LOCAL charity Wildlife Friendly Otley is immensely proud to welcome to their team the Wharfedale Barn Owls group.

Their aim is to support and expand the small barn owl population in the Wharfedale area. Specifically, the group raises funds to erect barn owl nest boxes to support the existing population and to encourage nesting in new areas.

They also undertake monitoring of nest sites to support the conservation effort. Wildlife Friendly Otley’s education office Neil Griffin has welcomed the group, as a major focus for them is education. They will be hoping to work collaboratively in 2024 to bring barn owl conservation awareness into our local schools.

Stewart Barlow who, along with Tom Collins, set up the group is also looking to generate funds to install a high-quality live feed camera into one of the boxes. That way, anyone who wants to will be able to follow this magnificent raptor. This is an exciting project, and he hopes it will help build up exposure and further increase interest in the vital work being carried out.

He has already set up a YouTube channel called ‘WFO Wildlife TV’ dedicated to local trail cam footage which has captured some amazing film of barn owls and other local wildlife. This can be viewed on YouTube under ‘WFO Wildlife TV’.

On joining up with Wildlife Friendly Otley Stewart said: "We are hugely excited to be part of them as the passion and drive within the Charity is something I have long admired."

If anyone would like any further information on this work or any of the other activities Wildlife Friendly Otley are involved with, then please contact them via the website wildlifefriendlyotley.org.uk.