A memorial trust established to continue the work of a prominent environmentalist who died last year met to present its inaugural awards to two hill farmers yesterday.
Farmers from Barnard Castle, County Durham, and Edale, Derbyshire, were being honoured by the David Arnold-Forster Trust for their ability to successfully manage the farms for business and wildlife.
Sponsored by English Nature, the two Hill Farming Awards were presented to Maurice and Kath Toward, from Herdship Farm, Barnard Castle, and Robert and Sarah Helliwell, from Upper Booth Farm, Edale.
Mr and Mrs Toward were nominated by the Tyne Tees Farming And Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG).
Their farm is a haven for black grouse, lapwing, yellow wagtail, redshank, snipe and golden plover, which have virtually disappeared from nearby farms.
Rare Teesdale gentian found in flower meadows are so special that they are protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest by English Nature.
The couple keep North Cheviot sheep as part of their breeding stock and are looking at using traditional breeds of cattle for grazing to help manage rushes and create ideal conditions to encourage lapwings to nest.
The Towards have been able to get an economic return on the green side of their business.
Herdship Farm has been tenanted from Raby Estate to Maurice and Kath Toward since 1967, and before that Mr Toward's uncle and father farmed it.
The farm is 232 hectares and is predominantly a sheep farm with approximately 400 breeding ewes and 125 followers and a small suckler herd of 12 Limousin cross cows.
The Helliwells were nominated by their landlords, the National Trust, who through their Farming Forward Programme are committed to the development of sustainable land management in hill farming.
They keep traditional Dale breeds of Swaledale and Mule ewes and Belted Galloway sucklers. They are also restoring traditional dry stone walls and planting hedges that will provide food and shelter for farmland birds.
David Arnold-Forster, OBE TD, grew up in the Yorkshire Dales where he developed his keen interest in nature conservation and environmental management and earned the affectionate nickname "the human dynamo".
He was chief executive of English Nature and chairman of the Government's Hill Farming Task Force until his untimely death in September 2002 and the trust was formed in honour of his work.
A special message of support from the Prince of Wales has given the trust a huge boost, along with the announcement that it has also been awarded charitable status.
John Varley, chairman of the trust, a close personal friend of David's, said: "David was passionate about addressing the need for action to sustain the landscape and wildlife which are now as valuable a product as the stock hill farmers traditionally produce.
"He encouraged, through quiet yet powerful diplomacy, those around him to think and behave differently and do remarkable things.
"I am delighted at the tremendous response we have had to the launch of the David Arnold-Forster Trust today - if we can harness his immense network of organisations and people to continue to make a difference then we will have achieved much to be proud of."