Dog walkers urged to help protect wildlife - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
Ground nesting bird populations are in decline, and disturbance from dog walkers and other visitors contributes to the problem. Pet owners can play a key role in safeguarding these precious species by sticking to paths and keeping their pets under control this spring and summer.
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) is making an appeal over the next few months to raise awareness of the issue at two of its most popular nature reserves - Greenham & Crookham Commons and Snelsmore Common Country Park - in West Berkshire. Three new seasonal reserve wardens, Zoe, Esther and Claire, have been selected to help spread the word by talking to thousands of visitors about ground-nesting birds and how to protect them.
Saturday 1 March marked the start of nesting season in the UK, when species such as nightjars, skylarks and Dartford warblers make nests on the ground or in low-growing bushes. Heathland sites such as Greenham & Crookham Common and Snelsmore Common near Newbury - managed by BBOWT on behalf of West Berkshire Council - offer the perfect environment for them.
However, research shows that these rare birds are in trouble, with around 66 per cent of ground-nesting birds in decline in the UK, compared with 31 per cent of other species. In 2009, a BBOWT survey recorded 32 male skylarks that had established nesting territories on Greenham Common; in 2024 there were just two. Sadly, this decline is partly down to disturbance by people and dogs. So, the Trust is asking dog walkers and other visitors to help it build on decades of work protecting these vulnerable species by making sure they stick to paths and keep their dogs under control.
Posted On: 07/03/2025
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