December 19th
Kelvin Fletcher presents the Trust with a cheque from the People's Postcode Lottery
On Wednesday 19th December an exciting new partnership was launched between the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and People's Postcode Lottery. The day was marked by Kelvin Fletcher, who plays Andy Sugden on Emmerdale presenting the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust with a cheque for �9139.60 from the People's Postcode Lottery. Kelvin is an ambassador for the People's Postcode Lottery, which raises funds for local charities. The cheque was presented to the Trust on behalf of players from the Yorkshire area, as thanks to them, the lottery is able to donate an increasing amount of ticket proceeds to Yorkshire charities.
The cheque was presented to Rob Stoneman, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's chief executive at Askham Bog, the trust's oldest and perhaps most prestigious reserve. Askham Bog is is renowned for its ancient relict fen and bog flora and fauna, a rare and extraordinary combination. This 44.7 hectare reserve is a remnant of a valley mire that has developed into a range of fen and carr habitats. The Bog is particularly renowned for its rare wetland plants and animals and provided an ideal location for this generous presentation to take place. The money generously donated from the People's Postcode Lottery will go towards the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's continued dedication and support to maintain and enhance Yorkshire's Wildlife. Rob Stoneman, chief executive for the trust commented:
"Protecting wildlife is not just about the preservation of countryside and important, endangered species. It is also about improving the quality of human life, by maintaining traditional, organic farming methods, opening more parks and reserves so that people can get a bit of breathing space from the office, enabling hospital patients to look out of their window and see lush greenery and flowers. The possibilities are endless�"
Kelvin, who took time out from his busy filming schedule found time not only to chat to volunteers and members of staff about the trust's valuable work but also to help volunteer on the reserve. The work occurring on the reserve involved scrub clearance being undertaken by the BWs (Board Walkers), some of the trust's most dedicated volunteers. The BWs were very welcoming of the assistance received and rewarded Kelvin and the film crew with a selection of incredibly tasty treats.
People's Postcode Lottery deputy managing director Sophie Verlinden said:
"We are thrilled to be able to make what we hope will be the first of many donations to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. They represent many things that the People�s Postcode Lottery always aims to support: Nature and Wildlife Conservation, Children's Wellbeing, Poverty Relief and Community Development. Thanks to our Yorkshire players, we are able to give something back to their treasured countryside and its inhabitants."
We would like to say a big thank you to all volunteers involved during the day and special thanks to Kelvin Fletcher and the People's Postcode Lottery!
For information about the postcode lottery please follow the link - www.postcodelottery.co.uk
December 16th
Christmas at Potteric Carr
On Sunday 16th December families helped Yorkshire Wildlife Trust staff celebrate Christmas early at Potteric Carr Nature Reserve. Despite the cold weather many excited children (and adults) enjoyed a fun filled day at the reserve. The day involved a range of activities, from making Christmas table decorations, admiring the reserve in its winter glory and visiting Santa. Santa, who was situated within one of the reserve hides helped make the day incredibly popular and brought a smile to many peoples faces.
Those who couldn't bring themselves to face the cold weather thoroughly enjoyed a fantastic Christmas dinner courtesy of the staff at Potteric Carr cafe.
December 4th
Step into Spring with the Selby Extended Schools Project
An exciting new project has just been launched between the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and Selby Extended Schools. The project will consist of 10 exciting family fun workshops, taking place across the Southern District of Selby. The project is being run through partnership between the Selby Council and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Its aim is to cater for people who would otherwise have difficulties attending activities due to transport EG villages and to show children the importance of being part of a family group, by involving all members of the family in exciting nature activities. The groups attending the projects have been selected and include families from the local community.
The beginning of this project was launched on Tuesday 4th December at Kirk Smeaton Village Hall. This initial workshop provided an introduction to the series by explaining about the Spring season and the wildlife that occurs during this time of year. Activities occurring during this workshop included the making of bird boxes, pine cone feeders, seed growing and various exciting nature games, including the essentials of life game, a spring quiz and a hugely popular moth game. A fantastic thirty eight people attended this event making it a very enjoyable evening.
November 20th
Volunteers at Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve
Local volunteers at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Kirkstall Valley Nature Reserve in Leeds tried their hand at traditional woodland management techniques such as felling trees, hedge laying and coppicing as part of a project organised by environmental charity, Earthwatch. Tree felling and coppicing allows younger trees and shoots to thrive and the presence of dead hedges attracts fungi, insects and small mammals. The volunteers' work here will improve conditions for all kinds of wildlife on the site and help the resident plants and animals adapt to climate change in the future. The volunteers involved were all employees of HSBC bank and are working at the nature reserve as part of the new global HSBC Climate Partnership.
As one of the four key players in the partnership, Earthwatch is organising eight volunteering projects with local NGO partners throughout the country, including Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. By 2011, 4,000 HSBC employees will have volunteered in UK. The HSBC Climate Partnership is a 5 year global partnership between HSBC, The Climate Group, Earthwatch Institute, The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and WWF to reduce the impacts of climate change for people, forests, water and cities.
November 18th
Welcoming Winter through Autumnwatch at Potteric Carr
This Sunday, Potteric Carr played host to an incredibly successful Autumnwatch event. The day was part of the Breathing Places three year campaign pioneered by BBC learning, encouraging people to do one thing to help nature. Autumnwatch aimed to embrace the coming of winter through a wide array of seasonal activities focussing on encouraging local wildlife to your garden.
Popular activities of the day included creating the perfect new home for your garden birds through constructing your own personal bird box or hanging bird table, enjoying the fantastic array of autumn colours through guided walks around the reserve and discovering about the work of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and its partners through interactive media at the reserve. Partners of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust present on the day included both Vine House Farm and Marshalls plc. Vine House Farm were keen to get people to boost their garden wildlife through making fat balls and Marshalls plc, with their dry stone wall construction activities for children and interactive displays allowing you to create your own wildlife garden.
November 9th
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust receives green apple award presentation
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust were presented with a green apple award on Friday 9th November in the Houses of Parliament in London. The award was given to the Wildlife Wealth Project for partnership work with Npower, for the first time Yorkshire Wildlife Trust was declared "Green Champions" in our category. The awards are aimed at recognising groups who promote environmental 'best practice' around the world.
November 9th
Brian Blessed presents Marshalls Plc. with the Wildlief Trusts' Biodiversity Benchmark
The UK's leading landscaping manufacturing company Marshalls plc was awarded The Wildlife Trusts' Biodiversity Benchmark for sustained work carried out at its Maltby manufacturing facility. The award was presented by the trusts president, Brian Blessed on Friday 9th November in York at the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Gala Dinner. This is the first time in the history of the scheme that an active manufacturing site has ever received the rigorously audited accreditation in the UK. The evening was incredibly successfully and raised a substantial sum of money for the Trust from both a raffle draw and auction. Thank you to all those who attended and many thanks to Brian, who as always provided considerable entertainment.
For information regarding the Wildlife Trusts' Biodiversity Benchmark click here.
November 7th
Young people get down and dirty!
Onlookers who witnessed young people giving their local environment a bashing at the weekend were urged to join in as part of a new two year environmental scheme, called Viva Veolia. Hundreds of young people, aged 16-25, throughout England have started working with eight Wildlife Trusts to develop ideas on how to protect and improve their local environment. The local scheme was launched for Yorkshire Wildlife Trust at Potteric Carr Nature Reserve on Wednesday 7th November by Jo Meays, the sites Education and Youth Volunteers Officer.
The event saw a group of enthusiastic volunteers help members of the nature reserve staff conduct practical maintenance tasks in order to manage one of the reserves meadows. The enthusiasm demonstrated by the volunteers was only heightened by the presence of Doncaster Lakers RLFC, John Stankevitch, who was only to willing to get his hands dirty and join in with the work. All the hard work was later paid off with a fantastic buffet lunch provided by the cafe staff at Potteric Carr.
Christopher Palmer, an enthusiastic volunteer on the day said:
"Today has given me the opportunity to get outside and help improve my local environment, whilst learning new skills that will hopefully help me to develop my career. Today''s been a really fun day and I've had the opportunity to make lots of new friends. I would really like to get involved in more of the Veolia workdays."
Viva Veolia is a brand new initiative funded by The Veolia Environmental Trust (VET) through the Landfill Communities Fund, and v, the youth volunteering charity, which will see £500,000 being spent at eight sites across England over the next two years. This will enable eight local Wildlife Trusts to support young volunteers as they help to improve their nearby environment and will provide the opportunity for volunteers to gain other new skills such as practical and horticultural conservation, recycling, forest schools, young ranger schemes, clean-up river days, plus networking and social skills.
For more information regarding The Viva Veolia project, please contact: Jo Meays - (01302) 570077 or email.
November 1st
Going Batty at Potteric Carr
Potteric Carr, the Trusts flagship nature reserve yet again held another successful event on Thursday 1st November. The event comprised of a variety of interactive conservation activities, seeing members of the public hammering and banging in order to construct bat boxes and children eagerly getting covered in glue and paper to produce some very authentic batty crafts, all was followed by bat biscuits at the reserves cafe. The combination of half term holidays and sunny autumn weather brought over 60 people out to the event, making it incredibly successful. The enthusiasm displayed by people also meant the event was extended from its original 10am to 12pm, to 1pm to accommodate for all our visitors! Making bat boxes
October 29th
Water lot of fun!
Enthusiastic youngsters venture outdoors during the half-term holidays to get their hands dirty and celebrate the new pond-dipping platform at Moorlands Nature Reserve.
Youngsters attending the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Running Wild Club got the opportunity to check out a new pond-dipping platform at Moorlands Nature Reserve. The platform, funded by the York Community Pride Challenge Fund, and built by Trust volunteers during the summer, saw 11 enthusiastic youngsters aged between 8 and 13 years discover a fascinating flurry of aquatic life found living in and around ponds during this time of year.
Sarah Emery, the Running Wild Project Officer said "The new platform at the Trusts Moorlands Nature Reserve is a great achievement. Thanks to the hard work of Trust volunteers, and the Trust's Nature Reserves team, the pond has been given a new lease of life." Moorlands woodland nature reserve is situated near Skelton, and open to everyone to visit, so why not take the time to go and explore your local wildlife.
October 29th
Switched on youngsters have fun planting bulbs
Youngsters attending the Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts Running Wild Club got together during the half-term week to plant over 600 bulbs on Clifton Backies Nature Reserve.
Running Wild Project Officer Sarah Emery said: " ...the bulb planting was great fun, and the children planted Wood Anemone, Wild Daffodil, Wild Garlic, Snowdrops, Lesser Celandine and English Bluebell, all of which are lovely for people to look at and great for wildlife too!".
The Running Wild project was awarded a grant by Yorventure, an organisation which distributes the Landfill Communities Fund. The grant helped fund the bulb planting and the creation of a mosaic sign now situated at the entrance of the reserve.