Grinton Conservation Project

 Welcome to Grinton Conservation Group, Swaledale. This group includes supporters and active volunteers working to improve habitats for wildflowers and wildlife, and improve biodiversity in the churchyard.

To find out more:
St Andrew's Church - link to GCP page.

The Group communicates via ‘gcpforum on Google Groups.
All future updates and forthcoming events will be shared via this Google Group.

To join this group sign in with your Google name and password or set one up by following the links.

Amongst the projects and activities so far are:

• Scything using new ‘hi-tech’ Scandinavian scythes. Training has been given via the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
• Wild flower recording.
• Trees: a plan of the trees in the churchyard together with a database of their type and notes on possible future care has been completed.
• Birds: Bird watching and recording them and where they are nesting.
• Bees: Bee keeping. So far (2014) one hive has been setup and two crops of honey taken and sold for the benefit of the Group.
• Bats: Bat watching. Members of the North Yorkshire Bat Group come regularly to count and record bat activity. Evening ‘Bat walks’ are held for those interested.
• Moths: A moth trap was set up and the moths identified by an expert before being released at a recent Saturday morning group meeting.
• Willow weaving: Two bee waevings are in the churchyard and willow weaving courses have been and are being organised by ‘Dragon Willow’.
• Gravestones: Gravestone recording. The last mapped survey was in 1988 and a new survey and database is being made using computer based recording and mapping. This will be linked with the Upper Dales Family History Group.
• Schools’ Activities have been arranged with the local primary schools.
• Information: the Group usually meets on the first Saturday morning of each month. There is an information table in the church and reports in the Reeth Gazette. As well as the church website and the Google Groups forum mentioned above.