THOUSANDS of wild juniper seeds have been collected in the Yorkshire Dales to ensure that the native shrub survives.

Conservationists have been working at two sites in Swaledale and one in Ribblesdale and the seeds are being passed to a professional tree nursery at Berwick-upon-Tweed, in Northumberland.

The seeds, collected by staff from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, are currently dormant and will be 'woken up' artificially before being grown to 15cms to 20cms tall, ready for planting.

The process could take three to four years, so cuttings are also being taken for propagation.

Authority wildlife conservation officer Frances Graham said juniper bushes, which produce berries used in cooking and to flavour gin, are on a national watchlist because their numbers are declining dramatically.

"Juniper is one of only three conifer species native to Britain and it is on the UK list of priority habitats for biodiversity action," she said.

"In the Yorkshire Dales, it can range from a spreading shrub to a column-like tree. It was once widespread in the upland fringes of northern England, growing often as a shrub in open woodland with birch, rowan, alder, hawthorn and hazel.

"However, nationally there was a dramatic reduction in juniper distribution up to 1960 due to a combination of factors such as changes in land management."

The authority agreed to help conserve the species as part of a local biodiversity action plan and is talking to landowners about land management which will allow the bushes to regenerate naturally.

The work is being carried out with Natural England, landowners and the Woodland Trust, which owns one of the sites in Swaledale.