Early in 2020 the director of the Lower Ure Conservation Trust Simon Warwick hosted a day-long seminar to look at ways of boosting our local ecology and enhance interest in our ancient history and its archaeology.
LUCT has with local support achieved a lot at its Nosterfield reserve over the past20-odd years. But could we do more and if so how? This is such a special area – with the nature reserves and Thornborough Henges, what else could we be doing to care for them and make them accessible?
Then there is the quarrying - what will happen to those areas once the sand and gravel has been extracted? Can these sites be part of a shared landscape vision for the future? We have lost so much of our prized and species-rich wet grassland and fen in the past 100 years. This could be our chance to redress some of those losses.
Twenty-three delegates from Hstoric England, Natural England, North Yorkshire County Council, RSPB, Tarmac and the LUCT spent the morning touring the nature reserve and the Henges and then in the afternoon joined in the discussions.
There was unequivocal praise for the work done by our volunteers at our plant nursery in growing rare fenland species once common in a bygone era. 4,000 lapwings flying above the reserve was a great spectacle and the birders in the party were agog at the sight of a lesser yellowlegs on the one tiny island that remained on the main lake after so much rain.
The afternoon discussions provided a heart-warming equinimity of view about a way forward....nothing grandiose but hopefully achievable aims over a relatively short-term of 3-5 years.
The plan now is for a small working group from the organisations involved to be set up to make this a reality.
The group will look at among other things ....
* “Branding” the wider area, promoting the archaeology of the henges through better interpretation and publicising the improved ecology which comes from post-quarrying sites
* Raising funds for specific projects.
* Encourage local businesses to get involved through carbon off-setting.
* Closer cooperation with regional nature reserves such as High Batts and Ripon City Quarries.
* Habitat creation to encourage a “honeypot” fenland bird species to begin breeding...eg common crane, marsh harrier and spotted crake.
These are early days but there was an enthusiasm from the day which LUCT hope will be built on. We await the next steps with interest and will keep you fully informed of developments.