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Events specifically for young people have been added to this year’s Otley Wildlife Arts Festival in October. All the new events have a nature theme and include a music making workshop, children’s art and storytelling workshops and activities. ‘Making Sound Tracks’ is a day long music workshop for young people. Wildlife Friendly Otley, the festival organisers, have teamed up with Richard Sabey at Woolpack Studios to offer youngsters the chance to make music both inspired by na

Otley Wildlife Arts Festival has established a cultural link with its neighbouring festival, the Ilkley Literature Festival, for the first time. The internationally known Ilkley Festival, which runs from 7-23 October and overlaps the Otley Wildlife Arts Festival which is on 14 and 15 October, is presenting a specific nature talk by leading naturalist and author Dr Amy-Jane Beer in partnership with the Otley Festival. The jointly presented event on Sunday 9 October at the Ilkl

A donation of £1300 raised by collecting trash from the Atlantic ocean around the beautiful islands of Bermuda has been made to local...

Following the great success of last year's inaugural festival, the first of its kind, the Otley Wildlife Arts Festival is back again for 2022, this time bigger and better and over Friday and Saturday October 14 and 15. Planned to appeal a wider audience the festival will feature new artistic responses to the wonderful world of wildlife, as well as activities in schools during the week and music with a nature theme during the day on Saturday. Opening the festival on the Friday

Wildlife Friendly Otley has been working hard for several years on restoring habitats and improving biodiversity in and around the town...

This year’s Otley Walking Festival has a bigger emphasis on wildlife, with more walks focusing on local nature as a result of a new...

Over two days in May four large flower beds in Wharfemeadows Park, Otley were saved for wildlife and planted with over 900 pollinating...

Several classes at Pool Primary School recently enjoyed lessons devoted to wildlife and nature, with hands-on activities in the school...

More delights from a walk by the river, somewhat understated perhaps until you look closely. The tall spikes of bell-shaped, green-white flowers, become pink with age, appear from May to July. The name comes from the deeply fringed habit of the petals. It is in fact an introduction from North America, escaped and naturalised from private gardens. Whilst it seems to be doing well making itself at home here it is listed as vulnerable in some of its native range. By River Six

Wildlife Friendly Otley want to increase the biodiversity in our town by encouraging gardeners to resist the urge to mow our lawns… ‘No...

This beautiful dainty and rare butterfly is on the wing at the moment but it won’t be for long. If you want to catch a glimpse then head up the Chevin now! The Green Hairstreak holds its wings closed, except in flight, showing only the green underside with its faint white streak. They are found in dry, scrubby habitats, including moorland and heathland, the caterpillars feed on a variety of plants, including gorse, broom and bilberry. By River Six Photo by Pixabay

This was one of those rare moments of awe in the ordinary. Whilst out for a walk I paused as I often do by the river to take in the movement and see who is darting around. As I turned around I was struck by the beauty of a natural green wall. The crumbling wall by the river at Wharfebank Mills has been colonised by a variety of wild green plants, one in particular glistened and almost glowed in the light, the opposite leaved golden-saxifrage. This is a creeping perennial of w