Nearly six kilometres of unauthorised paths have been created by visitors over the past few years, resulting in almost no part of the wood where wildlife isn’t subject to disturbance from people. Last year Worcestershire Wildlife Trust erected signs asking visitors to stop using these paths and is now taking steps to block access to them, allowing vegetation to grow and seal them off naturally.
This work is made even more important by the recently permitted development of 300 houses on fields alongside the wood’s eastern boundary. The development will increase pressure on the wood and its wildlife, so improving its protection now is vital.
Rob Allen, reserves team leader for the Trust, explained more “Tiddesley Wood is a very special place for wildlife and we already offer four kilometres of nature trail and permissive paths for people to enjoy the peace and quiet of the woodland.
“Research estimates that people walking along a path creates disturbance to wildlife for 20m on either side of the paths. If they’re walking with dogs on leads this disturbance increases to 50m and if dogs are off the lead, this can multiply to over 100m either side of the path.
“We’re in the midst of an ecological crisis and the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Basically, our wildlife is having a hard time and nature reserves are the last bastions for species to have some peace and quiet to breed, feed and to thrive.
“By asking people to keep to the paths that we have created at Tiddesley Wood and on other nature reserves, and to keep dogs on leads at all times, we’ll help to ensure that wildlife here has the space it needs.”
Tiddesley Wood is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is home to woodland bird populations, locally uncommon species of bats and important wildflowers.
Rob continued “Balancing public access and exposure to nature against the needs for the protection of wildlife is a difficult tightrope to walk. We absolutely want people to experience nature and help to protect it but if we are to turn around the ongoing declines we see in many of our long-established and loved species then we need to make sure there are places where wildlife comes first.”
Staff from the Trust will be available onsite to answer any queries about the path closures on Thursday 13th February between 12pm and 2pm.
