RESERVE JUDGEMENT

Amanda talks to the manager of an urban nature reserve about encouraging responsible dog walking

Sam Taylor manages Sydenham Hill Wood for the London Wildlife Trust. This 11- hectare nature reserve is one of the most heavily used in London. In 2020 there were over 340,000 visits, up from 190,000 in 2019, and Sam estimates that more than half the visitors bring dogs. Monthly bird monitoring in the woods shows a corresponding fall in numbers over that time.

One late March morning ,Sam and I are walking round the reserve hoping to see Firecrests, which breed here. We have a quick recap of the Firecrest call from Sam’s phone to remind ourselves what we’re listening for. As Sam and I scan the Yew trees, a woman with four loose dogs walks past. Only a couple of weeks ago, it was my job as a volunteer to put up posters at all the gates telling visitors that it was bird breeding season with a reminder to keep their dogs on leads. I don’t think the posters are working.

Sam and I mull over the idea of talking to visitors about bird nest locations rather than going straight in with dog control. Many people don’t realise how close to the ground some familiar birds – like Wrens, Blackbirds, Robins and Song Thrushes – can choose to nest. The fences and dead hedges we install in the reserve do keep most dogs out of sensitive areas, but some bounce straight over them and tear through the shrub layer, exactly where you’d expect nests to be.

Persuading us Brits to keep our dogs on leads in nature reserves like this one, might seem impossible, but then, not long ago, the paths of this suburban woodland were littered with dog mess, and that has changed. There are times now when I walk my usual route and don’t see any.

Sam and I didn’t have any luck with the Firecrests that morning. So I’ll just have to sign up for some more volunteering days, trying to remember that I’m actually supposed to be working, not just birdwatching.