Volunteering gets a helping hand on the Eastern Moors

Over the last couple of years the Eastern Moors Partnership has relied heavily on their dedicated but limited number of volunteers. With the help of a three year grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), volunteering on the Eastern Moors is about to get big! 

Existing volunteers for the Eastern Moors Partnership, a joint venture between the National Trust and the RSPB, have dedicated their time, sweat and skill delivering high level conservation, visitor experience, access, ecological and archaeological monitoring projects, but with limited resources.  Katherine Clarke, Visitor Experience Manager for the Eastern Moors Partnership said, ‘The HLF grant means we can now build our capacity to deliver projects by expanding the number of volunteers helping to look after this special part of the Peak District National Park. We can also provide volunteers with the kit and equipment they both need and deserve, when carrying out vital project work.”

Red deer after sunset

When most animals are getting their heads down for the night, there are some that just keep going.  The red deer rarely sleep for long stretches at a time and as dusk falls they come down off the high moors in search of the more nutritious grasses at lower levels.
We often see red deer on the skyline from the road but....

...after 6.00 this evening I watched at least 50 wild red deer without leaving the car. Some were close to Sheffield Road but most of them were within 100 meters of the road between Owler Bar and Longshaw.

First sightings and water vole

It seems that every day some old friends are returning to the Moors or coming out of hibernation.
First it was the adders and then this week I have seen skylarks, curlew, lapwings and snipe. Friends have reported seeing grass snakes and lizards as well as all 3 types of newt.

Frogs - Don't call me Common

The Common Frog - Rana Temporaria

I was getting a bit worried that the frogs had not reappeared in Ramsley.  Last year I saw them first on the 6th March, and 2 days ago there was still no sign whatsoever.  But… you wait for one frog and then 200 appear all at the same time! Another week or so and the toads will be putting in an appearance.