Sustainable Wharfedale - diversity

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Wharfedale contains moor, river and valley, and is home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. See Wharfedale Naturalists for more information on the geology and biology of our area.

What can we do to protect it?

Landowners include:
The Council. We need to lobby against greenbelt being used for housing. There is a suggestion to give care of Ilkley Moor to the National Trust, this is a possible option if the Council cannot afford to keep it undeveloped, but at the moment it is well managed..
Farmers We should find ways of working with them to discourage pesticides and other poisons and encourage hedgerows, wildlife havens and corridors.

The Duke of Devonshire owned Bolton Abbey estate is a wildlife haven as well as a natural area for tourists to enjoy. Ideally it would be better served by public transport.

Some lower hill slopes of Wharfedale could be reforested with native tree species to provide new timber supplies, coppice for energy and natural wildlife habitat.

Pollution load in the River Wharfe should be reduced to improve aquatic biodiversity, including eco-toilets at camping sites, dog restricted riverside areas.

Gardens: if we have any size garden it can be feeding and sheltering wildlife, making compost, absorbing carbon dioxide, absorbing water for collection, protecting against flooding and of course growing food.

Native species and low maintenance permaculture both encourage wildlife and provide maximium resilience in the face of climate variability.

Wharfedale Naturalists undertake a range of activities in the Wharfedale area to conserve biodiversity.
Bradford Environmental Action Trust are planting trees in Wharfedale as part of the Forest of Bradford project