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We are pleased to share our Annual Report, which provides a comprehensive overview of the work of the Banstead Commons Conservators over the past year Inside, you will find updates on our management priorities, the projects and initiatives we have undertaken to protect and enhance the Commons, and insights into how we care for these diverse landscapes for both wildlife and the local community The report also sets out our financial accounts,...
Read MoreWe’ve recently received a number of enquiries regarding the removal of the benches on the grassed area next to The Sportsman Public House To help clarify the situation, we’ve put together a few Frequently Asked Questions below Q: I remember there were benches on the grassed area near The Sportsman Why have they been removed A: The placement of benches on registered Common Land has always required a licence from Banstead Commons...
Read MoreBanstead Commons Conservators are hosting their Volunteer Work Parties in the wooded areas of Withybed Corner during the months of April, May and July The work force will be sensitively removing Cherry Laurel from the understorey of the woodland with the aim to remove non-native invasive plants from the habitat Cherry Laurel is an invasive plant and its dense canopy and rapid growth outcompetes native species, greatly reducing biodiversity...
Read MoreWe 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 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 MoreBanstead Commons Conservators are implementing a professional dog walking licence scheme on Banstead Commons from 1 April, 2025 From this date, all professional dog walkers operating their business on any of our four sites (Banstead Heath, Banstead Downs, Park Downs and Burgh Heath) must be licensed to walk on them Dog walking companies who have not registered their operations once this is in effect, will be in breach of our bye laws and...
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 More10th September, 2024 Dear Volunteer, I hope this email finds you well and you are enjoying the sunshine, what a lovely treat! Whilst it may still feel like summer this week, our butterfly recording season is drawing to a close and Autumn is in the air, especially in the evenings Autumn and Winter are the seasons when we can carry out habitat improvement work on the Commons without work impacting...
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