AN ARMY of citizen scientists are helping conserve the natural heritage of the Yorkshire Dales - following a grant of nearly £300,000 lottery funding.

The Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) contains a huge variety of wildlife species in its flower-rich meadows and ancient woodlands, while its heather moorlands are internationally important for conservation because of their rich concentration of rare plants and wildlife.

Now the AONB has received a £295,100 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to conserve its natural heritage.

An army of volunteers led by qualified scientists will collect a vast amount of data on threatened species and wildlife habitats, which will help protect some of the UK’s most threatened species, including otters, adders, bumblebees and butterflies.

The information will be used in a conservation programme by farmers, land managers, the AONB, Natural England and conservation charities.

An engagement programme will help local people get involved.

The data collected will help the team understand how they can take targeted conservation action and help protect the future of much-loved species, once a common sight but now increasingly rare.

Paul Burgess, Nidderdale AONB manager said “The recently published State of Nature Report 2016 highlights catastrophic species decline in the UK.

“In the light of this, it’s essential that we take action now so that the fortunes of threatened species can be reversed. Following the generous support of HLF we can now make a real difference to some of the country’s favourite species”.

Fiona Spiers, head of Heritage Lottery Fund Yorkshire, said: “This wonderful project will allow significant numbers of people to really get to grips with the natural world in their local area, which so often goes undiscovered.

“It is also fantastic that the important species and habitats in the AONB will be conserved, so we are delighted that National Lottery players can help make this happen.”

Earlier this year HLF launched the Yorkshire’s Back Garden campaign, which has awarded £2.6m for projects to raise awareness of nature in urban and rural neighbourhoods.