The 1^st August is Yorkshire Day and a great chance to celebrate the beauty and wonders of Yorkshire and its history.  There's lots going on around the county, and if you want to visit, you're spoilt for choice as to whether you go to a city - York? - or towns, or choose a place on the beautiful coastline.   Find out more about visiting Yorkshire here.

So here are a couple of gift ideas which willl last longer than the opening of an envelope and give them the chance to enjoy Yorkshire in all its beauty!

There are lots of wild places to explore, too, so why not give a gift membership to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust who are working hard to keep Yorkshire wild?  The Trust is committed to creating a Yorkshire which is rich in wildlife, saving both wildlife and wild places to bring people closer to nature.  And they have a vision of a wilder future!

The Trust has 45,000 members and membership is a way to help it give Yorkshire’s wildlife a voice, and to inspire future generations.

Discover all about the wildlife and wild places of Yorkshire

Find out about the wildlife of Yorkshire here – the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, marine animals and invertebrates.  And discover too all about the the wildflowers, fungi, mosses, trees and shrubs.   Have a look at the State of Yorkshire Nature's Report here.

The county has habitats such as heathland and moorland, wetlands and woodland, rocky habitat and farmland, and both coastal and freshwater habitats. And of course there are hedgerows – find out why hedgerows are important here. – and stone walls.  Why are stone walls so important to wildlife?

And there are over 100 nature reserves in Yorkshire - so lots to explore!  The Trust has tips on best reserves for families, best ones to see butterflies and wildflowers, best birding hot-spots, and hte topmost reserves for accessibility.   Find a reserve here!  You can use their search facility to find a reserve here.

See the amazing starling murmuration at Ripon City Wetlands



Give a membership to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
and help save Yorkshire's wildlife and wild places!
Image © Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Their gift boxes contain an incredible range of benefits (and I quote, on 31 July 2024)! 

• "Unlimited free admission and parking at our visitor centres and over 2,000 Wildlife Trust reserves nationally
• A subscription to our quarterly Wildlife Yorkshire magazines
• A Wildlife Watch pack and subscription – bursting with posters, badges, quizzes and more!
• Discounts on some of our unforgettable wild events
• Invites to exclusive experiences
• A copy of Discover Yorkshire’s Wildlife – the most comprehensive guide to where, when and how to see wildlife in Yorkshire!"

If that's not enough, there are free great gifts as well - and you can find out about those here.

This is surely a win-win gift – your membership will be helping to fund vital work and a brighter future for the wild places and wildlife of Yorkshire.

Gift memberships are £69.99.  Find out more about the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust  Gift Memberships

 Alternatively, how about a calendar to celebrate all things from Yorkshire?

The Calendar Club have lots of Yorkshire-themed calendars.
View their calendars here.

And you could consider a magazine, such as The Yorkshire Dalesman Magazine.  The issues are packed full of stories about the landscapes, and places and people that make Yorkshire so very speical! There are articles on local history, nature, food, walks, the Yorkshire humour and puzzle pages as well, plus what to do and where to stay in Yorkshire. 

Find out more from Pocketmags

By the way, there's a new series on Channel 4 starting on Monday, 5th August 2024 at 8pm.  It's called Yorkshire by the Sea, and it follows the lives of local people living along Yorkshire's stunning coastline.   The programme on the 5th August focuses on locals making a living, most particularly the Robson family.  They have been fishing the North Sea for generations.   There's also a group of sea swimminers who are taking a full-moon dip - chilly!   Find out more here.

The National Trust has lots of things you can see and do on Yorkshire's coast with self-led walks, cycle trails, fossil hunting, wildlife watching, and incredible views, and of course there's lots more besides in this stunning county.  See all the National Trust places in Yorkshire here and find out about their membership here.

And don't forget English Heritage, too - they have lots of castles, abbeys, gardens, Roman sites, manor houses, priories and other places to visit!  

Visit RHS Harlow Carr, wonderful gardens!

Also - flower and garden lovers will love a visit to RHS Harlow Carr, just outside of the great Harrogate, a jewel in itself worth a visit (make sure you get to Betty's Tea Rooms!).