THE Friends of Ilkley Moor led a guided walk from Audley Clevedon retirement village in Ben Rhydding, up onto the lower slopes of Ilkley Moor and back on Thursday, August 30.

The walk was open to the general public and was led by an ecologist who took people on a leisurely guided walk, teaching people about the wildlife, landscape and management of the area.

It was moderate circular walk of four miles with lots of resting stops along the way to give people time to learn about the landscape and wildlife of the area. People learnt about the different habitats of grassland, woodland, heathland and blanket bog, and the plants and animals which are characteristic of these habitats. They learnt about the conservation and management of these habitats at a local level and how this ties in with global and regional conservation strategies. People also learnt about the decline of the biodiversity of these habitats and some of conservation projects which are happening regionally to address this decline in biodiversity.

People met at 1.30pm for free tea, coffee and refreshments at Audley Clevedon village; and after the walk some people stayed for an early dinner there. Everybody had a great time and enjoyed exploring the landscape around Audley Clevedon and were pleased to hear that the restaurant at Audley Clevedon is open all year round for the public to use.

For information on future events contact Tracy Gray, FOIM Project Officer, 07780535860, tracy@ilkleymoor.org or visit www.ilkleymoor.org