Six solar-powered warning signs have been installed on two roads in the North York Moors National Park in a bid to cut the number of accidents involving sheep. Last year, 239 sheep and lambs were killed on open roads in the North York Moors. The signs are being trialled on these main roads over the moors and sheep deaths will be monitored to see if the signs make a difference. The signs are not permanent and are planned to be removed over the winter and then reinstated next spring.
The new warning signs, which have been funded by North Yorkshire County Council, are being trialled on the Blakey Road between Hutton le Hole and Castleton and on the road between Rosedale and Ralph Cross. The signs flash with two images: a sheep warning triangle followed by ‘Slow Down’ and are activated when a vehicle travels over a certain speed. The park authority, county council, police and moorland farmers have looked at a number of options to try and reduce sheep road deaths. Various traffic calming options and a reduced speed limit have all been considered but have been found to be unsuitable. In the end it’s down to the drivers to be sensible on open moorland roads and not use them like a racetrack.

Natural England this week published a new report that will help lead future conservation work to protect red squirrels in northern England. The report, A review of Red Squirrel Conservation Activity in Northern England, evaluates the recent work of various organisations involved in red squirrel conservation. Red squirrels are still widely found in the north and the report confirms that regional initiatives have played a vital role in ensuring that people can still see these mammals across the region. The report includes a series of recommendations, including: ensuring there are standardised techniques to survey the abundance and distribution of red and grey squirrels; adopting a clear, strategic approach to the conservation of red squirrels; carrying out detailed monitoring of grey squirrel control.  The report’s authors say that grey squirrel control is an essential part of a future strategy and needs to be carefully planned, scientifically monitored and carried out in collaboration with similar projects in Scotland. The report also suggests a number of areas for improvement, including the need for closer co-operation between the various groups and the need for additional funding for priority work. New initiatives will be underway soon as a result of the report’s recommendations. For example, a review of the current network of red squirrel reserves will ensure that the correct locations have been identified and a new conservation mapping project to record grey squirrel control activity will put in place.

Evidence that recessions favour the National Trust – even during a wet summer – has been piling up at the charity’s central office in Swindon as the hectic summer season draws to a close with membership at an all time high. At the half-way stage in its financial year, its figures show visitor numbers at pay-for-entry properties up by a startling 18 per cent, reaching  more than 12 million visits by the start of September compared to 14.8 million for the whole of last year. Membership recruitment is nearly 21 per cent up with the total membership now at 3.76m – more than a quarter of a million higher than two years ago. The Trust’s catering and retail operations are also up by 22 per cent and 19 per cent respectively, and bookings at holiday cottages are 8 per cent higher than last year. The latest statistics compare favourably with last year’s outcomes, published last week in the charity’s Annual Report for 2008/9.
Looking ‘for something to do’ in the countryside is obviously still a priority for many people despite financial hardships – let’s hope smaller organisations and countryside tourist attractions can report such encouraging figures.