Discarded beer bottles, fly-tipping, stolen signage and dog attacks on livestock have all significantly impacted on the ‘cost of summer’ for a Kent wildlife charity.
Kent Wildlife Trust have estimated that the cost to ‘clean-up summer’ stands at around £10,000, money that could be better spent on maintaining reserves, education programmes and events for the community.
In addition to the time and money spent on dealing with anti-social behaviour, theft and livestock attacks, there is also genuine concern of the risk posed by fire at the reserves, with some of these important wildlife habitats being particularly vulnerable during the current drought.
Kent Wildlife Trust welcomes around 75,000 visitors a year to the 80-plus reserves under the charity’s management. The sites offer people the chance to connect to nature and enjoy the wellbeing benefits of being outdoors.
Simon Bateman-Brown, Head of Land Management at Kent Wildlife Trust, said: “We warmly welcome visitors to our sites, as it is important that people have access to these beautiful reserves. Our priority remains to protect wildlife, which is currently under threat, and we are living in a biodiversity crisis where species are being lost at an alarming rate. It is crucial we all work together to tackle this global issue. It is quite likely that people do not realise the potential harm they are causing by having a BBQ, leaving litter or letting their dog roam free from the lead, but all of these actions can be incredibly harmful to wildlife. We are particularly concerned about the risk that BBQs and campfires pose in a time of drought. Whilst we have worked hard to restore wetlands, some reserves could be devastated by wildfire, with endangered species potentially being eradicated. Please come and visit the reserves; they are beautiful havens for wildlife, and are there to be enjoyed by all, but also consider the impact that your actions have on the environment and leave nothing more than a footprint behind you.”
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Posted On: 08/09/2022