Latest news with #YorkshireWildlifeTrust
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Climate
- BBC News
Fish rescued in Driffield as river levels drop due to drought
Hundreds of fish have been rescued from a stream in Driffield following concerns that water levels had become too low for them to survive. Conservationists from East Yorkshire Rivers Trust have relocated the creatures to deeper water along the same stream. The move comes as river levels throughout Yorkshire continue to fall, following the lowest rainfall levels in more than a century. The fish, including small brown trout, were electrically stunned before being netted and removed from the stream. There has been growing concern for fish life as river levels have continued to drop, especially in smaller streams. Matt Arnold from East Yorkshire Rivers Trust said the fish rescue was essential: "We've had the driest spring and summer for 130 years and this small stream is becoming too low for fish life."Mr Arnold said it would take months for the river system to "recharge"."We're in July and we've potentially got another three dry months and we don't want to get to the stage where these fish are lying in puddles and being picked off by gulls and other predators." The dry conditions are continuing to have an impact on a wide range of wildlife. Following the recent hosepipe ban in the Yorkshire Water area, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust said the dry period was affecting a range of local plant and animal species. Jon Traill from the trust said he had particular concerns about East Yorkshire's water vole population: "It's a really good example where the name gives a clue, water is essential for its survival."Mr Traill said the trust had seen a lot of success in improving vole populations in recent years but water was the "essential ingredient"."It's a creature that can survive without water but the vole uses water to get around and also to avoid predation," he said. The fish are being rescued from the stream in Driffield using electrical anodes which stun and allow them to be easily netted. Oliver Southgate from East Yorkshire Rivers Trust said this was the best method of removing them from the river with minimal stress."The fish are totally fine. They are stunned for a few seconds, netted out and transferred to a well-oxygenated cooler water," he said. The operation to rescue the fish is expected to continue throughout the coming weeks. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices
BBC News
18-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Spurn wildlife reserve staff 'told families to kill caterpillars'
A mother-of-two said she felt "physically sick" when families enjoying a tour of a Yorkshire nature reserve were told to "stomp" on said the suggestion was made by a Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) staff member at Spurn - a peninsula that extends into the Humber said: "The invasive species had apparently deserved to be squashed because they were eating the leaves of the sea buckthorn. Families killed, with glee, as many as they could."In a statement given to the BBC, the trust apologised and admitted incorrect information was given during its Spurn Safari tour. It said it had since reviewed staff training. Sara, 37, who did not want to give her surname, said she and her husband had decided to treat their children, aged 10 and 11, to the tour, which uses an ex-military, all-terrain vehicle to get visitors up close to the reserve's vast array of flora and said: "The staff member told us, 'the brown tail moth caterpillar should not be here. They are an invasive species. We need to do something about them and I would encourage you to stomp on as many as you can find'."Sara said the comment made her "feel physically sick", as she and her family refused to take said: "I was shocked. People were having fun, stamping on these poor caterpillars. "I was brought up to respect all creatures." In a statement, YWT said: "We should not ask visitors to kill caterpillars, even invasive ones. The information that was given during the Spurn safari is not correct, we are sorry and thank Sara for letting us know. "While we investigate, we have reviewed our training and reminded colleagues that this is not what we do, and under no circumstances should it be suggested that visitors take such action."Brown-tail moth caterpillars are a "native but invasive species" and active during spring and summer months, the trust creatures have tiny, barbed hairs that can cause a rash when they come into contact with skin, and damage rare said it follows "established practices", under approval from Natural England, to manage the population, with this activity carried out over the autumn and that emerge in the spring should be left to continue their natural life cycle, the trust added. Sara said she could no longer support YWT."As a compassionate individual, I joined YWT (as a supporter) to support the care of all wildlife, not just a selection," she added."I will not be returning." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
17-06-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Yorkshire residents urged to save water to help wildlife during dry weather
People are being asked to collect water from their showers and not to cut their grass as regularly to help wildlife during the dry Wildlife Trust and Yorkshire Water said there were a number of ways households could help animals and insects thrive in the region's current drought said rainfall in recent weeks would have been soaked up by dry soil and would not have touched rivers or Shaw, from Yorkshire Water, said it was "more important than ever" to save water in homes and gardens. "By taking small steps to conserve and collect water in homes and gardens, we can share the supply and help wildlife thrive in our gardens," he added. Temperatures are set to soar to more than 30C (86F) this week and a drought has officially been declared in have been warnings that hosepipe bans could come into have been advised to collect water in barrels or butts and to provide wet habitats such as puddling stations - a shallow dish with pebbles and water - birdbaths and mini Wildlife Trust also said keeping lawns longer could provide a home to insects which can feed bats and hedgehogs, while adding plants could provide shade to other Bice, the chief executive of the trust, said: "We need to learn to adapt to a changing climate which is the cause of more frequent and intense extreme weather events, like the drought conditions we've recently experienced."There's lots we can do though, simple changes in our gardens and at home, to continue to have attractive but resilient green spaces on our doorstep."Our gardens offer a network for nature... providing an incredible refuge for wildlife." Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
New nature reserve to return rainforests to Yorkshire Dales
A new temperate rainforest in the Yorkshire Dales could prove to be a "vital oasis" for wildlife, people behind the scheme would be planted on a 16-hectare (40 acre) site at Park Gill near Kettlewell, to encourage the growth of mosses and create a carpet of ferns and flowers, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) rainforests used to grow along the damper western parts of the British Isles, but were largely destroyed over hundreds of years by grazing and conversion to other uses, the trust Leadley, north regional manager at YWT, said the new reserve would "give us a great opportunity to restore and expand this fantastic habitat". Temperate rainforest - also known as Atlantic woodland or Celtic rainforest - is the name given to rainforests which have high rainfall and humidity and a low annual variation in temperature.A wide range of trees grow in them, including sessile oak, birch, rowan, holly, alder, willow and hazel. The YWT said they can provide a home to red squirrels and pine martens, as well as threatened birds like wood warblers, redstarts and pied Leadley said: "Woodland is at a premium in this part of the Dales, and species such as black grouse which cling on in the area will also benefit from more berry-bearing bushes such as hawthorn in the landscape."This new reserve promises to be a vital oasis for wildlife in the Dales, and we cannot wait to see what wildlife it attracts as a result."We hope this beautiful site will be a haven for wildlife and a beautiful place for people to enjoy." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Rare orchid returns from brink of extinction
A project to bring back one of the UK's rarest wildflowers has shown its first signs of success, experts said. The lady's slipper orchid was thought to be extinct by the early 20th Century, until a single plant was discovered in a remote area of the Yorkshire Dales in 1930. Its location was kept secret, with volunteers providing round-the-clock monitoring over several decades to prevent the plant being dug up and stolen. A scheme was launched two years ago to plant hand-reared orchids, with a plant discovered last June the first to germinate "of its own accord" since 1930, according to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT). "The lady's slipper is a real icon of limestone habitats," Jonathan Leadley, from YWT, explained. "Where we've got limestone geology there's often a wealth of wildlife, but we've lost so much of the wildlife from these habitats. "This is a real flagship, like a superstar." Efforts to boost the population began in the 1990s, with a plea for help that resulted in a small number of privately-owned, wild-sourced orchids being offered as part of a captive breeding programme. Plants were reintroduced to locations in the north of England - which were also kept secret to avoid the ongoing threat of theft - with the project led by YWT since 2023. Orchids were propagated in Kew Gardens' laboratory, with young plants then nurtured by a network of volunteer specialists managed by the National Trust. Mike Fay, Kew senior research leader, said it had been a "flagship" conservation scheme for many years. "The appearance of a seedling is incredibly exciting and offers us hope," he said. Kevin Walker, from the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, paid tribute to the "hundreds of volunteers and enthusiasts who have carefully nurtured [the plant] back into the wild". Mr Leadley said that while "only a minority of people" stole plants, it was "certainly" still a threat. "When all this effort is being put in by lots of people to try and bring a species back from the brink of extinction, we really don't want all of that effort to go to waste by a selfish individual pinching that plant," he said. "We've got to keep it guarded for now, but hopefully at some point in the future there'll be so many of these plants out there that everybody will be able to enjoy them." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Species pushed to 'brink of collapse' - report How to save native woodlands from invasive shrubs - one tree at a time Judi Dench celebrates after community secures site Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
