CHILDREN from Embsay Primary School paid a visit to Tarmac’s Skipton quarry, in the village.

Year six children spent an afternoon exploring the quarry’s surrounding woodland in the educational visit held in partnership with the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

The children learned about trees and plants and found out about testing growing conditions, about wildlife and looked out for ‘mini-beasts’.

Rebecca Swift, education officer at the national park, said: “Having a woodland that we could use for our activities, that was walkable from the primary school, was ideal. The woodland provided a rich learning environment for the pupils and Tarmac were very helpful in helping to prepare for the session.”

Kirsty Compton from Embsay School, said: ”Thanks to the national park and Tarmac, the children had a fantastic, hands-on experience of a woodland habitat and how to preserve it for the future.

“Even though the woodland is local to Embsay, many of the children hadn’t visited the part we explored and were keen to visit again with family, to share their knowledge of the great diversity of trees they saw, as well as the wild strawberries.”

Paul Parker, unit manager at Skipton Quarry, said: “We were pleased to be able to support the YDNP with this event. We are very lucky to have a beautiful woodland setting around the quarry and it’s great to see children making the most of this and getting out into nature.”