Calderdale pupils learn all about the surrounding moorlands on day out

The event was part of Let’s Learn Moor 2022. Just under 400 children witnessed first-hand the many species that can be found on the moorland and how, through careful management of the habitat, vulnerable species are prospering. As well as receiving lessons in falconry and training gundogs, the children learnt about the dangers of wildfires and why you should never light a barbecue or fire in the wild.

This year’s theme was “protection” - the protection of people and communities, carbon, and wildlife and the children got to meet some of the key people and organisations that help to protect our stunning moorland landscapes and species. These included gamekeepers and moorland managers from the Calderdale Moorland Group and representatives of West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and the West Yorkshire Rural Crime Team.

More than 9,000 children have attended Let’s Learn Moor events since the project was launched in 2017 – 3,000 of them at eight locations across the north of England last week alone.

The events are co-ordinated by Countryside Learning and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) with the support of several other countryside organisations. The Regional Moorland Groups, in this case the Calderdale Moorland Group, provide the locations and invite and organise the participation of more than 50 partner organisations.

Jo Pearson, Calderdale Moorland Group co-ordinator, said: “In our first year running a Let’s Learn Moor event the days could not have been better. It is such an honour to be able to host hundreds of children in our beautiful uplands. Seeing the smiles and enjoyment on the children’s faces makes all the hard work worthwhile. Plans are already in place to grow the event next year.”

Station Commander and Lead Wildfire Officer for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Richard Hawley, said: “Days like today are an invaluable opportunity to engage with the local community, educating young people on issues affecting the rural community and shining a spotlight on the important work gamekeepers, land managers and emergency services carry out.”