A Japanese delegation flocked to the Dearne Valley nature improvement area to find out more about conservation - Yorkshire style.
A group from the Ecosystem Conservation Society in Japan visited the area on a fact-finding mission to find out how landscape-scale conservation is done.
The group, led by their president Hobun Ikeya, and renowned ecologist Sir John Lawton, joined partners of the Dearne Valley Green Heart partnership for a tour of the nature improvement area and went for lunch at RSPB Old Moor.
The partnership received a share of £7.5 million to help improve the Dearne Valley for people and wildlife, and is working on a number of projects that range from habitat creation to work with local landowners.
Pete Wall, project manager for the partnership, said the visitors were impressed by the landscape, habitats and wildlife they saw in the nature improvement area.
Sir John Lawton, author of the Making Space for Nature report, said: "Our Japanese colleagues were extremely impressed by the partnership – the idea of so many different organisations successfully working together to make space for nature was not something they had encountered before.
"And they were equally impressed by the very significant progress made in habitat recreation and restoration, and by the work to restore connectivity to the river systems."
As part of the tour, the group visited Barnburgh pit top, Adwick fish pass and Adwick washland, which impressed the delegation because of the number and range of bird species at the RSPB wetland site.
Representatives from Natural England, Don Catchments Rivers Trust, the Forestry Commission, Barnsley Council, the RSPB and the Environment Agency were all on hand to pass on their knowledge of the area and explain how the Dearne Valley Green Heart partnership works.
