The Visitor Centre in the middle of Kirkby Stephen is an excellent starting point for information and sells a range of booklets and pamphlets which are useful.
The community Website is also useful. www.kirkby-stephen.com
Some good wildlife areas are owned by the Northern Viaducts Trust (Smardale Viaduct, and the excellent walk along Podgill Viaduct from Stenkrith by Kirkby Stephen. More details at
http://www.nvt.org.uk/pdfs/Walking-Guide.pdf
Some wildlife areas are owned by The John Strutt Conservation Foundation who have land near Hartley
Lots of information on wildlife reserves is available in print from the Cumbria Wildlife Trust or from their website at www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk
The newly expanded Yorkshire Dales National Park extends to our area http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/
The North Pennine area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is very close and has some good events.http://www.northpennines.org.uk/
There are a number of different facebook sites that might be of use.
Cumbria Birding Group ( West cumbria biased but still usefu
Yorkshire Dales National Park