What we do
Heritage skills
The North Pennines AONB Partnership’s heritage skills project was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The programme enabled nine people to learn the skill of dry stone walling and four graduates to study conservation and land management methods to increase biodiversity and improve habitat integrity.
Dry stone walling training
Trainees learned the skill of dry stone walling by receiving specific training at Low Kays Lea Farm Test Centre for approximately one month and then by working alongside professional wallers in the North Pennines.
We also offered trainees information and workshops in how to set up in business to enable trainees to get started as self-employed wallers.
Dry stone walling helps maintain an important part of upland farms in the North Pennines landscape. Good quality walls should stand for at least 100 years.
Conservation and land management training
In 2014-15 our conservation and land management trainees worked on habitat monitoring, the Peatland Programme, riverbank erosion and restoration, WildWatch events and access mapping. The scheme also paid for a number of training courses in bryophyte ID, invertebrate ID and first aid.
This training aimed to support trainees into long-term contracts in protected landscapes or habitat improvement work.
Trainees who were selected for the training had a background in working in conservation as volunteers.
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