Louise Williams with traditional breed cattle

A UNIQUE conservation project run in the Yorkshire Dales National Park has been shortlisted for a regional award.

The Limestone Country Project – a five-year, joint venture involving the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), English Nature (now Natural England), the EU LIFE-nature fund, the National Trust and others - is in the running for the Environmental Project category of the Yorkshire Rural Awards, which are organised by the Dalesman magazine.

The project, which ended earlier this year, aimed to restore the internationally-important limestone habitats within the National Park by recruiting Dales farmers to return to mixed livestock grazing using native cattle breeds.

The awards, backed by leading Yorkshire companies and senior business people, are the only family of accolades devoted exclusively to the Yorkshire countryside and have been set up to highlight the people and businesses leading its rural revival.

The project was the brainchild of Tim Thom, the YDNPA’s Senior Wildlife Conservation Officer, and Paul Evans, Senior Reserves Manager with Natural England.

Tim and Louise Williams, the former Limestone Country Project Officer, have been invited to the award presentation at a gala dinner in Harrogate on May 22, hosted by author Gervase Phinn.

Tim said: “The nomination for the award is fantastic recognition of the fact that farmers and conservationists can work together to look after some wonderful wildlife habitats while, at the same time, maintaining a viable farming business.

During the project Louise worked with local farmers to re-introduce traditional, hardy breeds of cattle to the limestone uplands around Ingleborough, Malham and Wharfedale, helping to restore 2,000 hectares of internationally important habitats.

Her work won her two awards – the Young Achievement Award category of the last year’s Yorkshire Rural Awards and the Ken Willson Award, set up by the Yorkshire Dales Society and the Craven branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England in memory of the Addingham campaigner who died in 2003. It aims to recognise the work of people under 30 who have made an important contribution to the Dales.