Local wildlife charity accuses government of betraying naturePhoto of the Week: One of our most majestic birdsThe volunteers at Harrogate district’s nature reserves working through winterPhoto of the week: a deer at Staveley Nature ReserveSunday Picture Quiz Answers: May 25Harrogate disability charity launches accessible walking route packs

A Harrogate disability charity has launched a range of accessible route packs to help more people to access the outdoors.

Open Country has produced a range of ‘breakfree’ packs offering inspiration on great places to walk, wheel, stroll, or cycle, covering the Harrogate district.

The charity helps people with disabilities to access the countryside. It offers daily activities for disabled people, including walks, conservation projects, allotment clubs, tandems clubs and adventure clubs.

The packs have been launched to celebrate National Walking Month, which takes place in May.

The Harrogate routes include the Beryl Burton cycleway, Staveley Nature Reserve, Pateley Bridge Glasshouses and the Valley Gardens.

A spokesperson for Open Country said:

“The free packs have been specially developed with wheelchair users in mind, but they could also support anyone who might struggle with exercise, limited mobility or even families with pushchairs.”

“Each trail features clear, colour maps for each location, with all the information needed to help plan a trip out, including access to facilities and points of interest.”

Open Country walks

The ‘breakfree packs’ also cover Leeds, Wakefield, Wharfedale and York. A range of audio walks are also available on the Open Country website or on their YouTube channel, so that people can enjoy fully descriptive walks from the comfort of their own home.

The charity also provides advice for landowners and organisations on accessibility issues through its Countryside Advice Service.

Packs are available to download here or the charity can to deliver or post packs in bulk to organisations. To request packs contact community@opencountry.org

An available breakfree map from Open Country, the Beryl Burton cycleway

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Reader’s photo: Mandarin duck on River Nidd

Amateur photographer Mike White has sent this photo of a Mandarin duck on the River Nidd at Birstwith.

The brightly coloured waterbirds were introduced to the UK from China and escaped captivity. With their elaborate plumage, they are easily distinguishable but are shy creatures who like to hide.

Mr White, who has photographed the birds annually, said he has seen one pair — a male and a female — at Birstwith so far this year.

He also sent us these two photos he took recently at Staveley Nature Reserve.

Send us your photographs of the Harrogate district to contact@thestrayferret.co.uk

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Bid to create butterfly bank and dipping pool at Staveley nature reserve

A fundraising appeal has been launched to improve Staveley Nature Reserve.

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, which owns the wetlands site between Boroughbridge and Knaresborough, plans to introduce new features and increase the number of visitors.

The proposals include the creation of a butterfly bank — a type of chalk grassland habitat — so people will be able to see more butterflies across the wildflower meadows.

The trust also wants to create a dipping pond and platform at the edge of one of the pools so it can run pond-dipping sessions, which are popular with children.

There are also plans to install a toilet so the site can cater for school visits and events and enable volunteers to work longer.

Pic: Jono Leadley (10)

A barn owl at Staveley. Pic: Carl Watts

The reserve, which is close to the River Tutt just outside Staveley, is one of 111 sites owned by the trust and attracts almost 40,000 visitors a year. Entry is free.

Staveley is home to hundreds of species including otters, water shrews, foxes, roe deer and more than 150 species of bird including bitterns and barn owls.

Over autumn and winter the reserve hosts spectacular starling murmurations, bats and kites.

Staveley. Pic: Paul Fox

A goldfinch and linnet flock. Pic: Carl Watts

The trust hopes to raise £20,000 from a public fundraising appeal and will also apply for grants.

The goal is to raise funds before February next year so work can begin in spring.

Staveley reserve manager Laura Harman said:

“Staveley is hugely important for Yorkshire’s wildlife, but also offers a unique space for local people and visitors to experience and enjoy the benefits of being in nature.

“As well as creating even more habitat space for wildlife such as butterflies and breeding birds, we want to improve routes and information, facilities like pond dipping and activities for schools – to make Staveley nature reserve a welcoming, easily accessible and inspiring place for everyone.”

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Photo of the Week: Staveley Nature Reserve

This week’s photograph was taken by Michael White, capturing a Blue tit in Staveley Nature Reserve.

Michael White

 

Photo of the Week celebrates the Harrogate district. It could be anything from family life to capturing the district’s beauty. We are interested in amateur and professional photographs, in a landscape format.

Send your photographs to letters@thestrayferret.co.uk for a chance to be featured next week, we reserve the right to adjust and crop images to fit into our format.

Harrogate district villagers demonstrate against 73-home scheme

Villagers in Staveley demonstrated last weekend against a planned scheme for 73 homes near a nature reserve.

Thomas Alexander Homes, which is based in Leeds, has tabled the proposal to Harrogate Borough Council for land off Minskip Road near to Staveley Nature Reserve.

The plan would see a mixture of one, two, three, four and five-bedroom houses built in the village, which is between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge. The developer has also earmarked 40% of the homes as affordable.

However, residents armed with placards took to the village green on Saturday to protest against the plan which they say would be “utter madness”.

Graham Bowland, from Staveley Residents Action Group, said residents had also written to the council to object to the scheme.

He said:

“As of today there are 130 resident objection letters with Harrogate Borough Council – either processed or being processed.

“We bombarded them with actual letters given the lack of opportunity to use the planning portal over the past couple of weeks.”

The portal, which allows people to comment on planning applications, was down for over a week until last week.

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Residents previously raised objections at a village hall meeting this month.

The developer said in its plans the site represented a “logical extension” to the village.

It said:

“The proposal forms a logical extension to Staveley, the local authority concurred with this assessment by allocating the site for residential development to the scale of approximately 72 dwellings.”