Events Press Release to the Ilkley Gazette
Throughout the year we send out regular press releases to help publicise our activities. During our Events and Learning Programme, which runs from April to October, we are sending out press releases every month and sometimes weekly!
Here is an example of one we sent out in August 2017:
“The latest Friends of Ilkley Moor August summer holiday event for families took place on Ilkley Moor.
Guided walks, led by Tracy Gray from the FoIM, were organised so that young people could discover and explore the tarns and streams of Ilkley Moor and the plants and animals which use them.
Pond dipping was undertaken to identify and record the invertebrates and amphibians which live in the tarn. Wetland plants in and around the tarns were also identified and recorded. In addition children learnt about the mammals which could be found there by identifying their signs and tracks.
All of the species discovered, were recorded as part of the ‘Big Ilkley Moor Survey’, which forms part of the Friends of Ilkley Moor’s new ‘Nature for all Project’. The aim of the project is to provide the local community with opportunities to identify survey and record the wildlife of Ilkley Moor.
Anybody who is interested in the project please contact Tracy Gray. The project offers the local community, schools, colleges, youth groups, volunteers and other organisations and individuals opportunities to gain skills in learning how to undertake wildlife surveys using standardised methodology; and also how to identify and discover wildlife in a fun way.
The group walked along the lower slopes of the moor, and then across to a wetland area before climbing up to the stream and upper tarn close to White Wells Spa cottage, to be shown the plants and animals characteristic of the tarns and streams and surrounding habitat.
A great range of plants were discovered including heather, cross leaved heather, bilberry, cowberry, bracken, lemon scented fern, lichens, gorse, rowan, hazel, oak, goat willow, ash, and birch trees; water horsetail, marsh pennywort, yellow iris, lesser spearwort, jointed rush, soft rush and the grasses of yorkshire fog, crested dogs tail, cocksfoot, sweet vernal grass and meadow grass. Species recorded from the tarn were pond skaters, freshwater shrimps, water snails, water bugs, and sticklebacks.
As well as exploring the upper and lower tarns and the streams the groups were shown the natural spring behind White Wells cottage, the famous plunge pool and learnt about the history of Ilkley Moor as a spa town.
Everyone had a great time on the event and look forward to attending more events from this year’s Events and Learning Programme”.