YWT Stirley

03/06/2026

We are excited to share that we have Mikron Theater Company performing at Stirley with their new show Wensleydale Way. We look forward to seeing you there.

Saturday 4th July - 1pm at Stirley.

https://mikron.org.uk/show/operation-beach-hut-stirley/ -events-content

02/06/2026

In honour of National Volunteers Week our volunteer Dry Stone Wall Restoration team were joined by BBC Radio Yorkshire to talk about volunteering with us. Despite the pouring rain (which made the sound recording a challenge!) we managed to hear from two of our volunteers about what volunteering with us is like for them and how rewarding it is to be able to see the progress they are making on our walls. The presenter also tried his hand at putting a bit of stone on the wall.

Did you know that at Stirley there are eight different volunteer roles and almost 50 registered volunteers? We have Breeding Bird Surveyors, Livestock Checkers, Butterfly Surveyors, Practical Conservation Volunteers (Tuesday), Practical Conservation Volunteers (Thursday), Wildlife Friendly Gardeners, Dry Stone Wall Restorers and Events volunteers.

This volunteer week we want to thank all of our volunteers for all their time, dedication and effort. We couldn't do what we do without you all.

You can take a listen below.

The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust volunteers keep walls and habitats alive.

01/06/2026

Aged between 16 to 25 and looking for something fun, active, and rewarding this summer? 📢🌞

Green Skills in the Hills is a brilliant opportunity to get outdoors, learn practical skills, meet new people, and build confidence through fun hands-on activities with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and partners, with sessions based on or near YWT Stirley (near Castle Hill) in Huddersfield.

By taking part, you gain:
• Outdoor & employability skills
• New experiences & connections
• Wild Youth Award certificate after attending 3 sessions🌱
• Great discussion point for CVs, college & job applications

For more information, visit: www.ywt.org.uk/green-skills-hills

Come along, try something new, and enjoy the outdoors this summer!

River Holme Connections Eden's Forest CIC

06/05/2026

Our cattle recently had their semi-regular pedicure (hoof trim). We bring in an hoof trimmer for this work along with his crush that can lift their hooves off of the ground so he can check the hooves for issues and shape them where needed to make them more balanced. This keeps our animals sound and healthy. It is always a facinating day looking at the underside of hooves in a way you normally can't.

05/05/2026

We’re really excited to be working alongside Pinc Woodlands, a specialist college supporting young people with SEND through meaningful outdoor learning, conservation and woodland activities.

This partnership will create new opportunities for learners to connect with nature, build skills and confidence, and take part in hands‑on environmental work here at Stirley. Together, we’re championing inclusive education while caring for our local green spaces.

We’re really excited to see what we can achieve together and to welcome Pinc Woodlands learners to Stirley as this partnership grows. 🌱

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

29/04/2026

Our Stirley bird surveyors were treated this week by a tawny owl peeking out from the branch of a tree. Not a common sight during the daytime. We were all pretty impressed that they spotted it!

30/03/2026

Our YWT Stirley Volunteer Supporters Group are excited about the plans to transform the vegetable garden into a wildlife garden - a place where vegetables and flowers are grown alongside wildlife and people thriving together. Despite the bad weather they've been out marking up areas for our demonstration and communal gardens, and pond/boggy area, removing some of the old veg beds and preparing new growing areas. They've even started work on the first dead hedge. They have so many ideas! They are keeping a photographic record of our progress and will let you know how they are getting on.
This is the site in January this year on a rare sunny day.

23/03/2026

Our team was presented with a challenge recently. One of our livestock checkers noticed that one of our Hebridean sheep was limping. Quite easy to tell which one it was in the field but when you have them penned it is always really hard to work out who it is as a lot of the time they hide soreness in a pen. Saying the black sheep really doesn't help when there are 110 of them!

We try to mitigate this by getting some pictures in the field. In their right ear the sheep have a coloured tag with the colour correlating to the year they were born so that narrows things down a bit. Then we look through those to find the ones with a similar horn shape to the sore one. That will normally leave us with between 2 and 30 animals depending on characteristics. It is then a lot of watching them walking around trying to find the sore one!

We were successful and managed to get her treated before her soreness got any worse. This is why we our animals are checked every day, so we can spot these issues as early as possible.

19/03/2026

Our Wood Pasture areas are designed as areas of dense planting in a 6m square plot. This is a combination of a few larger growing trees and some assorted smaller trees and shrubs. Species planted include Field Maple, Oak Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hazel, wild cherry, Elder, Crab apple and Guelder rose.

This will enable us to increase the tree number and densities within these fields whilst still retaining the open grassland that is relied upon by our local hunting birds, barn owls and kestrel, which breed on site. The plots will be protected from grazing with fencing whilst they establish which will eventually be removed once the plots are well established.

19/03/2026

Following on from the death of one of our sheep two weeks ago after a dog attack, we are pleased to see changes in the law that should afford better protection for everyone who owns livestock.

Livestock worrying is a regular problem on our reserves, as well as for local farmers and landowners – particularly at this time of year. Dogs can also disrupt other wildlife, including ground-nesting birds, which already face pressures elsewhere.

We know most dog owners are responsible visitors to our nature reserves, but if you are ever in doubt:

Please keep your dog on a lead at all times on our reserves, and around our livestock – even if you are on a public right of way;

Please do not bring dogs to reserves where they are not permitted.

Police will have new powers to seize and detain dogs that have attacked or chased farm animals.