Yorkshire, England
Yorkshire Pine Marten Project

The pine marten is one of Yorkshire’s rarest mammals. NatureSpy has been working in partnership with Forestry England since 2018 to gain a better understanding of the status of pine martens in Yorkshire. We’re now working towards a set of conservation objectives to help pine martens make a comeback.


Have you seen a pine marten in Yorkshire? Please report your sighting here.Β 


Our search for pine martens in Yorkshire began in 2013. In response to historic records and reports of sightings from the public, we set out to capture visual evidence. After four years of searching with just a few camera traps, we finally captured a video of a pine marten in Yorkshire in 2017 – this was the first ever image of a pine marten living in Yorkshire. Following this, we scaled up our efforts so we could learn more about the status of pine martens on the North York Moors and start implementing conservation objectives to support the species.

 

Yorkshire Pine Marten Support Programme (2018-2021) – In 2018 we began the 3-year Heritage Lottery funded Yorkshire Pine Marten Support Programme. Through camera trap surveys, DNA surveys and responding to reported pine marten sightings, the project was able to better understand the status of pine martens on the North York Moors. The project’s engagement programme helped to increase awareness and knowledge of pine martens and their poor conservation status regionally, while the installation of den boxes contributed to improving habitat quality with safe dens for pine martens for many years to come. Click here read our report from this project.

 

Pine Marten Conservation Strategy for Yorkshire (2021–2024) – The Yorkshire Pine Marten Support Programme evidenced that pine marten populations are not in a good state in Yorkshire, with 6 confirmed records and 25 unconfirmed reported sightings between 2017 and 2021. We’re now onto our next phase of pine marten conservation work in Yorkshire with a set of objectives that maintain and develop from our previous 3-year project. We’re working towards a long-term vision to establish self-sustaining populations of pine martens in Yorkshire as part of the national restoration of the species. Click here to read our Pine Marten Conservation Strategy for Yorkshire.

Who's Involved
Forestry England
University of Hull
Heritage Fund
This is part-funded with profits from our shop
A NatureSpy led project
Mighty mustelids...
Pine martens are in the mustelid family alongside otters, badgers, ferrets and stoats. They are similar in size to a house cat and have a distinctive creamy-yellow bib on their chest, brown fur and a bushy tail. They have a unique lope to their movement and they’re excellent climbers, spending much of their time in woodland habitats, where they make dens and have a varied diet that includes small mammals, birds, insects and fruit.

Project aim
Conservation objectives, 2021-2024
  • In the short term (2021-2024): Continue to monitor for presence of pine martens in Yorkshire, improve chances of population establishment with den box installations, maintain our public engagement activity and better understand the factors that may challenge pine marten population establishment in the region.
  • Long term vision: To establish self-sustaining populations of pine martens in Yorkshire as part of the national restoration of the species.
  • Surveys: Using camera traps to monitor potential pine marten habitats to assess presence and build an evidence base.
  • Reported sightings: Responding to and collating reported sightings, following up with surveys and searches for field signs where possible.
  • Den boxes: Maintaining existing den boxes and installing them in new locations.
  • Public engagement: Raising awareness of the species and encouraging the public to report sightings.
  • Navigating the landscape: Assessing pine marten mortality risks, habitat connectivity and dispersal potential to and from Yorkshire.
Project News
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Camera used
The Browning Recon Force cameras are used for their excellent video quality and ease of use.
Find out more
Report a pine marten sighting in Yorkshire
Please include the date, time & location of the sighting along with a brief description of what you saw.
Submit A Sighting

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