A NEW countryside officer has been appointed by North Yorkshire County Council and Ryedale District Council to help with conservation issues.

Sue Bragg is the first of four area-based countryside officers to provide a basic level of countryside management advice throughout North Yorkshire.

Coming from a farming background in Devon, Sue previously worked with the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is "passionate about conserving wildlife and the countryside".

She said: "I plan to work closely with farmers, landowners and rural conservation bodies to get projects off the ground which will help preserve the rural nature of North Yorkshire.

"Anything which will benefit the landscape and bio-diversity will be encouraged. I can also find appropriate funding for schemes.

"There needs to be a co-ordinated approach to any conservation work."

Sue's main area of attention will focus in and around the Vale of Pickering and the Wolds in Ryedale. She would be pleased to hear from anybody needing help or advice on conservation projects.

One of her first schemes involves working with the community to put up a number of nest boxes in a wood near Malton.

Updated: 11:11 Wednesday, March 16, 2005