Sheep Shearing, Fell Rescue and Heather Honey: Nidderdale Pupils Discover Life on the Moors
From watching a sheep being sheared to meeting the volunteers who carry out mountain rescues, hundreds of Nidderdale schoolchildren swapped the classroom for the open moor this week as part of Let’s Learn Moor 2026, the UK’s largest upland education initiative, now marking its 10th anniversary.
Held over two days on 6 and 7 July on the moors of Nidderdale in North Yorkshire, the event welcomed around 340 schoolchildren from nine schools. Pupils moved between hands-on stations run by gamekeepers, upland farmers, conservationists, water experts, beekeepers and the local fell rescue team, gaining a first-hand insight into the people and practices that shape and protect the UK’s upland landscapes, for many their first ever visit to a managed moorland.
Among this year’s highlights, pupils met the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue team, who are on call around the clock in these remote landscapes, and watched local shepherd Tony demonstrate the vital role of sheep in the uplands, shearing a sheep for each group. Children also learned about heather honey and moorland beekeeping from local beekeepers, and heard from Yorkshire Water about the connection between well-managed moorland and the water we all drink.
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.
Since its launch in 2016, Let’s Learn Moor has become a flagship countryside education programme, introducing almost 14,000 children to the environmental, cultural and economic importance of the UK’s uplands. This year, close to 2,500 children are expected to take part across eight venues, marking a significant milestone in the programme’s anniversary year.
Tracy Johnson, coordinator of the Nidderdale Moorland Group, said: “It’s always a pleasure to give children the opportunity to see the moorlands first hand and meet the people who look after them day to day. Let’s Learn Moor brings together everyone who lives and works on our uplands, from the gamekeepers and upland farmers who have shaped these landscapes over thousands of years, to Yorkshire Water, our local beekeepers and the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue team. We couldn’t run these days without them.”
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/