Don’t fence off sand dunes, it’s harming endangered species

CHILDREN and families should be allowed to roam on sand dunes to help protect endangered species, experts say.

The mounds, which have been fenced off at beaches for decades in a bid to reduce trampling, are being choked by thick grass and invasive plants.

A return to walking on dunes will help to expose bare sand and crevices which small animals rely on. They are home to 70 priority species, including the natterjack toad and sand lizard.

Natural England is leading a project to ensure dunes are no longer ‘sterile, grassy hillocks’, and has received £4million of National Lottery funding. This will help conserve over 17,000 acres of dunes, which have declined by a third in the UK since 1900. The four-year scheme will improve access for the public, focusing on nine dune landscapes in areas such as north Cornwall, Cumbria and Dorset.

Marian Spain, of Natural England, said sand dunes were ‘some of our most precious landscapes’, adding: ‘People can now enjoy a habitat they have long been encouraged to keep off.’