Farmers and landowners are rightly considered the principal guardians of Yorkshire’s magnificent natural beauty and rural cultural heritage. But they are also massively supported by the public sector – government agencies such as Natural England, the Environment Agency, and Historic England. But what is too often undervalued is the huge contribution made by third sector organisations – the amazing network of voluntary groups, large and small, that give so much to help conserve, protect, and crucially increase our understanding of Yorkshire’s countryside.
Guardians of the countryside
Some of these are very large, regional bodies or local branches of national organisations that actually own and manage land, buildings, and nature reserves, such as the National Trust, English Heritage and the RSPB. Some, like the 47,000 member Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, are Yorkshire based and draw huge support both in terms of financial backing but also active volunteers from across the region. Many, including local wildlife trusts and our regional network of local civic societies, are based in towns and cities.
Our Yorkshire National Parks have their own dedicated support groups such as the Friends of the Dales and North Yorkshire Moors Association. Some groups are focused on particular scientific and cultural interests, such as the Yorkshire Historical and Archaeological Society, or the Yorkshire Dialect Society. But there are also the amazing groups in villages and small townships, proud of their local history and heritage, who work with landowners and businesses, to protect their natural and built heritage.
Yorkshire passion and pride
The contribution of these voluntary groups who in many cases work closely with estate owners, and countless small rural businesses, is immense. Every weekend, and even during the week, groups are planting trees, clearing scrub, tending gardens, restoring peat bogs, replanting meadows, and recording birds, small mammals, rare plants and insects. They raise money through subscriptions, donations, and grants to help pay for projects, often on private land, to improve biodiversity, or help restore a derelict building of historic interest, or maybe run a small museum.
Much is achieved in partnership with local authorities. The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust support the National Park for example by raising enough money to restore barns and walls, and plant well over a million trees in the Yorkshire Dales. Voluntary groups also have a crucial educational role, producing leaflets, pamphlets, and books to interpret and explain the countryside and its rich history, leading guided walks, and arranging visits.
This all helps to educate and inform, building up awareness and responsible behaviour, and in the long term, creating stronger political support, not only for funding conservation projects, but measures to support rural communities, especially the farming community, and helping to bridge the urban-rural divide. Groups also bring significant benefits to rural economies as their members spend money in local shops and services, such as B&Bs and pubs.
Uniting through the Yorkshire Heritage Guardian’s network
Around 70 of the region’s leading and in some cases quite small voluntary environmental and cultural heritage groups are now linked through the Yorkshire Heritage Guardians network. Every Spring, the Yorkshire Society organises the Yorkshire Heritage Summit with an exhibition, open to the public, in a different Yorkshire town. This is an opportunity for organisations to present what they do, networking with each other, sharing information, campaigns, and new ideas. Part of the day is devoted to a symposium where delegates meet to discuss topics of mutual interest.
This year the Yorkshire Heritage Summit will take place in Skipton, North Yorkshire on Tuesday 13 May in the town’s magnificently restored town hall. As well as the free exhibition, there will be guided walks around the historic market town led by the Skipton Civic Society and an evening of local folk music. Full details are available here.
