Winter Work Programme 2025 / 2026
October 2025
Our staff and volunteer teams play a crucial role in carrying out essential land management duties in ways that are sensitive to the native wildlife of our Commons.
Each month, we focus our efforts on a different site. Our volunteer work party programme is designed to complement staff resources and enable us to fulfil key management outcomes – not only conserving habitats, but also enhancing them. This helps to encourage greater species diversity and supports habitats for rare and specialist species.
Visitor notices will go up in advance of tasks being carried out on each site so that our user groups are aware of the focused areas of work.
This winter, we will be working on the habitats highlighted below, alongside regular maintenance of public rights of way and woodland rides across the Commons.
Chalk Grassland
Chalk grassland is one of the most diverse habitats on the planet, making it of international conservation importance. Through sensitive management and selective scrub removal, we aim to increase the diversity of plant life and encourage specialist species such as Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor), Horseshoe (Hippocrepis comosa) and Kidney (Anthyllis vulneraria) vetch to thrive on Banstead Downs and Park Downs. In turn, this supports a wide range of invertebrates, including Glow-worms (Lampyris noctiluca) and rare butterflies such as the Chalkhill Blue (Polyommatus coridon), Dark Green Fritillary (Speyeria aglaja) and Small Blue (Cupido minimus).
Lowland Heath
On Banstead Heath, we remove woody scrub such as Birch (Betula pendula), Bramble (Rubus fruticosus), and Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) to allow Heather (Calluna vulgaris) and other specialist ground flora to flourish. Management methods include mechanical, manual removal using ‘tree popping’ tools, and scything open glades to create a patchwork of suitable habitat for breeding birds, butterflies, and native reptiles such as Adders (Vipera berus) and Common lizards (Zootoca vivipara).
Woodland
Our Site Management Plans highlight the need to eradicate invasive, non-native species from our landscapes. Earlier this year, our team began tackling Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) at Withybed Corner. Progress has been excellent, and we hope to remove this non-native shrub entirely from this section of woodland by the end of next year. Ongoing maintenance will focus on removing Cherry Laurel seedlings that emerge now that more light reaches the woodland floor.
In addition to our habitat enhancement work, we will be carrying out tree felling operations across the Commons due to the ongoing impact of Ash dieback disease (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus). This fungal disease is causing widespread decline and death of Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) trees across the UK.
We are working in partnership with Reigate and Banstead Borough Council (RBBC) to manage dead and dying ash trees that pose a safety risk to the public or threaten nearby infrastructure. Wherever possible, we retain standing deadwood and fallen timber to provide valuable habitats for fungi, invertebrates, and birds, ensuring that biodiversity continues to benefit even as we manage tree safety.
Ride Management
To maintain and improve visitor access, we will also be widening some of our woodland rides this winter. As well as improving accessibility for visitors, increased light levels will encourage ground flora to regenerate, which in turn boosts biodiversity. A greater number of species inhabit the first ten metres of any woodland edge than the remainder of the woodland interior, making this management work particularly valuable for people and wildlife.
Monitoring and Sensitivity
At times, habitat management can appear destructive to the untrained eye. However, our staff monitor all areas throughout the year and carry out site inspections before starting any clearance work to ensure management is carried out sensitively and appropriately for the time of year and species present.
Find Out More and Get Involved
Visitors are encouraged to read our Site Management Plans – Banstead Downs, Banstead Heath, Burgh Heath and Park Downs – if they have any queries about our work on the Commons.
Alternatively, please email us at enquiries@bansteadcommons.org.uk – we’d be delighted to provide further details on specific areas of our conservation programme.
You can also find more information about how to get involved and support our conservation work by clicking here.
