THE National Trust has been working with its tenant farmers in the Yorkshire Dales to develop plans for two major projects that will create much richer and more natural landscapes.

One of these covers sizeable areas of common land around Yockenthwaite in Langstrothdale whilst the other spans much of the Malham Moor plateau but with a particular concentration on Darnbrook Gill and Fell.

The aim is to create large blocks of more natural countryside, moving from the rather uniform expanses of grassland seen today to a diverse mosaic of blanket bog, heath and grassland with patchy wood pasture and scrub.

Trust ecologist Peter Welsh said: "This sort of varied countryside will provide habitat for a very wide range of native plants and animals and the sort of notable species likely to benefit here include red squirrels, black grouse and northern brown argus butterflies.

"In addition, the trust believes the work will contribute, albeit in a modest way, to reducing climate change and downstream flooding - by storing more carbon in the peat soils and trees and with the rougher more spongy ground holding and slowing the flow of water. We reckon it will also look more attractive!"

The plan is to plant lots of native trees and shrubs on the steeper valley sides and to carry out a range of works to stop the erosion of the blanket bogs.

The tree planting is expected to start next month, but, as part of the preparation for works on the commons, the trust has applied for permission for temporary fencing on common land – to help with the establishment of the trees and shrubs.

The trust will fund half the cost and has secured a large grant from the Waste Recycling Environmental (WREN) to support the work on Malham Moor and is working with Natural England’s farmer schemes to fund the work in Upper Wharfedale.

However, it needs more money to develop the work and donations can be made at nationaltrust.org.uk/malham-tarn-estate/features/donate-to-the-yorkshire-dales-appeal

Meanwhile, the farmers are working to develop and maintain the mosaic of habitats through the careful management of light numbers of grazing livestock.