Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎

Police are appealing for information about two pine martens missing in Cumbria. Details in the article below.

www.facebook.com/share/1BR1be...

All our volunteering dates and other events (including a Halloween bat walk 🦇 & tree planting days 🌳) are listed on our website (link below). Dates for our partner project at Miterdale are also listed.
bag.leeds.ac.uk/projects/res...
@envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social

...and a slow worm. Thanks Izzy!
@envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social

...here's a deer just about making a river crossing...

Izzy, our seasonal field worker, has had a busy summer helping us with baseline habitat and species monitoring. She's also sent us some great video clips...the first is a badger...

Restoring Hardknott Forest Summer Newsletter out now. Featuring a sleeping dormouse, aspen and oak propagation, we're in an art exhibition, habitat monitoring and volunteer dates and events. Plus two different poos.
mailchi.mp/leeds.ac.uk/...

Our Summer newsletter is out later today & features a sleeping dormouse, tree propagation hints & tips, we feature in an art exhibition, habitat monitoring, plus volunteer dates & events. Also two different poos. Sign up link below
mailchi.mp/1dd189bd3314...

@envleeds.bsky.social

We first met Dan as a volunteer at Hardknott, & he also helps us with our annual bird surveys. Dan's site is fantastic for invertebrates (it's one of UK's dragonfly hotspots) and of course there were some cool birds spotted too (ospreys, barn owls, marsh harrier, avocets). Thanks for your time Dan!

1/2. One of our favourite aspects of our work (after ticks and bad weather) is collaborating and sharing knowledge with other projects. This week we enjoyed a visit to the @rspb.bsky.social reserve at Campfield Marsh hosted by Dan, one of wardens there.
@leedsleaf.bsky.social @envleeds.bsky.social

We've recently run two days of "Dry stone walling for beginners". A lot of the time there isn't anything at all dry about walling in the Lake District, but we got lucky with the weather & the wall is definitely more up than it was at the beginning of the day, thanks to everyone's hard work.

Thanks Chris, just checking before updating my cv.

We really enjoyed working (some would say modelling) with writer & photographer @chrisroutledge.bsky.social on his Wildwood project. More info here: chrisroutledge.pictures/wildwood

How dare you!

It's going to be our first time at the Krankenhaus Festival. Come & find us at our stall and look out for our guided walk to visit the Nature Rich Miterdale project. @envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social

New research investigates role of natural processes to create woodland - Forest Research New research reviewing natural processes as a method for woodland creation has been published by Forest Research.

Great to see Hardknott used as a case study in this research into natural tree regeneration.

New research investigates role of natural processes to create woodland - Forest Research share.google/MZ0LqvYffULI...

Led by a man literally outstanding in his field, Duddon Valley farmer Paddy Deady showed Millom School students around his hay meadows this week. We had a go at some flower & grass ID, with time for a trip across the stepping stones before the bus back to school. @envleeds.bsky.social

We were ring barking on our volunteer day at the weekend. This will create some fantastic standing dead wood habitat, as well as removing some non-native trees. Great to have some new faces along as well as the regulars. Thanks everyone! @envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social

If you've a bit of spare time this Sunday then get in touch with our friends at the Duddon Rivers Association. Balsam bashing is easy & fun, and has immediate results.

If you've a bit of spare time this Sunday then get in touch with our friends at the Duddon Rivers Association. Balsam bashing is easy & fun, and has immediate results.

Two smiling school pupils crouched on the scrubby ground, planting a sapling

A red squirrel sitting on a fallen tree in the forest

School pupils and teacher standing on the hill, planting and maintaining saplings

Two people holding black lambs in front of a farmhouse

Last month, pupils from Millom School joined @hardknottforest.bsky.social to learn about practical conservation and nature-friendly farming.

They planted trees and wildflowers, set up cameras to observe wildlife, and worked with local farmers.

environment.leeds.ac.uk/news/article...

@domspracklen.bsky.social

YouTube video by Restoring Hardknott Forest Restoring Hardknott Forest: Red Squirrel in Great Wood

Red squirrel fans should enjoy our latest YouTube video. The camera was set up by Millom School students on their recent visit. @envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social @naturalengland.bsky.social
youtu.be/ESiq6ASPHvg?...

Our group from Millom School had their final session with us last week, with a new group starting next week. Woodland adventures, tree watering & a bird & mammal skull ID session completed their 6 sessions nicely. @envleeds.bsky.social @naturalengland.bsky.social @cumbriawildlife.bsky.social

You're not wrong!

Another cracking walking film by Neil @lakedistrictfilms.bsky.social. Neil also "just happens" to be working on a documentary about us!

Cute & iconic mammals (otherwise known as our Site Officers Jess & John) spent a day with @naturalengland.bsky.social last week helping monitor dormice a few years on from a reintroduction project. They're doing well, with 15 individuals found & checked, including one which was heard snoring...

Coverage for our work with Millom School which was supported by @northernmonk.bsky.social

www.facebook.com/share/p/1BcP...

Unusually even the butterflies were cooperating with our visiting film maker Sam this week. Good to see evidence of the success of our wildflower planting. More on Sam's work with us in the next newsletter. mailchi.mp/1dd189bd3314...

Be Tick Aware Campaign 2025 - Lyme Disease UK May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Every year, Lyme Disease UK runs a national tick bite awareness and Lyme disease prevention campaign.

There are zillions of ticks around at the moment. Get informed about the risks from tick bites below. Please share.
@envleeds.bsky.social

lymediseaseuk.com/2025/02/17/b...

There's some decent ring ouzel habitat in the Upper Duddon area & we've heard them calling in the past. But we now have our first official record from up on the flanks of Harter Fell. We hope habitat improvements (eg planting juniper) will help this declining species. @envleeds.bsky.social