The Carstairs Countryside Trust

The Carstairs Countryside Trust was established in 1989 to act as a rapid response mechanism to further the conservation of the countryside. Over two decades its trustees have played the leading voluntary role in the conservation of the Lower Derwent Valley straddling North and East Yorkshire as well as securing the future of more than 30 sites (approaching 1000 acres) of great natural, archaeological and palaeoenvironmental importance spread across the Yorkshire Region. The majority of CCT’s sites promote integrated sustainable agriculture in harmony with wildlife and the environment, largely through traditional non-intensive farming methods. The Trust has also played a pivotal role in working with Natural England and local authorities to seek to ensure the planning system safeguards internationally protected sites against inappropriate and unwelcome change.