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Nature
Latest news, advice and opinion concerning nature and wildlife on UK moorland.
High rainfall blights bird nesting on the moors
The Moorland Association reports a poor breeding season for moorland birds, including hen harriers, as the exceptionally wet weather has...
Rob Beeson
Jun 26, 20242 min read
Cunning curlew rescue proves a success
Gamekeepers in the Yorkshire Dales hatched a cunning plan to save a clutch of curlew eggs after the mother bird was sadly killed by a dog...
Rob Beeson
Jun 20, 20242 min read
Letter to The Guardian in response to Guy Shrubsole's attack on landowners
The following letter for publication has been sent to The Guardian by Andrew Gilruth, Chief Executive of the Moorland Association. Sir,...
Andrew Gilruth
Jun 20, 20241 min read
Moorland Association statement on Labour Party manifesto
The Moorland Association welcomes the commitment within the Labour Party’s manifesto, published today, that Labour, if elected, will...
Andrew Gilruth
Jun 13, 20241 min read
Moorland safaris showcase rare birds of the North York Moors
Landowners in the North York Moors are hosting a series of Moorland Safaris to celebrate the thriving birdlife on grouse moors in the...
Rob Beeson
Jun 12, 20242 min read
Osprey chicks hatch at Bolton Estate
The Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group and Bolton Estate report that the Osprey at Bolton have had a successful hatching. When the Osprey...
Rob Beeson
Jun 7, 20241 min read
Record high for curlew on Wensleydale Estate
The Bolton Estate in Wensleydale is celebrating a record number of nesting Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) this year, with an...
Rob Beeson
May 30, 20242 min read
Predation from all directions
The following letter from Stephen Ramsden was published in Farmers Guardian this week. 14 May 2024 Predation from all directions The...
Rob Beeson
May 15, 20241 min read
Curlew Celebrations on the Moors
A series of events have taken place in the uplands celebrating the curlew, to coincide with World Curlew Day on 21 April. In the North...
Rob Beeson
May 10, 20242 min read
World Curlew Day celebrations on North York Moors
The Moorland Association supported celebrations to mark World Curlew Day this weekend in the North York Moors, with internationally...
Rob Beeson
Apr 22, 20242 min read
Drones could help cut cost of peatland restoration
A pioneering research project is testing whether drones could cut the cost of peatland restoration in Yorkshire. Swinton Estate, a member...
Rob Beeson
Apr 11, 20244 min read
We know how to protect our much-loved ground-nesting birds – just let us get on with it!
What does ‘boosting biodiversity’ actually mean? The question is important because it underpins government policy, funding, regulation...
Andrew Gilruth
Apr 3, 20242 min read
Time to thank those who have protected some of the rarest habitat on the planet
The following letter from Andrew Gilruth was sent to the Telegraph in response to an article calling for grouse shooting and farming to...
Andrew Gilruth
Mar 20, 20241 min read
Private landowners make better Conservationists
In response to the excellent article by Matt Ridley in the current issue of The Spectator, the following letter was sent to the magazine...
Andrew Gilruth
Mar 19, 20241 min read
Hidden treasures of moorland in the winter
The moors of Yorkshire are known and loved for their abundance of heather in the summer, but there are a wealth of other natural species...
Rob Beeson
Feb 5, 20242 min read
North Pennines a stronghold for Britain's smallest bird of prey, the merlin
The North Pennines support a nationally significant population of merlin and the long-term trend is stable, bucking the trend of decline...
Rob Beeson
Oct 9, 20233 min read
Birds of prey at record high on North York Moors estate
Bird of prey sightings on a North York Moors estate have risen to record levels. Spaunton Estate, which carries out detailed species...
Rob Beeson
Jun 22, 20232 min read
Largest ever curlew conservation project begins in Yorkshire Dales
The largest translocation of curlew eggs ever undertaken begins next week, with 120 eggs due to be transported from the Yorkshire Dales...
Rob Beeson
May 12, 20233 min read
Curlew four times as likely to fledge chicks successfully on a grouse moor
World Curlew Day – is an opportunity to celebrate the much-loved curlew. The Moorland Association welcomes new research which shows that...
Rob Beeson
Apr 21, 20232 min read
Peak District farmers join forces for conservation
A group of hill farmers has created a pioneering environmental cooperative to protect against the effects of climate change and boost...
Rob Beeson
Feb 17, 20233 min read
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