A WILDLIFE website has had more than 12,000 visits in the six months since it was launched by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA).

The Nature In The Dales site, created for anyone interested in wildlife and conservation in the National Park, is the website of the Yorkshire Dales Biodiversity Forum.

Early on it won praise from TV presenter and environmental campaigner Prof David Bellamy, who described it as ‘a fantastic window on to one of the most beautiful corners of Britain’.

The site’s design was funded by the YDNPA and its content includes written and illustrated pieces by organisations and individuals including Cumbria Wildlife Trust, the Enviroment Agency and the Yorkshire Dales RiversTrust.

The site showcases local information about 150 of the species and 14 of the habitats found in the landscape, accompanied by 300 images – many donated by local naturalists, landowners, visitors, academics and conservation professionals.

In addition, it contains details of conservation projects pioneered in the National Park, 18 of the best places to see wildlife, the Biodiversity Forum’s Species and Habitat Action Plans and a wide range of opportunities for people to get involved in looking after their natural environment.

Biodiversity forum chairman Deborah Millward said: “The quality of the work on the website is superb and the fact it has had so many visits is a reflection on the hard work that has gone into making it.”

YDNPA wildlife conservation officer Frances Graham said: “In addition to the authority, 14 other organisations, a dozen local naturalists, academics and landowners provided articles and beautiful images. The result is a fantastic resource that is invaluable for anyone interested in wildlife in the Yorkshire Dales.”

Visit the website at www. natureinthedales.org.uk .