Hay making in Langthwaite
Hay making
Sustainable Swaledale volunteers have been using small hay cutting machinery to cut a number of meadows where it is hard to use conventional machinery. Meadows need annual cutting to maintain their biodiversity and are one of the rarest habitats in the UK, with 97% of this habitat lost in Britain since the war. Special thanks to Peter for arranging and co-ordinating all the cutting with all the landowners and volunteers and to Peter, Sam, Paul, Margaret and Rob for all their hard work cutting and raking. Thanks also to the Aldersons and Val and Mick for their help and to everyone who gave us tea and cake.
Homes for Dales House Birds bird boxes
You can still register interest in having a free bird box installed as part of the Homes for Dales House Birds project. This three year project (2025-2027) supports four red listed house nesting bird species; House martins, House sparrows, Swifts and Starlings through habitat creation and management, monitoring and offers training opportunities to the local Dales communities. Go to the sign up form to request a box. A video about the project can be found on Youtube.
Low Row Open Gardens: 13th July 2025
11 gardens were open on 13th July in support of the Low Row Institute and Sustainable Swaledale. The whole event was a great success with over 200 attendees including a coach party in attendance. Many of the gardens attracted over 100 visitors with as many as 147 recorded at one garden. Sustainable Swaledale members had gardens open at the Manse and Mudd House. The Low Row Institute Treasurer reported that it was a fantastic community team effort with so many people helping at the Institute with maps, teas, cakes, plant sales, baking, organising etc. The event made over £1,300 for the Institute renovation fund as well as a contribution to Sustainable Swaledale. Sustainable Swaledale is extremely grateful for the £300 donation it has received.
North Yorkshire Council receives its first carbon disclosure score
North Yorkshire Council has been assessed for the first time by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), which has awarded grade B for the council’s current climate-related activities. CDP is a global non-profit organisation that runs the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system for companies and public sector organisations, to help identify and manage environmental impacts and make positive decisions.
North Yorkshire Council Retrofit Open Day
North Yorkshire Council recently hosted an open day at a newly retrofitted property in Skipton, to give residents the chance to find out information on energy-saving products. The mid-terrace house exhibited a variety of retrofit technologies to help visitors see first-hand how energy-saving measures can transform a typical home and help them save money on heating and hot water use, prevent damp and mould and help to lower carbon dioxide emissions. Technologies included heat pumps, vacuum sealed windows, solar panels, electric storage batteries, loft, wall and floor installations and many more measures, as well as free expert advice on energy efficiency.
There are two further events scheduled for the autumn at a property in Horton in Ribblesdale (9 September) and High Bentham (16 September). Look out for updates on NYC’s social media channels or for further information, contact: climatechange@northyorks.gov.uk
ORFC In the Field
The Oxford Real Farming Conference ‘In the Field’ came to the Yorkshire Dales for the first time this year with a two day event at Hill Top Farm in Malham. A farm tour of Hill Top Farm revealed that putting nature first increased profits while reducing work load for the farmer. Other sessions covered a range of topics from the benefits of improving biodiversity in hay meadows, to the vital role played by dung beetles, maintaining soil health and reducing parasites. An evening talk presented plans to make local provenance leather using hides that small operators are often unable to sell, while a lunchtime talk updated attendees on the government’s plans for farming and nature.
Reeth Surgery Veg beds
A reminder that all produce at the Reeth Surgery Vegetable beds is available for anyone to take. Many thanks also to those volunteers who watered the Surgery beds and the tree nursery especially through the dry period. Just as we were ready to top up the large 1,000 litre IBC, it rained and the tank is now full. Thanks also to Delyth and Gail for helping to organise everything.
The garden is looking great at the moment and this has inspired Gray from ScenicView Gallery to write a feature entitled Growing Together – A morning at Reeth Commmunity Vegetable Garden celebrating the Reeth Surgery garden. He has given permission for us to reproduce a montage of his splendid photos below with further photos available on his website. His facebook post has been well received including the following comment: What a thoughtful and heartfelt write up! Thank you for the support Gray.
Pictures of Reeth Surgery Garden reproduced with kind permission of Gray
Richmond Civic Society Heritage Open Days 12-21 September 2025
Richmond Civic Society has arranged a programme of visits to heritage sites as part of Heritage Open Days. This includes familiar and hidden places and all events are totally free although some require prior booking. Events include guided walk (17th September) and a family craft day (14th September) at Foxglove Covert; guided walk of Aske Hall estate (19th September) and a talk on lead mining at Keld Visitor Centre (18th September) and free tours of museums. Full programme on the Richmond Civic Society Website.
Seed to Sapling project continues
Sustainable Swaledale participates in the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust Seed to Sapling project. We will be collecting local tree seeds and nuts in September from a number of ancient woodland sites in Swaledale with the permission of the landowner. We will combine our seed planting day this year with the Apple Day event at the Reeth Community Orchard on Saturday 25th October 2025. Come and plant some seeds and pick up some freshly squeezed apple juice at the same time.
If you have any Sustainable Swaledale wooden seed trays that are now spare, please let us know at info@sustainableswaledale.org so that we can reuse them at the event.
Also email us if you would like to have details of our seed collection walks being planned for September – dates still to be confirmed.
Tree Monitoring
All fourteen sites where trees and hedges have been planted over the last two years by Sustainable Swaledale have been surveyed for tree health, and where required, maintenance either carried out or scheduled. Some sites planted in earlier years have also been surveyed.
For the sites planted over the autumn and winter of 23/24, the success rate is comfortably over 95%.
This year has presented a number of challenges. Prolonged snow cover this winter increased the risk of rabbit damage, and then a very dry and warm spring and early summer made it hard for newly planted trees to find water. Nevertheless, the 24/25 success rate is over 90%.
We found very little sign of disease which is very encouraging, although some hawthorn and oak had mildew, which can happen when it’s warm and dry, and can be made worse by tree guards which restrict air flow. None of the affected trees were severely damaged. Overall, our ‘crop’ is encouragingly healthy.
Many thanks to Alison and Joe for organizing the monitoring and Heather and Rob for helping with the checking. See also John’s post on the success of this year’s tree planting at Swallow Holm on our Sustainable Swaledale Facebook
Yorkshire Naturalists Union talk
Andy Millard of the Yorkshire Naturalists Union will be speaking about the work of the organisation devoted to studying and recording Yorkshire’s flora and fauna at Reeth Memorial Hall 4th September 7pm. All are welcome
Yorkshire trials on controlling Himalayan balsam
Trials by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust at locations in West and North Yorkshire of using a pathological rust fungus found in the Himalayas to tackle the plant’s growth have been going well. Generally the weed has to be removed by hand. Himalayan balsam is legally classed as a non-native invasive plant and it is illegal to cultivate, sell, plant or transport it.
Check out the BBC article and Tees Rivers Trust article.
Nature in action with Ousewem
Ousewem’s latest delivery update celebrates real-world progress and growing community momentum. Since January, the delivery team, led by the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust, has worked with farmers, estates and community groups to translate plans into action. Highlights include the second pilot at Cragg and Carr: 12 wetland scrapes, 15 leaky barriers, willow and shrub planting, and 650 metres of cross-slope hedges-all helping slow flows, enrich wildlife and support farm livelihoods.
At Hunton, flow monitoring is underway, with baseline data helping shape future delivery. In Wensleydale, Emma has delivered five new scrapes, alongside fencing, water gates and troughs to protect valuable floodplain habitat.
The team is also holding farm-based conversations with upland landowners to explore how future work can align with land management goals. With more delivery and events on the horizon, this is just the beginning.
Read the full blog on the Ousewem website to find out more.
Visit www.ousewem.co.uk or email us at ousewem@york.gov.uk.
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to pursue different approach to bird of prey persecution
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has announced that it is bringing the Yorkshire Dales National Park Bird of Prey Partnership, set up to end illegal persecution of raptors, to an end due to a lack of progress. A new nationally led initiative has been launched to tackle bird of prey persecution more widely, and a national police led Hen Harrier Taskforce, and the development of a National Wildlife Crime strategy will provide the framework for the Authority’s future work in tackling the persecution of birds of prey in the Yorkshire Dales. The final Bird of Prey Evidence Report will be released shortly.
Core group Meeting
See above ‘Yorkshire Naturalists Union talk’ for further details for our next meeting at Reeth Memorial Hall 4th September 7pm. All are welcome.