Caring, as we do for 1,300 hectares of nature reserves across the county, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust has long experience of balancing the sometimes-competing needs of people and nature, but one issue that has become particularly challenging is dogs on nature reserves.
We previously permitted dogs ‘under close control’ – but increasing dog ownership, increasing problems with owners not keeping their dogs under control or picking up after them led us to alter our policy to requesting that dogs are always kept on a lead on our sites.
On popular sites such as Attenborough or Idle Valley Nature Reserves our policy shift had little impact despite news releases to highlight the issue and additional signage so we’ve decided to tackle the issue head on whilst ensuring responsible dog owners, and their pets, remained welcome to visit.
As only a proportion of owners cause problems, and many are unaware of the impacts their dogs and their dogs’ deposits can have on nature and the environment; we’re focussing on engaging people to change their behaviour rather than a heavy-handed approach. We felt that messages about the importance of keeping your dog on a lead and picking up after your dog would be more impactful if demonstrated by dog responsible owners that love our reserves. We set out to recruit a team of ‘Ambassadogs’ (and their owners!) to champion the scheme which we’ve christened ‘Lead by Example’.
Why is responsible dog walking important?
Even the most gentle and well-behaved dog is seen as a predator by wildlife. Birds, mammals, and reptiles may react with fear, using up vital energy trying to escape when dogs are near. Stress can reduce survival chances, especially during breeding season and harsh weather. Keeping dogs on a short lead can prevent nest abandonment, especially by ground-nesting birds like skylarks, lapwings, and nightjars. Dogs wading into ponds or chasing through grass disturb hibernating species and curious dogs can disturb or destroy the nests and shelters of small mammals such as hedgehogs and voles.
Our sites aren’t just nature reserves – they’re also home to conservation grazing livestock. Even the most well-trained dogs have an instinct to chase, which can cause stress, injury, or even pregnancy loss in grazing animals. It’s also worth remembering that not everyone loves dogs – so by keeping your dog on a lead you are ensuring your pet doesn’t impact on other visitors’ enjoyment. When it comes to picking up after your dog, dog poo left behind isn’t just unpleasant—it can contain parasites that can cause illness for animals or young children that encounter contaminated soil.
Rolling out the campaign
Lead by Example is being rolled out at Idle Valley, Skylarks and Attenborough – with scope to recruit and support volunteers elsewhere in future. Volunteers will demonstrate positive behaviour, chatting to fellow dog owners about why responsible walking matters, hand out leaflets to help spread the message and, on occasions, give treats or vouchers to encourage others to do the right thing. We’ve also rolled out a range of new signage.
Get involved
If you and your pup would like to join the pack, you can find out more at www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/lead-by-example.