THE Friends of Ilkley Moor have published their 11th events programme.

Each year the Friends of Ilkley Moor (FoIM) put on a wide range of events and

learning activities developed around the themes of flora and fauna, archaeology, geology and social history.

They include guided walks, fun activities and informative events covering conservation issues and the wider landscape benefits of moorland habitat.

The programmes have proved very popular since the formation of the Friends in 2009.

The 2019 programme contains 41 events starting in April to September ranging from bat spotting to pond dipping and they cater for all ages.

Some of the events will be led by specialists in their field. Tracy Gray, Friends of Ilkley Moor Project Officer, will lead the remaining events including five Heritage Walks, Cow and Calf, Twelve Apostles and Beyond,Woodland Way, Across Crawshaw Moss and White Wells Moorland.

The walks start this weekend. On Saturday, April 13 from 2pm to 4pm there will be a heritage walk led by Tracy meeting at the Cow and Calf rocks carpark at 2pm

On Sunday, April 14 from 2pm to 4pm is a fitness walk with Nordic walking, meeting at the White Wells carpark. Participants will need two walking sticks.

All the events and heritage walks are included in the Events Programme, which can be downloaded from www.ilkleymoor.org.

It can also collected free of charge from Ilkley Information Centre, and shops and cafés in the town.

The Friends have arranged their AGM on Friday, April 12 at 7.30pm in the Clark Foley Centre, Cunliffe Road, Ilkley. A presentation will be given by Dr Graeme Swindles, Associate Professor of Earth System Dynamics at Leeds University, on why global peatlands are important from Amazonia to the Artic via Ilkley Moor, in terms of carbon storage, ecology and the records of the past they store. Dr Swindles will also discuss the work he is currently undertaking on Ilkley Moor and what he has planned for the future. He will give details of a current research project entitled ‘Oasis or desert?’. Scientists are taking an indepth look at Crawshaw Moss, an active peat gob on the north eastern edge of the moor.

This will precede the AGM.