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We are a nation of dog lovers with the Dogs Trust estimating that there are as many as 13 million dogs in the UK The Love Dogs, Love Nature Project, facilitated by Surrey Hills Natural Landscapes, has recently been set up to provide joined up education, advice and to develop constructive ideas on how to best manage the relationship between dogs and our natural environment Our staff attended their recent event on Thursday 27 March, with Dr...
Read MoreBanstead Commons Conservators launched their Professional Dog Walking Licence Scheme this month From the 1 April, all commercial dog walkers who are paid and insured animal care workers are required to be licenced if they take dogs in their care onto Banstead Commons The scheme has been introduced in response to an unprecedented increase in commercial dog walking activities on the Commons putting visitors and wildlife at risk Our...
Read MoreDear Supporter, As we approach the end of 2024, we wanted to thank you for your ongoing support to Banstead Commons It has been wonderful to see our support grow even further this year and we would like to use this opportunity to share some of the highlights that have made it so special Volunteers We now have more volunteers and work parties than ever This has enabled us to better protect and preserve our habitats that require...
Read MoreCongratulations to our competition winners who correctly guessed the age of our Oak tree at our Nature Detective Days this summer In return for their efforts, the eight winners all won their own slice of a tree with a certificate of authentication that gave details of the location where the tree fell on Banstead Commons earlier this year It was lovely to see our young Nature Detectives again when they collected their prize in...
Read More30 September, 2024 Dear Volunteer, I hope this email finds you well What terrible wet weather we’ve had over recent days, the temperature has also dropped, winter coats will be out soon Whilst Autumn and Winter are meant to be the seasons when we can carry out most of the habitat improvement work on the Commons, sometimes the weather can scupper our plans, especially when using agricultural machinery Thankfully, weather...
Read MoreBanstead Heath has a network of nine ponds found across the site Rich in biodiversity, they support many rare species that rely on an aquatic ecosystem to survive These include many different types of invertebrates, like dragonflies and damsel flies, as well as the UK’s rarest amphibian, the Great Crested Newt In a recent ecological survey of the ponds on the Heath it was identified that all nine require - to a greater or lesser extent...
Read MoreOur first Nature Detective Day on Banstead Downs was a huge success Families came along to explore the wonderful chalk grassland habitat, learning about its wildlife and how help conserve its natural beauty Activities included a Bug Hunt, Nature Walk and an opportunity to Meet the Sheep Our team of staff and volunteers were on hand to help, and they were all impressed with the curiosity and enthusiasm everyone showed in finding out about...
Read MoreBanstead Commons Conservators are working together with Surrey Wildlife Trust to develop 10 year Site Management Plans for each of our four sites: Banstead Downs, Banstead Heath, Burgh Heath and Park Downs A Site Management Plan details how we intend to prioritise resources and organise our land management for the benefit of people and wildlife over a period of ten years Commencing on Saturday 1 June and running until Sunday 30 June we...
Read MoreOur small flock of twenty seven sheep, a mixture of Herdwick and Beaulah Speckled Face breeds, will be introduced to Pen 3 on Banstead Downs on Thursday 11 April The grazing enclosure is highlighted in red on the map below Visitor access to the enclosure is not permitted at this time We estimate the sheep will be grazing this section of grassland for approximately ten weeks depending on the vegetation growth The grassland areas of...
Read MoreMarch is peak time for frogspawn Even though, with global warming, it is sometimes sighted nowadays as early as December, now is when you are most likely to see it Although frogs turn up almost anywhere damp and sheltered on land throughout the year, they have to lay their eggs (the spawn) in water because they are amphibians, creatures that can exist in both elements, depending on the circumstances So, at this time of year, they travel from...
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