit and a chainsaw.’ Available to stream free on 4OD.
Yorkshire Dales Management Plan backs nature-friendly farming
Leading on from the first consultation last April, which found nature recovery to be the ‘people’s priority,’ an updated set of objectives for the Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan 2025-30 has been published, which places the support of nature-friendly farming at its centre. Chair David Sharrod said: “Supporting hill farming has been a long-standing priority for us but it’s more important now than ever. We need nature-friendly farming businesses to thrive in the National Park. That is critical for maximising the benefits that the National Park can provide for the nation, whether that is helping nature to recover, storing more carbon in our landscapes, reducing flooding downstream or producing fantastic quality food. Such farming will need support to be viable, and that’s what the partnership is planning to provide.” The second consultation period is now open and responses to the updated plan are ‘warmly invited.’ Access the survey here.
11 new projects supported by the Rewilding Britain Innovation Fund
Is it the right time to reintroduce Britain’s largest ever bird? Should elks roam once more on Norfolk’s High Fen? How about transforming education through outdoor classrooms? Rewilding Britain has announced the eleven new projects it’s supporting through a £150k Innovation Fund. Read more about the projects—which are ‘pushing the boundaries on rewilding in pioneering new ways across Britain’—here.
The Low Houses hedge movie
A number of volunteers have spent time over the last few months laying a hedge along the Swale Trail at Low Houses. A video of the completed hedge can be found here.
Join Ousewem for key NFM events – learn, connect and get involved!
Farmers and landowners play a crucial role in Ousewem’s flood resilience project. Working in partnership, we are delivering nature-based solutions (NbS), including natural flood management (NFM) solutions—like wetland creation, leaky dams, and forestry to enhance flood resilience while improving local habitats. For farmers in the Arkle Beck catchment, this is a unique chance to collaborate on tailored NFM projects that align with their land’s characteristics.
Ousewem’s mission is to safeguard all our communities, from the tranquil corners of North Yorkshire to the bustling streets of York. We believe that everyone has a role to play in understanding how water connects us all, particularly the link between land use and flood risk.
To keep you informed and engaged with the progress of our work, we’re excited to invite you to the following events. These gatherings are an opportunity to learn more about Ousewem, meet our team and explore how you can get involved in building a flood-resilient future for our communities.
Upcoming events:
Pie and peas night for farmers and landowners
Join us for an informative evening about fully funded NFM projects, expert advice on grants, and support for SFI applications.
Meet the Ousewem delivery team and speak with YDNP Farm Conservation Advisers.
Date: 10 March 2025
Time: Arrivals from 6:30 pm, 7:00 pm start
Venue: The Buck, Arkengarthdale Rd, Reeth DL11 6SW
RSVP by 28 February
Call: 01423 714 841
Email: ousewemdelivery@ydrt.co.uk
Website: www.ousewem.co.uk
Sustainable Swaledale meeting
Members of the community are encouraged to attend Sustainable Swaledale’s open access March meeting. You can meet the Ousewem team, learn about our flood modelling efforts, and discover how Ousewem is implementing NFM solutions in your area.
Date: 6 March, 7:00 pm at Arkengarthdale Hub
Ousewem case study – Appersett success
Our successful NFM project in Appersett, near Hawes, has set the stage for a more flood-resilient future. Working alongside landowner Nick Prince, we’ve implemented measures like leaky dams, scrapes, and tree and hedge planting. These actions not only reduce flood risks but also enhance local wildlife habitats and support farming.
Read more on https://www.ousewem.co.uk/news/article/26/appersett-success-farmers-invited-to-join-flood-resilience-efforts
Look out for our flood resilience campaign
Keep an eye out for Ousewem’s posters and beer mats around Hawes and Reeth . . all part of our efforts to raise awareness about nature-based solutions (NbS), including natural flood management (NFM)!
Do you have land in Arkengarthdale, Masham, Bellerby, Bishop Monkton, Appersett, Gayle, Hawes, or Hunton that’s hard to farm due to wet or soggy areas? If this sounds familiar, we’d love to hear from you. We may be able to help by funding fencing, gates or other infrastructure – by exploring tailored NFM solutions for your land. Email us at: ousewemdelivery@ydrt.co.uk. |
Group Meeting
As above the next meeting is on 6th March at Arkengarthdale Hub (St Mary’s Church, Langthwaite), starting at 7pm. Ousewem is launching a 2 year natural flood management project in Arkengarthdale; and Senior Project Manager, Guy Mason will be talking to us about its ambitious plans.
What else?
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