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, so register your interest soon!
Please bring: a picnic lunch & clothing/footwear for all weathers.
Workshop programme
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 British Lichen Society representative, to 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.
Trainer: April Windle, a British Lichen Society representative.
7th October - ARCHAEOLOGY: Hidden Landscapes - the Archaeology of Great Asby Scar
The Westmorland Dales is a beautiful but relatively overlooked area of Cumbria which lies to the north of the Howgills. It was included in the extended Yorkshire Dales National Park in 2016 in recognition of its outstanding landscape which, being based on limestone, is more in keeping with the Yorkshire Dales than the Lake District. It also has a very rich cultural heritage and in the past has been described as one of the best preserved prehistoric archaeological landscapes north of Salisbury Plain.
The day will give you an insight into how this landscape has been shaped by people since the end of the ice age 12,000 years ago including remains from the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages as well as the last 2,000 years. David will explain about the work of the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership, which has been grant funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and its role in revealing the hidden landscape of the area. Hannah will talk in more detail about a number of the projects including the archaeological survey of Great Asby Scar which has already identified 300 new sites to add to the Historic Environment Record. Friends of the Lake District is the lead partner for the Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership Scheme and works closely with the Yorkshire Dales National Park and other partners in its delivery.
Trainer: David Evans, Scheme Manager; Hannah Kingsbury, Cultural Heritage Officer; both Westmorland Dales Landscape Partnership
Peat in the fells presents a particular challenge. Its importance these days as a carbon store and ecological habitat is well recognised, but it is extremely fragile and vulnerable to trampling. Where paths cross deep peat, it presents particular problems and challenges.
The purpose of this session will be to look at the complex issues of access and peat. The going can be very wet underfoot!
Trainers: Richard Fox – Fix the Fells Ranger, LDNP
Hardknott Forest is a 630 hectare conifer plantation in the upper reaches of the Duddon valley. Originally planted in the 1930’s, the plantation is reaching maturity and felling is now taking place.
After consultation with local people and organisations, Forestry England have decided to restore the entire plantation to native habitats of oak and birch woodland, bogs, heather and grassland. This initiative represents a historic opportunity to create the largest semi-natural woodland in the Lake District; linking Hardknott Forest with the existing Duddon Valley Woodlands, a series of ancient oak woodlands that snake down the valley and all the way to the coast.
We are gradually removing areas of non-native trees, which allows native trees such as oak, birch and willow to naturally regenerate.
The new native woodland will benefit a range of local wildlife. The area supports rare species such as dormice, otters, adders and wood ants. Birds increasingly seen here include green and great spotted woodpeckers, jays and bullfinches. Monitoring of the wildlife and vegetation is an ongoing and fascinating part of the project.
Trainers: John Hodgson, Restoring Hardknott Forest Project Officer j.h.hodgson@leeds.ac.uk
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.