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Ryedale District Council is offering small grants for the protection of veteran trees on public land such as
village greens and churchyards. Large, old trees are of special importance for wildlife but may require
skilled pruning to maintain them in a safe condition, or fencing to protect their roots from soil compaction
or bark damage by livestock. Grants are available on a limited basis. For further information, please
contact John Clayton (RDC Tree Officer), 01653 600666 ext. 459.
e-mail: trees@ryedale.gov.uk
Wild Grey Partridge are still widespread in Ryedale but numbers on most farms are much lower than they
were 20 or 30 years ago. The Game Conservancy Trust has produced an excellent eight page leaflet on
Grey Partridge conservation that covers the reasons for its decline, and explains its basic needs (a safe
place to nest, chick food invertebrates and food and cover in winter and spring). Free copies can be
obtained from the GCT or downloaded from their web site.
For further information contact: The Game Conservancy Trust, Fordingbridge, Hampshire SP6 1EF.
www.gct.org.uk
Many of Ryedale’s most threatened species depend on either farmland or ‘semi-natural’ habitats such as ancient woodland and wetlands. However, a surprising number of familiar but declining species also inhabit towns and villages. These include bats, bumblebees and birds such as Song Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher and Tree Sparrow. If you are a gardener, allotment holder, help manage a school nature area, churchyard or community ‘greenspace’, you can play a vital part in conserving disappearing wildlife.
The District Council is currently running a grant scheme - REACT - for voluntary community groups who want to improve their local environment for wildlife.
For further information on REACT grants, please contact: Jo Reilly, Community Projects Officer, Ryedale
District Council, 01653 600666 ext. 260;
e-mail:jo.reilly@ryedale.gov.uk
[From Ryedale Biodiversity Action Plan News]