Coalface to Wildspace Yorkshire

Coalface to Wildspace Yorkshire builds on Froglife’s experience of creating and improving habitats for reptiles and amphibians and working with and involving communities to take action to support a thriving natural world on their doorsteps. While developing the project Froglife met many wonderful organisations and individuals who helped to shape the project activities and where they will take place.

Working across North, South and West Yorkshire Froglife will restore and create 93 large scale ponds. These ponds will form the basis for wildlife corridors, linked through a series of stepping stone that provide food, water and shelter that will help wildlife move freely between the different habitat sites. Froglife will work with communities, schools and community organisations to create the stepping stones through a variety of workshops. The stepping stones will benefit amphibians and reptiles and wide range of wildlife from birds to invertebrates.

In addition, we will run creative workshops, educational sessions and training that help improve participants understanding and appreciation of native amphibians and reptiles.

Coalface to Wildspace Yorkshire will be delivered across North, South and West Yorkshire. The map below shows the location of our large-scale habitat works. Through stepping stones, we will link the habitat works together in Neighbourhood Wildlife Corridors. In total six corridors will be created.

In September 2026 we recruited our Project Manager, Andy Goff and over the next few months we’ll recruit a Project Assistant and Trainee.
Over the project we’ll train and recruit our Guardians (volunteers). Guardians will be given the skills, knowledge, experience and support they need to develop the project into the future. We will provide bespoke training covering a range of topics from pond creation and maintenance to surveying sites for species and habitats.

Over the next four years the Coalface to Wildspace Yorkshire team will:

• Create and restore 93 ponds across 17 sites.
• Create 6 wildlife corridors working with and involving communities from across Yorkshire.
• Work with communities to create a 3D film exploring amphibians and reptiles.
• Deliver 120 Wildlife Gardening Workshops with schools and community organisations.
• In collaboration with communities create artwork that will be placed in each corridor.
• Recruit, train and support 570 people to be Guardians.
• Host a variety of events showcasing the wonderful work that communities are carrying out across Yorkshire to support the natural world.

Are you passionate or curious about amphibians and reptiles and do you want to be involved a project that will make a difference. Then get in contact and be part of the Coalface to Wildspace Yorkshire team!

If you are a community organisations or school and would like to get involved please contact the project manager and they’ll be happy to help.

Coalface to Wildspace Yorkshire is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to the National Lottery Players we have been able to fund the development of the Coalface to Wildspace project in Yorkshire.