It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Winter 2011

As the Centre becomes quieter at the end of the year we can take the opportunity to spruce up the Centre in time for our visitors next year! On going jobs at the moment are painting and deep cleaning. Education staff are updating resources for sessions and educational displays around the centre.

If you have followed any of the previous blog entries you may remember we have two tanks at centre with adult and juvenile British White Claw Crayfish as part of a project to boost numbers of our native species. They are going to get a new home in the new year. We have already had a new wood unit for the tanks to sit on delivered. In January we are expecting one large brand new tank. This tank will still be split into two with a larger part of the tank for the adults and a smaller part for the juveniles.

Every year the FSC has a staff conference where all centres get together with members of staff representing all departments including hospitality, catering, maintenance, office and education. This year the conference was held in South Wales at Margam Park. Talks included Sustainable Centres, Fair trade Products in our shops and catering, and 'What's New' a look at what centres have developed within their education department in the last year. It is a great opportunity for staff to get together and share ideas for all centres to develop next year.

All the staff at Malham Tarn would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Christmas Tree

Every year at Malham Tarn Field Centre we decorate some branches from the estate for our Christmas tree! This year was no exception, we have lovingly decorated our tree for the Christmas season! Our environmentally friendly version of our Christmas tree is a good way to use what is all around our estate, and we are never is short supply!

BBC Radio 4 hunt for the rare Malham Caddisfly

Back in July a crew from BBC Radio 4 stayed at Malham Tarn to find the elusive Malham Caddisfly. The Malham Sedge has not been seen for four years. Paul Evans joins a research project run by Ian Wallace on Malham Tarn to find out if this rare Caddisfly still exists.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b013fjqs/The_Living_World_Malham_Caddisfly/

Crayfish Project Film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RYcm0a-uOg

This is a short film about the work being done by the Environment Agency and local ecological consultant, PBA Applied Ecology, in conjunction with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to protect the native white-clawed crayfish in the rivers of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The crayfish face two threats - the American signal crayfish and the crayfish plague that they carry. Work is being done to remove the American signal crayfish from the rivers, as well as breeding the white-clayed crayfish in captivity and releasing them into the wild. For more details, see http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/whiteclawedcrayfish.htm.

Peregrines at Malham Cove

Follow the link below to watch a short film by Joe Tuck about peregrines at Malham Cove.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQQPhh7JmK4