Work to revitalise Bingley North Bog will be completed with a tree planting event over the weekend.

The project is the result of a partnership between Bradford Council’s Countryside Service, Aire Rivers Trust and the Dawoodi Bohra Community’s Project Rise initiative which has funded the work.

Over the winter, the partners have built a wildlife viewing screen, a path and fenced a small area of the bog. This will help to preserve the site’s habitat, reduce flood risk and make it more accessible for visitors.

Volunteers will come together this weekend to take part in a tree and hedge planting event. This will complete the practical work at Bingley North Bog funded by Project Rise.

Around 1,000 trees will be planted to create a hedge line leading to the observation screen. Volunteers from Dawoodi Bohras across the UK and Aire Rivers Trust will carry out the planting. There will also be an opportunity for the volunteers to celebrate their achievement.

An interpretation sign and recognition plaque will be installed following the completion of the works. A grand opening will take place in time for the spring allowing visitors to enjoy the new feature at the site and closer access to the site’s wildlife.

The project has been funded by the Dawoodi Bohras Muslim Community through Project Rise whose vision is “to help create a resilient, sustainable and prosperous global society, where no one is neglected or marginalised”.

Bingley North Bog is one of eight sites in the new 1,272-hectare Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve. The other sites are Ilkley Moor, Penistone Country Park, Shipley Glen, Baildon Moor, Trench Meadows, St Ives Estate and Harden Moor.

The White Rose Forest partnership – of which we are a partner - has launched its Strategic Plan 2025–2050.

The White Rose Forest Strategic Plan 2025-2050 is the long-term tree and woodland strategy for North and West Yorkshire. The plan has been approved by the White Rose Forest board, which includes all local authorities, combined authorities and national park authorities across the region, and will be delivered in partnership with landowners, local community organisations, businesses, charities and Defra.

The Plan sets out the partnership’s collective ambition to increase tree and woodland cover from 12% to 16.5% by 2050, with a stretch target of 18.5%, which equates to up to 134 million trees planted across North and West Yorkshire.

Bradford District’s own target within this plan is to increase its tree coverage from 10.1% to 17% - the equivalent of 2,500 hectares – by 2050.

The Strategic Plan also aims to ensure 70% of woodland is sustainably managed, improve equitable access to green spaces, and help thousands of local people get involved in tree planting and woodland management each year.

The White Rose Forest is the Community Forest for North and West Yorkshire, part of the England’s Community Forests network, and a founding member of the Northern Forest programme. The White Rose Forest manages the Trees for Climate programme in North and West Yorkshire, providing Government funding and support for landowners and farmers who want to plant trees and hedgerows on their land. Delivery of the White Rose Forest Strategic Plan 2025-2050 will be guided by five-year action plans, ensuring progress is monitored and reported annually.

The plan can be found here - https://whiteroseforest.org/about/strategic-plan/

A new Friends of the Earth group - Friends of the Earth Bradford & District had its inaugural meeting at the end of last month.  

The group hopes to bring together people from across the district who care about climate justice, social equity and protecting nature. It aims to create a welcoming space for people to connect, share ideas and take meaningful local action on the issues that matter most to their communities.

The group officially launched on Saturday 24 January, with an open, inclusive event designed to help shape priorities together. Topics included health, clean air and access to green spaces; public transport and mobility; young people, schools and fair futures; warm, affordable and secure homes and nature recovery and protection

Their first action group meeting was due to be held last night (12 February) at Bradford Central Library, which was set to pinpoint specific issues and locations to begin to work on solutions. Friends of the Earth Bradford & District is open to anyone, regardless of experience or expertise, whether they are interested in campaigning, community organising, creative action, research, gaining work experience or simply learning and connecting with others.

To find out more about Friends of the Earth Bradford & District, join their mailing list, and/or connect with the group on Facebook 

A free online workshop is being offered to people in the Wharfedale area to build skills for positive, constructive conversations about climate change. 

‘Let's Talk Climate’, from 7.30pm on Tuesday, 24 February, aims to give people the confidence, motivation and skills to have positive, hopeful conversations about climate. 

Climate and nature groups around Wharfedale, including Climate Action Ilkley, Otley 2030, Climate Action Menston, Menston Area Nature Trust, Climate Action Addingham, and Climate Action Silsden, have been given the opportunity to offer this programme free of charge thanks to Larger Us with funding from the European Climate Foundation.

The programme starts with a 2-hour online workshop and then graduates can deepen their learning by joining ‘the Challenge’. As part of a small group, they will set conversation goals each week, chat through experiences and focus on key topics to supercharge their skills. The Challenge will start from mid-March and run until April. 

Workshop places are limited and tickets can be booked here.

People are being encouraged to count the plastic packaging they throw away as part of a national campaign.

The Big Plastic Count runs from 9-19 March and spotlights the impact of plastic on the environment.

Schools, households, businesses and communities are encouraged to take part. Short video talks will be available about the impact of plastic on the environment, the aims of this plastic investigation and how the results will be used.

For more information on how to get involved visit https://thebigplasticcount.com/

The BetterPoints app has launched in Bradford! The app lets you collect points by travelling actively and sustainably. Every time you walk, cycle, wheel or take public transport you could earn points that you can exchange for vouchers to use in selected stores, or donate to charity.

Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. 

Website link is: https://westyorks.betterpoints.uk/

An eye-catching collection of globe sculptures form the World Re-Imagined Exhibition at Bradford Cathedral.

The exhibition, which runs until 26 February, features globes created by students from Immanuel College and Bradford Forster Academy.

They display letters, art, and reflections from students on the topics of heritage, environment, and global connections. These vibrant works of art serve as a medium to narrate stories of resilience, creativity, and progress.

The exhibition aims to amplify young local voices and create social cohesion through reflections on heritage and the environment.

Schools in Bradford District are being encouraged to register for the UK’s biggest walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling to school challenge.

Big Walk and Wheel – running from 16-27 March -  aims to inspire pupils to make active journeys to school, improve air quality in their neighbourhood and discover how these changes benefit their world.

The challenge is open to all primary and secondary schools in the UK, including special schools. It is free to take part and there are daily prizes to be won.

On each day of the challenge, schools compete to see who can get the highest percentage of their pupils walking, using a wheelchair, scooting or cycling to school. Each school’s best five days will determine their final position, but participants can log journeys on all ten days if they wish.  If participants register before 16 February they can be entered into an ‘early bird’ prize draw.