Moors bus - the green way to explore the North York Moors

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Moorsbus is a bus service that is designed to help people explore the North Yorkshire Moors and in doing so reduce the number of vehicles that use the roads in and around the Moors. Traffic is a big problem for the North Yorkshire Moors and you only need to spend five minutes at the top of Sutton Bank near Thirsk counting the cars that pass the Visitor's Centre to appreciate the problem.

There is a network of Moorsbuses that run every Sunday and Bank Holiday during the Spring and Summer months with a daily service available on most routes during the school summer holidays. There are various Moorsbus routes and the good news for anyone wanting to travel is that there are "All Day Travel" tickets available that offer unlimited travel on certain routes and on many routes children travel free with fee paying adults. Tickets for rail and bus can be combined which makes for an excellent day out.

The Moorsbus started this year on Sunday 1st April and runs until 28th October. Anyone interested in planning a route please visit the North Yorks Moors website where all the timetable information can be found.

Film: The Orchards of Husthwaite

In this video Cameron Smith, trustee of the Orchards of Husthwaite project, describes the history, the management and the successes of this village initiative. A truly inspiring community project the lessons of which can surely be replicated elsewhere and not just with apple orchards.



About the Orchards of Husthwaite

Husthwaite has been known for many years as the Orchard Village due to its history of fruit growing and jam manufacture dating back for three centuries. Many of the houses (garths) had large fertile gardens with productive orchards and villagers were able to ensure that fruit growing was effectively utilised.

Production reached a peak during the First World War when fresh fruit was transported from the now defunct Husthwaite railway station. By the late 1960's nearly all of the existing orchards had been removed and there was very little evidence of the village's heritage.

The Orchards of Husthwaite Co-Operative was formed in 2009 with the intention of replanting the vanishing orchards and using the fruit to make and sell a variety of products.

The first phase of the project has been the replacement of the estimated 80% of trees that had disappeared since the 1950s. This has involved planting over 500 new trees in and around the village. In order to ensure replacement continuity a nursery of rootstock trees has been established in the village.

The second phase started in 2010 and involves the production and sale of cider, fruit juice and related products. Any surpluses will be used to support village activities and projects.

Useful Links:

Orchards of Husthwaite

Northern Fruit Group

Husthwaite Village.

Husthwaite History

Husthwaite School

LEADER Funding available

An outstanding performance in managing a rural development programme has secured a further £280,000 for some North Yorkshire communities.

Government department Defra is providing additional funds to 30 of the nation's 64 Leader schemes including the North York Moors, Coast and Hills programme which has received the second highest award.

Following the announcement, applications are now being invited to fund new community-led projects of up to £30,000. In particular, projects are being sought that aim to raise awareness of what the area offers visitors, reduce a community's carbon footprint, retain or improve local services or provide facilities or activities for young people.

Deans Garden Centre, Scarborough joins Made Aware campaign

As the summer season is at last upon us we start to spend more time in the garden and perhaps think about garden furniture and BBQs. Eco-credibility has always been a slightly touchy subject for manufacturers of outdoor furniture which was often made from highly durable but unsustainably derived mahogany. Similarly the usage and disposal of BBQs often to my mind negates the whole point of being outside enjoying a cook out in the first place.

Enter Made Aware

Made Aware is an environmental improvement scheme that requires participating members to take progressive action to reduce the environmental impact of the production, usage and disposal of their BBQ and garden furniture products.

Each year these suppliers must implement a new worthwhile improvement that can be measured.

Dean's Garden Centre has joined the Made Aware campaign,and its range of outdoor furniture and barbecues will carry the Made Aware label. This shows that the products are from suppliers who are taking progressive action to reduce their impact upon the environment and improve the welfare of the people who make them.

Dean’s has outlets in York and Scarbrough, As part of the scheme, customers can learn more about the environmental and ethical manufacturing processes on a “wishing tree”, on which they can also write their own environmental wish, which will go on display at the garden centre.

Find out more about Made Aware.

Green light set for York's environmental status bid

York has its eyes set on becoming a city recognised for its green credentials when it comes to development.

The council's cabinet strategy member will be asked today (May 21st 2012) to agree proposals that will improve its status as a leading environmentally friendly and sustainable city.

Councillor Dave Merrett will discuss how to improve the standards of sustainable development through the authority's planning system, by working through specific recommendations over the coming year.

Recommendations include investigating what local builders and developers would find useful to help them design more sustainable developments and assessing skills gaps and training and development opportunities.

The council believes it has led by example with developments such as the Hazel Court eco depot and the authority's new accommodation at West Offices, proof that that re-use of historic buildings can achieve high standards of sustainable design and construction.

Exceptions

Cllr Merrett said: “Examples like Joseph Rowntree’s Derwenthorpe housing development, where units are fast being snapped up, and the Discus Bungalow eco homes in St Ann’s Court are great examples of sustainable developments, but so far they’re exceptions rather than the norm.

"Alongside the wider challenges to the industry, we recognise there’s also limited knowledge and some caution regarding more sustainable designs, and we’d like to encourage the development community to help overcome these barriers.

"The intention here is to convince developers of the long-term benefits of investing in more sustainable developments.”

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Investors in the Environment launches in Yorkshire

A new not-for-profit scheme has launched to help local businesses save money while helping the environment.

‘Investors in the Environment’ rewards eco-friendly businesses with recognised business accreditation. The scheme has three accreditation levels, meaning that businesses of all sizes can benefit from it. And, with the introduction of the green deal in Autumn 2012, members will be kept up to date with the new funding structures and the government legislation this involves.

Businesses that sign up will also benefit from a free events programme and plenty of networking opportunities in the area.

The scheme is managed by Yorkshire Energy Partnership, and Chief Executive, Hugh Cripps, is keen for businesses to realise the benefits of the scheme:

 He said: “The government has set high-priority targets for improving energy efficiency and businesses are discovering that there are also financial benefits to cutting carbon.

 “Whether businesses are just starting out on their green journey or if they already have an environmental management system in place, Investors in the Environment has a level to suit all needs.

 To pledge your support and receive free newsletters and information about Investors in the Environment – or to join - call 01904 55 44 06. Alternatively, email iie@energypartnership.org.uk

Conservationists take to the North York Moors to help ratty

Endangered water voles in Langdale Forest, near Pickering, are set to benefit from work to dam woodland watercourses and remove conifers from the species’  streamside haunts.

The Forestry Commission has linked up with the North York Moors National Park Authority and National Trust to extend habitat creation work, funded by £24,000 from an Environment Agency scheme to improve water quality.

Water voles – beloved as Ratty in Wind in the Willows – were once commonplace, but the escape of predatory mink into the British countryside and fewer suitable habitats saw their fortunes collapse.  Now they are now on the critical list and Langdale Forest and the eastern moors  may be their only haven in the North York Moors National Park.

However, the future could be looking brighter.

Brian Walker, Forestry Commission Wildlife Officer, explained:

“Water voles are thought of as a creature of lowland river streams, not upland moors and forest like Langdale.  One theory is that they sought refuge from highly predatory mink in rivers like the Esk and Derwent.  But it could be that they've been here all along and no one thought to look until they were found in the 1980s.  So far we have identified around half a dozen sites, with a couple more in nearby Sneaton Forest.  It’s a very important colony and over the years we have been tweaking the environment to its advantage.”

The latest work aims to improve water quality by reducing sediment and creating the kind of clean pools the creature loves. But the work will also help other wildlife, including fish.

Ami Walker, North York Moors National Park Authority’s Agri-Environment Officer, commented:

“This project is a great example of the benefits working in partnership can bring. By pooling resources, knowledge and expertise we can begin to make a real difference to the wildlife and habitats of the North York Moors National Park.”

Environment Agency officer Allison Pierre said:

“This is an important project which has helped to boost the quality of the water in the streams, and we are delighted to have been able to help fund it. Our rivers are the healthiest for 20 years, but we are doing even more to improve water quality and biodiversity. By reducing the sediment in these forest streams, we can encourage fish, water voles and other wildlife to thrive.”

Another positive development for ratty could be the return of the otter.  It seems they do not tolerate the presence of mink, although no-one quite knows the mechanics of the frosty relationship. 

“Fewer mink may allow water voles to branch out again.  That would be very good news to prevent the fragmentation of the species,” adds Brian Walker.

Big Pond Dip 2012

Everyone knows that one of the best things you can do for wildlife in the garden is to put in a pond. But amazingly nobody really knows what you need to do to make a great wildlife garden pond.

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 What's the best size and depth? How important is really clean water? What should the edges be like? Is there enough shallow water? There are lots of myths about making ponds in garden - now we want to try to get to the real truth.

By taking part in the Big Pond Dip, you are helping Pond Conservation to find out what is living in garden and school ponds, to start answering some of these questions.

The information you gather will tell us how good garden ponds are for wildlife. It will also help us to tell what types of pond support the most animal life.

We will use this information to give advice about how to make garden ponds even better for wildlife.

Find out more by visiting the Pond Conservation website.

Sustaining communities in an emergency

Filmed in the cosy public bar at the White Swan Inn, Katie Speed, Emergency Planning Officer for North Yorkshire County Council, describes her work and what local communities can do to be prepared for an emergency.
 

 The North Yorkshire County Council emergency planning unit has the responsibility to plan for a wide variety of potential emergencies and incidents on behalf of the Council and the six districts in North Yorkshire, as well as supporting regional and national responses to severe events.

Being prepared for major incidents and emergencies such as flooding, large industrial accidents, power cuts or severe weather will help reduce the fear, anxiety, anger, cost and sense of loss that such events can bring. If you know what to do and have made simple precautions, then the impact on you and your loved ones can be drastically reduced.

Transition Town April Podcast

In this month’s Transition podcast, we hear about Transition Guelph‘s recent ‘Resilience Festival’, what Marsden and Slaithwaite Transition Towns did with their LEAF funding, and what happened when Transition Belper suggested turning a local car park into a vegetable garden.



You can listen to more Transition podcasts by clicking here.

Donate your old car to charity

Donate your car today, and you could make a real difference to your favourite charity.

How it works

1. Contact Give A Car

Fill in the form or call the office 020 0011 1664 - all they need is a couple of minutes to go through your details. Once they have your approval, they have a collection agent call you in order to arrange a convenient pick-up time.

2. Your car is picked up

A tow truck usually arrives within 1 to 3 days to pick up your car, though in a few rare cases it may take up to 10 days.

3. Your donation is made

Your car is sent to scrap or auction. Give A Car then donate all the proceeds, after administrative costs, to a charity of your choice. They send you a receipt for your donation, and so will the charity. Both of these receipts should arrive in 6 weeks.

How much can I raise?

Every car is different, but they all will create a valuable donation. Scrap car donations are based solely on the weight of the metal (so CD players/alloy wheels don't add to the donation). If your car is roadworthy, they may be able to raise much more by selling it at auction. Give A Car deal with hundreds of cars, so they know how to get the best value – often trade prices which are higher than private sales.

But is it really worth it?

YES. Every vehicle is worth something, and not just cars – Give A Car take vans, motorbikes and lorries as well. It’s an easy way to get rid of a problem and raise money for a good cause, and at no cost to you.

Find out more.

Walk to School Week 2012

Walk to School Week 2012 will take place between 21-25 May, and this year is anticipated to be the biggest yet. The event is part of national charity Living Streets' Great British Walking Challenge, taking place throughout May - when thousands of people will be walking to school, work, or around their neighbourhoods.


 
Last year over 1 million children in over 4000 schools ditched the school run as part of Walk to School Week. This year, we are challenging classrooms to embark upon a virtual journey from Lands End to John O'Groats as Strider's Walking Challenge.

Everyone can help bring the week to life in the classroom, with the help of our free assembly and lesson plan resources, created especially for Walk to School Week 2012. These are all linked to the theme of Strider's Walking Challenge - lots of small steps can make a big difference! Find out more.

North York Moors Inspired Exhibition - opens May 15th

Leading Yorkshire artists celebrate North York Moors National Park's 60th Anniversary.



'Inspired Landscape' 13 May - until 17 July 2012

At the North York Moors National Park Visitor Centre, Danby.

Find out more here.