2019 Landscape training workshops for leaders
Hosted by Friends of the Lake District
Friends of the Lake District are running a variety of landscape training sessions throughout spring and summer and autumn this year, specifically designed for outdoor leaders. Gain a deeper understand of Cumbria's upland ecology and understand some of the issues and pressures of outdoor users on the landscape, wildlife and habitats.
Looking at your ‘office space’ with a heightened awareness and understanding may inspire you to think and work differently, to enjoy, protect and respect our beautiful but surprisingly fragile upland landscapes and to pass on this knowledge to those with whom you work.
All sessions are booked on a first come first served basis.
Please bring: a picnic lunch & clothing/footwear for all weathers.
Workshop programme
5th April (evening) - Night navigation on the fells
Cumbria has some of the darkest skies in the country, where people are still able to see the spectacular, natural wonders of the stars above.
Dark skies are integral to the tranquillity and distinctiveness of the great landscapes of the Lake District and Cumbria. They are not just important for stargazers and astronomers, but also for wildlife. Around 50% of animals are nocturnal – following the light of the moon and stars, so light pollution can disrupt their feeding and breeding behaviour.
Friends of the Lake District have begun an exciting Dark Skies project in 2019 to gain internationally recognised ‘Dark Skies Reserve’ status for the Lake District National Park, to help protect this darkness.
Being out in the fells at night is a great opportunity to see and experience the landscape and wildlife in a whole new way, but it also brings a whole new set of experiences and challenges. Whether as a planned adventure, or emergency strategy, being able to navigate confidently and safely is very useful and rewarding skill. This session will open your eyes to the joys, pitfalls and experiences of being out at night.
The session will walk out onto Askham Fell, Heughscar Hill.
Trainer: Joe Faulkner, NAV4 Adventure
8th May - Bird habitats of the Lake District - A guide of what to see and where
A large number of different habitats exist in the Lake District, from high mountain to deep lakes. This means that the variety of wildlife found among them is also wide. This session walks two transects through differing habitats typical of the Lake District and looks at the birds found within them.
The session also helps with simple bird identification, habitat guides and birdwatching techniques which can be incorporated into walks or guided activities within the Lake District. Participants should learn more about the birds and habitats that they are likely to encounter in the National Park.
Trainer: Stephen Mott
22nd May - Geology: A story of rocks and landscape
This course is the story of volcanoes, islands arcs, plate tectonics and earthquakes. We will look at details of the hard rock geology of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group and the story of its formation. Some context will be given so that the story can be appreciated as part of a longer history of the Lake District’s evolution. Those who have been on previous training in Borrowdale itself will find that this builds on that excursion.Alongside the hard rock story, the course will look at the reasons behind the current shape of the landscape. This is the much more recent story of the Ice age shaping the volcanic rocks into the crags, fells and valleys we see today and for which the Lake District is justly famous.Learning outcomes:
1.A broad knowledgeof the hard rock types that make up the varied rocks of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group, encountering
examples which can be found elsewhere in the central Lake District.
2.Some understanding of the geological processesthat took place resulting in the formation of these rocks using the geological principle that the “present day is the key to the past.”
3.An understanding of the current landscapewill through careful, structured teaching of Ice age processes using local landforms to demonstrate these processes.
4.Participants should gain basic interpretiveskillswhich will enable you to see the landscape with informed eyes and apply these skills elsewhere in the Lake District.
Participants will be encouraged to explore and develop their understanding through direct and immediate contact with the environment. i.e. get your hands dirty! A day course booklet will be provided, with base maps and routes.
Trainer: Stephen Mott
19th June - Identfying flora & wildlife
Spotting and identifying wildlife and plants is one of the many ways of enjoying, and greatly enhancing, a walk. And being able to pass on this knowledge to groups you take out is great way of adding value to a day out in the fells.
On this session we’ll take a look at the flora and fauna of the Limestone fringe of the Lake District, a habitat much richer in plants than most areas of Cumbria. If the weather permits we will look how climate change is affecting dragonflies.
Trainer: Ian Brodie – Open Spaces Society and National Trust volunteer at Sizergh
25th June - Pollinators in peril
Bees are in decline. Changes in our landuse, intensive farming, climate change, habitat loss and pesticides are some of the threats to healthy populations of pollinators. The combined effect is a loss of pollinator-friendly habitat which results in bees, and other pollinating species, losing the diverse food sources they need for a healthy diet.
It’s vital that bees have enough flowers to forage –and safe places to use for nesting, among vegetation, the soil and hedges. But since the Second World War, we’ve lost 97% of our wildflower meadows, leaving our bees with little natural habitat.
This session will give you the chance to learn more about bees, butterflies and other pollinators and how to identify them.High Borrowdale, owned by Friends of the Lake District, is part of the ‘other’ forgotten Borrowdale and we strive to trial new and different ways of management.
We were one of the first organisations to successfully recreate a new upland hay meadow. Upland hay meadows are hugely important for biodiversity and landscape –and bees and butterflies -as well as being incredibly beautiful places to spend time. We will explore why they are declining, how they can be restored, how management differs to other habitats and if they are something to be worried about.
Trainers: Dr Jan Darrall – Policy Officer, Friends of the Lake District, and Julia Pigott – www.beeed.org.uk
15th July - Understanding common land and hill farming in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Lake District
Common land is land owned by one or more persons over which another person(s) is entitled to exercise rights of common such as grazing sheep, ponies and cattle on the common. Cumbria is important for common land as it has one third of all common land in England - 112,900 ha in total.
This land is mostly remote unfenced moorland. Local hill farming families have rights of common and graze the commons using a thousand year old tradition of collaborative management of land – a practice that is rare in modern life. The way they farm has shaped and conserved Cumbria’s iconic landscapes, its habitats and the flora and fauna we see and enjoy today.
The Lake District World Heritage Status is highly dependent on the sustainability of these people and their flocks of “hefted” Herdwick and Swaledale sheep. At times the pressure of visitors does affect the farming business. Local hill famers will explain how their farm works and how they use the different types of land available to them, including valley bottom land, the enclosed rough grazing land and the open fell / common land. They will discuss the impacts that visitors and outdoor recreation can have on their day-to-day farming activities, whilst sharing ways in which negative impacts can be minimised and visitors can help.
This session will help you understand what hill farmers actually do, and enable better conversations when you meet farmers going about their work.
Trainers: Viv Lewis (Federation of Cumbria Commoners) and hill farmer and commoner.
16th August - Mining history in coniston coppermines
Water is rarely in short supply in Lake District and the frequency of heavy rainfall events is predicted to increase due to climate change. But as well as a sometimes destructive force, water has, historically, been harnessed as a force for good.
The historical development of Coniston and the surrounding High Furness area was predominantly driven by two industries, namely slate and copper mining. These industries were heavily reliant on water and wood, both of which Coniston possessed in abundance; the area around Coniston would have been heavily forested at the time.
This 5 mile walk will visit some of the historical mining sites and you’ll learn about the lives (often very short) of the people who worked high up on the fells to earn a living from mining. The way in which early water engineering was used in order to provide power to drive mine machinery will be seen.
Trainer: John Dennis – Lake District National Park Voluntary Ranger & Guided Walk Leader
26th August - Foraging and wild food foraging
Foraging is an activity which is seeing a huge increase in popularity in recent years –spend the day with an experienced local forager to learn more about the abundance of wild food and how it can apply to the variety of terrain found in the area.
After a check-in with a selection of warming and nutritious drinks to choose from, the morning will introduce you to many common and basic seasonal wild foods that are readily prepared and easily eaten –we will walk, talk, identify, gather and nibble. Following a nutritious wild salad & seasonal soup back at base there will be a chance to sample and learn about the many ways in which some of these foods can be taken home and preserved for future outings.
When we've had our fill of plants we will move on to learn a few things about fungi –the emphasis will be on mainly edible mushrooms as we walk, learn, and gather, we will also include toxic, poisonous, and deadly ones as well as some of the other very useful ways in which fungi can be utilised when outdoors. As we cook up and eat our pickings, we will explore everything from fungi's functions in the ecosystem, to picking techniques, foraging etiquette, re-mediation, commercial potential, medicine and much more.
Throughout the day there will be time to explore many of the issues around foraging –from its impact on the ecosystem to the role such activities play in our history with the land and the pressures on these habitats in the densely agriculturally oriented Lake District in present times.
Trainer: Andrew Tomlinson – Wild Lakes Foraging
6th September - The sheep fleece path - A tale of people, climate, upland path erosion and repair in the Lake District
The Langdale valley receives a huge amount of pressure from visitors each year, which needs to be managed in order to keep it such a special place.
The landscape is spectacular, but also incorporates a tremendous variety of archaeology. Richard Fox, Fix the Fells Ranger will lead you on a walk to discuss the implications of so many visitors, a changing climate and the various management techniques that have been developed to ensure the landscape is protected for future generations.
No one person believes they damage the landscape by walking / running / cycling, but collectively, we clearly do. It ought to be a collective responsibility to manage the issue as there is no statutory funding for this. However, Fix the Fells, a very small organisation, carries out fund raising, awareness raising and repair work. Come and learn how everyone can help.
Trainer: Richard Fox – LDNP Fix the Fells Ranger
2nd October - Landscape character in the grasmere valley
Come and discover the landscape character of the Grasmere Valley.Landscape character is made up of layers, theunderlying geology and geomorphology shaping the vegetation and land use in our landscapes.
The physical geology and topography, combined with the green cover, are major contributors to the structure and the aesthetic aspects of landscapes. These have combined with cultural, historic, social and economic influences over centuries to create the unique and distinctive character of the Lake District.The landscape of the Grasmere Valley has long been a catalyst for art, poetry and the conservation movement.
We hope to show you what it is about this place that makes it so special along with explaining why some parts of this landscape are at risk.We’ll take a walk around Rydal and up along Nab Scar to take in views of the valley. During the walk, we will stop at various viewpoints to discuss how and why the landscape came to look how it does.
We’ll also discuss why assessing landscape character is important and how it can help with planning, land management, assessment of change and ultimately protection of the landscape.
We will send round some information about the landscape character of the Grasmere and Rydal Valley a couple of weeks before the training day to help you familiarise yourself with landscape character.
Trainer: Dr Kate Willshaw – Policy Officer
15th October - Cumbria's rainforests: An introduction to the forgotten aspects of our natural heritage
The Lake District National Park is renowned for its dramatic scenery, with the highest mountains and deepest lakes enticing visitors from all across the globe. For those who enjoy this landscape, there is an element to the Cumbrian countryside that is often left overlooked......rainforests, Cumbria’s rainforests.
Within Britain, our temperate rainforests are more commonly known as Atlantic woodlands and are one of the richest and most treasured habitats found within the UK. These ecosystems are teeming with biodiversity and showcase some of the most exceptional lifeforms found within the British Isles.Join April Windle, a Plantlife Project Officer from the ‘Looking Out for Small Things’ project to experience, appreciate and truly understand the importance of this special habitat.
This session will provide an introduction to Atlantic woodlands and the lower plants that characterise Cumbria’s rainforests, focusing on their fragility and conservation going forward. www.plantlife.org.uk/LOST
Trainer: April Windle Plantlife Senior Project Officer, Looking Out for Small Things
HOW TO BOOK:
Click on the hyperlinked workshop titles for more information about each session.
To book on any of the
FREE sessions please email
ruth-kirk@fld.org.uk (tel. 01539 720788)
Please note there is no indoorbackup venue so the sessions will go ahead in poor weather unless unreasonable or unsafe to do so.