Stately pine trees were the focus of Friends of Ilkley Moor activities to recognise the Diamond Jubilee.

Using Diamond Jubilee funding, the Friends organised the planting of 25 pine saplings in one of the stands of trees on the moor.

An FOIM project officer and 22 Girl Guides recently made their way up to a stand of pine trees in Ilkley Moor, each Guide carrying a young tree. These were carefully planted, watered and protected with wire mesh.

The Friends say pine trees are a much-loved, established and unique part of the landscape, but most of the pine stands on Ilkley Moor have no natural regeneration of young pine trees, probably due to them being grazed. They needed a helping hand to ensure the next generation of pine trees.

Meanwhile, volunteers recently joined Bradford Council’s Country-side Service to start resurfacing two paths on Ilkley Moor. Sandstone was brought in to cover a stretch near the lower tarn and another from Keighley Old Road towards White Wells.

The improvements, which also included drainage works, were funded by The Friends of Ilkley Moor through money raised from Wren Waste Recycling Environmental.

FOIM chairman, Owen Wells, said: “This is the third phase of improvements to pathways on the Moor, following on from previous years of resurfacing paths. Thanks to funding from WREN, we will continue to fund more path work on the Moor.”

The Friends’ events and learning programme is now well underway for the year.

Keen bird enthusiasts turned out on May 26 to take part in a guided walk to learn about the birds of prey of upland habitats.

Project officer Tracy Gray took people onto the upper slopes of the moor to learn about raptors, management issues that affect them, and conservation considerations of the species’ movements throughout the UK landscape.

Among the birds discussed were Buzzard, Merlin, Kestrel, Red Kite and Hen Harrier.

People looked at how Rombalds Moor is an important pathway for birds of prey moving up and down the upland landscape of the UK.