Image: John Parsonage
COUNTRYSIDE CODE
Habits have changed during lockdown – who doesn’t enjoy a movie night cuddled up on the sofa with a bag of popcorn? Some of us have gone a bit farther and added a new pooch to the family! Most of us have taken to walking a lot more than before – after all it was (almost) the only thing we were permitted to do for a while! And we have been out and about exploring places locally that we knew were there but have never been to before! All of these things have an impact – the popcorn on our waistline; the dogs, walking and exploring, though, have had an impact on our environment. Not all detrimental – we all know that a canine buddy is a stress buster and a welcome addition to any family, but walking them off the lead in the countryside has resulted in an increase in sheep worrying (it is an offence if a dog is not on a fixed lead within two metres or less near livestock and a farmer may legally shoot a dog which is attacking or chasing farm animals). Local farmer Judith Jacobs came upon a respectable couple out walking on her land with their dog off lead, posing a threat to ground nesting birds, badger setts and beetle banks. Sadly not all dog owners have a worming plan or carry a poo bag and undermine farm bio security, leaving poo both in and out of a bag in a cow field with potentially devastating results. Grass is not just grass to livestock farmers; it is a complete diet for their cattle and sheep. Dog poo is unpleasant and now in abundance on Corporation Bank where the Moor Farm cattle try to graze – the message most definitely is scoop your poop! Stay on the path, read the signage and close gates if you go through them.
At the Deeping Lakes there were examples of wild swimming, which is not permitted in a nature reserve keen to preserve nesting sites. Similarly volunteers working for the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have carefully tended the site since quarrying ended nearly 20 years ago. Their management of the site, i.e. grazing, cutting and raking up of the grassland areas in late summer, after most flowers have finished, has allowed the spread of increasing varieties of orchid. This has been a labour of love over a period of many years – imagine the dismay when a carefully picked posy of the orchids (which should be left in situ – digging them up being illegal) was left carelessly at the gate. Fly tipping has become the scourge of the countryside, not only an eyesore but potentially dangerous where toxic waste is dumped. This unsavoury practice escalated during lockdown as people ‘cleared up’ at home but tips were closed, and rubbish was dumped in the open country. On a more positive note there has also been an increase in people litter picking themselves while out on walks. Local stockist of litter pickers, the Insideout Store, have reported increased sales and a Deeping-wide litter pick in the spring generated at least 150 bags of rubbish and many items of bulky rubbish including tyres, road signs and furniture. The countryside is beautiful and free to enjoy, but please respect the wild inhabitants, cattle and sheep who live there 365 days a year and please follow the countryside code.
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