Officially a Nature Reserve

[oldclaypaws]

Finally decided to register with Somerset Wildlife Trust as a private Nature Reserve. It doesn't affect the management or activities taking place in the wood, its free, and allows us to network and build wildlife contacts and knowledge. There is access to free surveys, newsletters, visits to other Reserves, so all pretty positive stuff. Don't think any suited types and clipboards are involved, and it doesn't involve public access. It would be good to get into recognising moths, birds and plants more, always enhances the visits of friends if you know what you're looking at or listening to.

[The Barrowers]

Hello

How will this impact on Culling Deer

B and T

[oldclaypaws]

There is no official 'code of conduct' on how you manage a private reserve, its just a way of showing you are sensitive to managing for wildlife. The Deer issue is not controversial, even wildlife organisations acknowledge that without natural predators there has to be a degree of deer management or the habitat suffers. Simply, planting and managing trees for biodiversity encourages new flora, insects and birds. If all the young trees are chewed, you ain't got the right woodland habitat for all that, just scrubland. In Yosemite they reintroduced wolves, and there was a huge resurgence in trees and tree dependant species. Sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind, nature has a balance that has evolved over millennia that depends on predators playing a part. As we've killed all the wolves, we are the top of the food chain and need to suppress uncontrolled herbivores to protect the balance. I think we tended to predate on each other, with war, transmitted disease, slavery, capital punishment, etc. Maybe the human race needs a new culture to limit its own numbers and impact it has on the ecosystem?

[The Barrowers]

We really notice the difference that an enclosed area has on the ground when deer cant get to it
Makes you realise what they are nibbling all the time, its not just the trees

B and T

[SimonFisher]

We really notice the difference that an enclosed area has on the ground when deer cant get to it
Makes you realise what they are nibbling all the time, its not just the trees

I couldn't agree more. One of our woods was deer fenced in 2011 to protect restored coppice. The difference throughout the wood though is amazing with parts that were previously easy to walk through now very difficult, and tracks don't get used much very becoming quite 'overgrown'.

[SitkaSpruce]

Do you know if you can do this in any region?

[oldclaypaws]

Virtually all of the Uk is covered by County & Regional Wildlife Trusts, their structure and whether they have similar schemes will depend on where you are. You'll need to look at the website of the trust specific to your area or contact them to enquire and express interest. Most of them will be keen to take on board keen landowners and new members. Somerset Wildlife have 20,000 members and 71 reserves they run themselves covering 3500 acres. They organise extensive visits, initiatives, talks and seem a good (large bunch) of enthusiasts.

Regional guide to Wildlife Trusts;

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/your-local-trust