The seventh annual ‘Let’s Learn Moor’ event, hosted over five days in July, has been a runaway success.
An extraordinary 2,600 children from 75 schools across the North of England visited the moors to find out about the precious habitats, people and wildlife of the uplands.
The event is organised by the Regional Moorland Groups, Countryside Learning and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) with upland estates and a total of 53 organisations contributing to this incredible initiative.
A wide variety of rural tasks and topics were covered, from the countryside code, wildfire prevention, mountain rescue, identification of flora and fauna, sheep shearing, gundog training, river conservation, beekeeping and more. Many of the children also had the opportunity to taste game or venison for the first time.
Tracy Johnson of the Nidderdale Moorland Group said: “It was great to get the children out of the classroom and into the fresh air to let them see for themselves the vital conservation work that takes place on the moors. It is important to show the next generation how we are working together to protect this rare landscape and the balance between communities and nature.
“There is no substitute for seeing things with your own eyes and we hope to inspire young people to consider a rural career too. Several of the children talked about wanting to become a gamekeeper, a farmer or a shepherd, which is a brilliant result. They are the future.”
Huge congratulations and thanks to all those who work tirelessly to make this initiative such a success.