We caught up with Kari, the lead warden from the Ashdown Forest Centre and her gorgeous spaniel. Kari shared her three top tips with us for dog walking on the forest.
We are incredibly lucky to be situated on the edge of the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, it’s such a special part of the country and a great place to go for a walk and get some space and fresh air. We love welcoming visitors and their dogs to Babylon, many of which have come here for great food, after enjoying a walk on the Ashdown Forest with their four-legged friends.
The Ashdown forest conservators are keen for you to enjoy the Ashdown forest with your dog. Their aim is to provide you with the information you need to have a happy and healthy dog walk whilst also looking after the Ashdown forest.
Kari’s top tips for dog walking
1. Help look after our ground nesting birds
Bird nesting season is from March to September and the Ashdown Forest is home to many of these including the Dartford Warbler and the Nightjar. If a dog disturbs these rare species the birds may abandon their chicks.
Kari recommends keeping your dog on a lead on the forest during this time and practicing recall so that your dog will be completely under your control.
There are also lots of great bird ID apps that will enable you to record any birdsong you hear to help identify the different birds on the forest. Merlin Bird ID, Chirpomatic and Birda are just a few to get you started. If you spot an endangered or unusual bird then let the team at The Ashdown Forest Centre know all about it, they’d love to hear from you.
2. Take your dog poo with you
Not the nicest subject to talk about! Your dog is going to do this when you take it on a walk though! You might think that if they go into the bushes you don’t need to pick it up, but it changes the chemistry of the forest soil, can harm other wildlife and is also pretty disgusting if you encounter it on your walk.
The Ashdown Forest Centre sells a range of products that make it easier to deal with your dog poo when you are on a walk. One of these is a dickie bag.
3. Be aware of ‘Yellow dogs’
No, we don’t mean actual yellow colour dogs! Instead Kari is referring to dogs that wear a yellow ribbon or bandana which mean that they are more anxious and need a bit more space. If you see a dog sporting a yellow lead/bandana etc, Kari recommends putting your dog on their lead until you pass. This would be hugely appreciated by the owner and ultimately causes a lot less stress for you and your dog.
These are just a few simple things that can be done to ensure that we all play our part in looking after the Ashdown Forest.
You can find out more information about the Ashdown forest and the work that the team do on their website: https://ashdownforest.org
Photo credits: Dartford Warbler by Doncoombez on Unsplash and Nightjar by Nicolas Pratlong on Unsplash.