Drystone Walling to Mountain Rescue: Yorkshire Dales Children Learn the Ways of the Moor
More than 300 schoolchildren spent two days on the moors of the Yorkshire Dales last week, trying their hand at everything from drystone walling to gundog handling as part of Let’s Learn Moor 2026, the UK’s largest upland education initiative, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Held over 9 and 10 July, the event gave pupils hands-on sessions in sheep farming, gamekeeping, drystone walling, gundog handling, beekeeping, and vegetation and fire control, as well as the chance to meet the volunteers of the Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team. For many, it was their first ever visit to a managed moorland, and a first insight into the rural skills that shape and protect the uplands.
The event brings children onto the moors to learn about rural skills, wildlife and community, and about the responsibilities that come with visiting the uplands as they grow older. It was delivered by the Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group in collaboration with the educational charity Countryside Learning and BASC.
Let’s Learn Moor is a collaborative educational project, with events facilitated by the Regional Moorland Groups and private estates across northern England and the support of more than 50 partners. The project is overseen by BASC and made possible through BASC’s legacy fund.
Through immersive outdoor learning, pupils explore the rich biodiversity and unique habitats of the uplands, gaining first-hand experience of the landscapes they are helping to understand and protect. From peatland ecosystems to moorland wildlife, the programme continues to provide meaningful opportunities for young people from both urban and rural communities.
Darren Chadwick, coordinator of the Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group, said: “Phew, what a scorcher. The weather was a challenge this year, but the event was a phenomenal success. With more than 300 schoolchildren attending and eight key partners providing the food, entertainment and learning resources, it was quality time for everyone involved. This annual event brings children out onto the moors to learn about rural skills, wildlife, community and their future responsibilities when visiting the uplands. It’s a fabulous collaboration between Countryside Learning, BASC and the Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group, and a huge ‘high five’ goes to the teachers, guardians and especially the wonderful children.”
Let’s Learn Moor ensures that young people from a wide range of backgrounds can access high-quality outdoor education experiences that deepen their understanding of conservation, biodiversity and rural land management.
Let’s Learn Moor 2026 takes place from Monday 29 June to Friday 10 July across northern England.
For more information about Let’s Learn Moor and its impact, visit https://basc.org.uk/lets-learn-moor/