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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Join us on Sunday for a day of wildflower planting by the River Duddon. We'll be planting 600 of the first wildflowers grown in our own nursery. Two places left. @wildflowerhour.bsky.social @forestryengland.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk @nfudc.bsky.social www.trybooking.com/uk/GSZO

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Sometimes a picture can paint a thousand words. But not this picture, it's just Paddy pointing at cowclap.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Hang on a minute...that wasn't the dog he named John...

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I thought I'd be getting home early the other day, but felt sorry for Paddy trying to sort this lot. I pulled over & tried to help with some arm waving & random noises. Him having named his sheepdog John (after me?) was confusing ("GET OUT OF IT JOHN you useless ******") but we got there in the end.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Just before the school summer holidays we visited Broughton Primary School to work with a couple of classes and set up camera traps. This was a great follow up after they visited us at Hardknott Forest in the Spring.(lakedistrictfoundation.org/local-pupils...). See below for what turned up on cam.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

It looks like flapjack's back on the menu. Volunteering restarted yesterday after a summer break, and that meant a well-deserved tasty treat for our vols. Caution may contain nuts!* *And that's just the volunteer group. (See we can do jokes, but we usually choose not to). Vol dates in bio.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

It was interesting helping @universityofleeds.bsky.social researcher Ben collecting data last week. He's looking at the effect of tree canopy cover on temperature & soil moisture. More in our autumn newsletter. Sign up here: mailchi.mp/fab56d180ac7... @envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social

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Reposted by Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎

Countryside Jobs Service @countrysidejobs.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

🌿 Could your love of the outdoors become your career? There are so many different ways to find your place in conservation and countryside management — and Ellie Watton’s story is a great example. buff.ly/WkAdGzX

A smiling person in hard hat and full PPE handing from ropes up a tree. Text reads: Could this be your career: finding your place in arboriculture

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Our volunteering & events page has just been updated with two new dates at the nursery (8th & 17th September) and spaces on most other events, including the dry stone walling days. Take a look & share if you can. @naturalengland.bsky.social @cumbriacvs.bsky.social bag.leeds.ac.uk/projects/res...

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

We're all set up at @krankenhausfest.bsky.social. Call in and say hello. You could try our feelybox (optional), or just find out more about what we do. Also we're doing a guided walk tomorrow (Saturday) and a talk (with added pine martens) on Sunday. Please share.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Who doesn't like a bold water vole that loves the camera? 😍 We went along to the @forestryengland.bsky.social Wild Ennerdale site to see their release programme. Meanwhile we're planning our own before too long. Watch this water vole sized space. More water vole info ➡️ share.google/bF8fyK1dAXvj...

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

It's not all about me, but just pointing out I'm on the same bill as Stewart Lee! I've made it mum! I told you I'd do something with my life! Other entertainment is available at @krankenhausfest.bsky.social including a guided walk by Nature Rich Miterdale & our slightly interactive stall.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Here's a bonus four spotted chaser, and last but not least some slugs doing their thing.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Southern hawker (we're 99% sure) egg laying. Showing how important it is to have at least some habitat that stays wet. @savebutterflies.bsky.social @ukbutterflies.bsky.social @buglife.bsky.social

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Hummingbird hawk moth, a summer migrant from southern Europe. Feeds on knapweed, honeysuckle which we're growing more of. Caterpillars need bedstraw species, common in our area. An example of convergent evolution?

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Increasing wildflowers (species & number) is already having an impact in the Upper Duddon valley, and now we have a plant nursery it'll only get better. Seen recently...painted lady, garden bumble bee, speckled wood, meadow brown, peacock, brimstone. Dragonfly & hummingbird hawk moth videos below ⤵️

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

If Jack of Nature Rich Miterdale says he knows a short cut, our advice is to politely decline. In fact there's probably no need to be polite.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

The Kickstarter campaign to help finish "A Simple Act", the documentary about us, has 12 more days to run and is a few £100 short. Please check out and share the link below, and donate if you can. Many thanks. www.kickstarter.com/projects/ony...

kickstarter.com

A Simple Act: Finishing a Film About Hardknott Forest

Follow a year in the life of Hardknott Forest as volunteers, researchers and local people work to rebuild a forest.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

PS. We'll make this the last "a lot of people" post for a while. Maybe. Three is a good number.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

A lot of people are saying we don't have enough short films about juniper on our socials. Here's one which features 1695 of them. All carefully nurtured by staff & volunteers & gradually getting ready to be released into the wild. @leedsleaf.bsky.social @forestryjournal.bsky.social

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Luckily the young/disposable team members don't follow us on social media.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Only seen it mentioned in @forestryjournal.bsky.social so far. There's a lot of misunderstanding out there so let's hope it helps.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Felling trees can be an emotional topic. The Royal Forestry Society have made a short video to promote understanding of the forestry sector. @leedsleaf.bsky.social @forestryengland.bsky.social youtu.be/SMUyqSZG6Xw?...

youtu.be

Branching Out: Healthy Trees Need Healthy People

YouTube video by Royal Forestry Society

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

A lot of people are saying we don't have enough coverage of electrofishing on our socials. Luckily for those people we were out with Hannah (South Cumbria Rivers Trust) this week. One 25m gill had 14 trout in it. More on e-fishing here: scrt.co.uk/what-we-do/m...

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

How am I "today years old" and only just hearing about dinocon? Is there a mailing list?

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

And no, it's probably not as environmentally friendly as getting horses or young/disposable staff members to shift them.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

A lot of people are saying we don't have enough footage of helicopters on our socials. So here's a clip from our recent heli-lift of (local, larch) fence posts. These will keep Harter Fell sheep free & allow montane scrub and wildflowers to thrive. @forestryengland.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Here's the car park at Hardknott Forest. The day before this we'd had a group from Millom School, there was a large DofE group & a large group from the local outdoor centre. Not a scrap of litter to be seen! Nice to share good news! (There were 2 dog poo bags though, from forgetful owners I expect).

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I don't know if there's a way around the web address?

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Yes no problem. Email me with an address and I'll send as many as I can. j.h.hodgson@leeds.ac.uk

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Many thanks Charlie. Always good to get feedback.

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Summer newsletter out now: news on our first year of Landscape Recovery, lichens & temperate rainforests, update on our documentary, grassland monitoring and events & volunteering dates. @forestryengland.bsky.social @envleeds.bsky.social mailchi.mp/leeds.ac.uk/...

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Did you know we're the subject of a feature-length documentary which after two years work is nearly finished? Neil Emery, the filmmaker, tells us all about it in the video below. @envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social @forestryengland.bsky.social youtu.be/CgoDqF6t2Nw?...

youtu.be

I'm Asking for Your Help to Finish My First Feature Documentary

YouTube video by Lake District Films

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

It's that time again. A lot of people/a few of you/no-one at all* have been asking when the next newsletter is out! Chill! It's on the way & includes our fave lichen, citizen science, meadow monitoring & a look at Year 1 of landscape recovery. *delete as applicable 📰➡️ mailchi.mp/1dd189bd3314...

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Upper Duddon Landscape Recovery staff have been celebrating the first year as a project by showing groups the work done so far. Lots of river restoration, wildlife news, leaky dams, work on farms & the odd chat about larch. Follow us to keep up to date. @envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Climate researcher, global cycling legend, Hardknott volunteer and all-round good guy Ben Silver has an ongoing research project with us into "THE COOLING EFFECTS OF TREE COVER". Very topical this week, and his research is ongoing, with some earlier results here ⤵️ bag.leeds.ac.uk/projects/res...

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Restoring Hardknott Forest 🌎 @hardknottforest.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Our monitoring officer Ishbel has been making the most of the weather to record the flowering plants we have in our grasslands. More about these in our next newsletter, for now just enjoy some of her photos alongside various invertebrates. Newsletter sign up here: bag.leeds.ac.uk/projects/res...

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