Monad of the Month - SE5759 - Haxby, York

Welcome to our new series, Monad of the Month! This series will feature a monad (1km) grid square within the North and East Yorkshire area where we’re lacking records in our database. We’ve chosen grid squares that lack records but also contain interesting or valuable habitats or (locally or nationally/internationally) designated sites, and that are close to large towns, cities, or transport links where possible, to make them accessible, should you wish to visit and do some recording!

Our Monad of the Month for August 2025 is SE5759, located near Haxby, York.

SE5759 is located north-west of Haxby, York. We currently only have 5 records within this grid square in our database, all of terrestrial mammals (which in itself is unusual!). SE5759 contains part of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Moorlands Nature Reserve, an Edwardian woodland garden which is part of the ancient Forest of Galtres. Ancient forests are not an ecological designation but sites that were established as royal hunting preserves, and in the case of the Forest of Galtres, was established by the Norman kings of England. For more information, including access, see: Moorlands | YWT. The remainder of the site is mainly arable farmland, with some pockets of woodland and scrub.

Records can be submitted directly to us at records@neyedc.co.uk. We would encourage recorders to collect a spreadsheet of records over a set period or from a certain site before sending to us, rather than submitting individual records. However, if you spot something particularly special, we’d love to hear about it!