GENERATIONS in Otley are set to benefit from contact with nature thanks to a new funding award.

Local charity Wildlife Friendly Otley (WFO) was delighted to hear the final total of their award from the Co-op Local Community Fund. Altogether £2,131.25 was raised by Co-op members who nominated the WFO project 'Connecting the Generations with Nature' as their local good cause.

The project aims to benefit both wildlife and people, and will focus on generations at the opposite ends of the age spectrum. One part of it will feature WFO working alongside volunteers from Otley Action for Older People, who will visit isolated elderly people in the community, taking bird feeders and food. They will then return at regular intervals to top up the feeders and discuss the birds that have been visiting the gardens. Pupils from Prince Henry's Grammar School will be drawing the birds that typically visit Otley gardens to create an identification guide.

WFO trustee Neil Griffin said: "As well as giving a focus for their conversations, the birds should provide the residents with interest and enjoyment between visits, when maybe they are on their own.

"Several research projects have shown that contact with nature and wildlife can improve the well-being of people too."

The other part of the project will be aimed at pupils at Prince Henry's Grammar School in Otley.

Over £1,000 will be spent on wildlife equipment for the school grounds, including nest-boxes with cameras, so that the students and staff can watch and monitor the adult birds and their eggs and growing chicks.

WFO trustee and education working group member Helen Hey said: "Neil and I are working with the school's impressive Ecommittee, featuring green-minded children from across the age groups, and we would love it if the project helped them engage other students.

"The teenage years have been identified as an age with a nature disconnect. Ideally, these cameras could help facilitate a kind of Prince Henry's Springwatch!"

Established in October 2018, Wildlife Friendly Otley is a small charity working hard with the people, businesses and schools of Otley and other local nature and environmental groups to make Otley the first 'wildlife friendly town' in the UK.