Nidderdale National Landscape
Nidderdale National Landscape is in the eastern dales and is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Through our partnership with Nidderdale National Landscape we're helping to support this special landscape - its habitats and wildlife, and fascinating cultural heritage.
Restoring wildflower meadows in Nidderdale
Meadows cover just 1% of land in the UK but can be home to thousands of species of pollinators and other insects.
YDMT and Nidderdale National Landscape joined forces to form the Nidderdale National Landscape Grasslands Project in 2024. The project aims to conserve and restore species-rich hay meadows and improve the ecological value of grasslands in Nidderdale – providing new homes for bees, butterflies and other wildlife and helping to safeguard some of our most scarce native wildflowers.
Working with farmers and landowners the project aims to restore 50 hectares of species-poor grassland every year over the next three years. We will also train volunteers to carry out grassland surveys and help local communities and other groups to learn about our meadows and wildflowers and help to protect them.
Hay Time
YDMT has been delivering landscape-scale meadow restoration since 2006 through our Hay Time project. Working together with Nidderdale National Landscape we now have the chance to expand this work - improving the nature conservation value and extent of our hay meadows and wildflower-rich habitats.
Woodlands
Planting trees is one of the best ways we can protect the health of our planet for future generations. And it’s very close to our hearts at Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. We first started planting trees 25 years, joining forces with other organisations to expand native broadleaf woodlands across the Dales and Nidderdale.
Since 2016 we've planted over 20,000 trees in Nidderdale. Most of these schemes are smaller scale woodlands of all shapes and sizes, including copses, connective planting and hedgerows as well as riparian strips along riverbanks. Smaller scale woodland creation is normally underfunded and overlooked, but has immense value for people, landscape and wildlife. These woodlands will absorb carbon, connect habitats, improve water quality and reduce flooding, as well as providing beautiful spaces for people to enjoy.
Woodale Wood, Scar House Reservoir
Woodale wood was planted in 2018-19 to create an important area of habitat for native wildlife, including endangered species such as common redstart, cuckoo, and black grouse. 9,000 trees planted across the site links and expands existing woodland, with care taken to support biodiversity.
Learn more about our work
Woodlands
25 years ago we joined forces with other organisations to expand tree cover. Since then, we’ve supported the planting of over 1.5 million native broadleaf trees.
Protecting our wetlands
The Long Preston Floodplain Project is a genuine collaboration between landowners and organisations coming together to create a healthy floodplain.
Rural Apprenticeships
Rural Apprenticeships give young people in the Yorkshire Dales, Nidderdale and Cumbria the chance to stay here and gives them skills to help care for these special areas.
