Jewels of the Dales is a new Landscape Connections project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project aims to create a holistic approach to conserving rare and iconic plant species and assemblages in the Yorkshire Dales, whilst supporting the livelihoods of local farmers and developing new ways for people to experience and value this natural heritage.
What is Landscape Connections?
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is investing £150 million over 10 years to support large-scale projects that revive landscapes, support nature recovery and enhance the connections between people and wildlife across the UK.
Using money raised by National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities with the UK’s heritage. Jewels of the Dales is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Why is the project needed?
Our plant heritage is declining. The Yorkshire Dales support some of England’s rarest and best-loved species, but many are starting to disappear as changes in farming practice, land use and climate threaten their existence. Without action, common plants will become rare, and rare species will be lost forever.
A new kind of focused conservation effort can help recover them: one that uses a landscape-scale approach that seeks to establish a flourishing network of habitats through supporting sustainable and nature-friendly farming, alongside people engagement.
Main aims of the project
Jewels of the Dales aims to transform and revitalise the rich, wildflower-filled landscape of the Yorkshire Dales by supporting the viability and retention of low-input livestock farming, combined with specialist, species-specific conservation work to restore our rare, threatened and culturally significant plants (‘the jewels’).
We will work towards a livelihood-based approach that supports and enables nature-friendly farming, reduces reliance on artificial inputs which can damage fragile ecosystems, and establishes a modern version of a traditional landscape, alive with wildflowers, insects, stonewalls, hedgerows and niche habitats.
Access can be an emotive topic in the countryside, and there are many different barriers that can prevent people from traveling to and enjoying the National Park. Jewels of the Dales will partner with the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust to promote access and engagement of Jewels species and sites.
What we will do
Jewels of the Dales is currently in the ‘Pre-Development’ stage, which is all about laying the groundwork from which the rest of the project will grow. We are working to engage landowners, build partnerships and develop action plans which will form the basis for long-term delivery and a large, landscape-scale project.
The project will work to form a network of ‘hubs’ across the National Park where resources will be targeted. As part of the pre-development stage, we are working with a Botanical Advisor to identify an assemblage of plant species which will become the ‘Jewels of the Dales.’ We will be working with at least two pilot hubs to understand what land management works could be undertaken, before progressing to the delivery stages of the project. We will also use these hubs to gain an understanding of the barriers for access to our Jewels species and will run pilot events co-designed with underserved communities to encourage connections with nature.
Contact us
For more information on the project, please contact:
Robyn Guppy (Project Manager)
robyn.guppy@yorkshiredales.org.uk
01756751604
Annabel Rockliff (Project Officer)
annabel.rockliff@yorkshiredales.org.uk
01756751605
