Free conference encourages protection of woodland in the Dearne Valley
5 February 2019
Outdoor enthusiasts in the Dearne Valley are invited to attend a free conference to find out how they can help protect their local woodlands.
The ‘Your Woods, Your Future’ conference hosted by the Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership (DVLP) will take place in The Ironworks at Elsecar Heritage Centre on Saturday 23 February from 10am to 5pm.
During the event the DVLP will be joined by Otley-based ecological consultants, Haycock and Jay to deliver a series of talks and share best practice for preserving the woodlands. There will also be opportunities for networking.
Over the last 18 months the DVLP has been working with Haycock and Jay on the ‘Woodland Discovery Project’ to survey five key priority sites across Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham. The project aims to help volunteers in the community record the plants and animals in woodland habitats, so they can guide the future management and monitoring of the sites.
Roseanna Burton, community officer at the DVLP, said: “This event is a fantastic opportunity to network with like-minded individuals and discuss the future of our woodlands. We’re really looking forward to sharing the findings of our survey and meeting new and existing volunteers who share our passion for protecting our local plants and wildlife.”
Steve Heaton, ecologist at Haycock and Jay, said: “This event is a celebration of the fantastic work we’ve been doing with the DVLP and it’s a great way of showcasing the project. We’ve seen lots of enthusiasm for the woodlands around the Dearne Valley from local volunteers and we’re hoping that this event will encourage more people to help preserve these areas in the years to come.”
The free ‘Your Woods, Your Future’ conference is open to anyone interested in finding out more about the wildlife and history of their local woodlands. Tickets can be booked via Eventbrite.
The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership is a five-year scheme running until June 2019, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
For more information on the DVLP, visit: www.discoverdearne.org.uk
Notes to editor
Media contact: Charlotte Goldthorpe at Capital B Media on 01226 766900 or at charlotte@capitalbmedia.co.uk
Image shows Howell Wood Country Park, Doncaster.
The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership
The lead partner of the The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership is Barnsley Council with a partnership that includes Rotherham and Doncaster Councils, the RSPB, Natural England, the Environment Agency, the Garganey Trust and others. The DVLP is part of Barnsley Museums & Heritage Services and is based at Elsecar Heritage Centre. www.discoverdearne.org.uk
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
The National Lottery Heritage Fund uses money raised by players of the National Lottery to inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/
Woodland Discovery Project
The Woodland Discovery Project has focused on five key woodlands across the Dearne Valley and several smaller woodlands which connect to them. The project has included an exciting range of events including dawn chorus walks, woodland wildflower walks, woodland survey training, bat discovery walks and amphibian safaris.
Simple management plans have been produced for each woodland to help local volunteers and ‘Friends of Groups’ manage the woodlands, and a resource pack has been compiled to provide information on how to record wildlife. The DVLP estimates that each site has generated around 1,000 new records of plants and animals which were previously unrecorded.
This press release was prepared by Capital B Media, a public relations and media training agency based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. For more information, please visit www.capitalbmedia.co.uk.
