People longing for the imminent return of the call of the curlew in the uplands are invited to enjoy a new art exhibition about the bird and its moorland habitat.

Richmond artist Sally Zaranko is exhibiting dozens of lino cut prints at Yoredale, the office of the National Park Authority in Bainbridge.

She spent two years following curlews, with sketches made in the field worked up in the studio, to create the “More than Moors” exhibition.

Moorland, much of it blanket peat bog, makes up more than 40% of the land area of the Yorkshire Dales National Park; it is vitally important habitat for the UK breeding population of the curlew. Curlews can usually be seen and heard returning from coastlines to Yorkshire Dales moorlands, to breed, from early February.

Sally Zaranko said: “Moors, like any other habitats, cannot survive in isolation. The ‘More than Moors’ exhibition hopefully helps to connect people to places and through that to provoke a commitment to help preserve and look after them.

“It seems very fitting to exhibit at Yoredale, the headquarters of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, which works to conserve this beautiful National Park.“

Member Champion for Promoting Understanding at the National Park Authority, Neil Heseltine, said: “My thanks to Sally Zaranko for helping us make Yoredale a welcoming place for members of the public to visit, and for sharing her artistic response to the moorlands of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. At this time of year we are all longing to hear the call of the curlew again, which joyfully signals that spring is near. The exhibition will increase people’s understanding of the needs of the curlew and of other birds of the moorland such as ring ouzels.”

“More than Moors” is a free exhibition, open from 08:30-16:30 Monday to Friday each week until the end of March. The postcode for the Yoredale office in Bainbridge is DL8 3EL.