Subscribe to trusted local news
If you are accessing this story via Facebook but you are a subscriber then you will be unable to access the story. Facebook wants you to stay and read in the app and your login details are not shared with Facebook. If you experience problems with accessing the news but have subscribed, please contact subscriptions@thestrayferret.co.uk. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
- Subscription costs less than £1 a week with an annual plan.
Already a subscriber? Log in here.
16
Mar
New dog policy, trees and ponds at Knaresborough Forest Park
Two new phases of development have been completed at Knaresborough Forest Park.
The woodland consists of 60 acres of land returned to public ownership in 2024 after a fundraising campaign raised £864,000.
It is one of two woodlands owned by Long Lands Community, which also owns Long Lands Common.
The Stray Ferret has listed the developments below.
Newt ponds
Four newt ponds, funded by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, were dug last November by pond creation specialists Coxon Brothers.
Heavy rain filled up the ponds and they are now teeming with life, including various species of dragonfly and a kingfisher has been spotted.
Plants and pond life will populate the ponds to add more life over time.
John Thompson, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's wetland creation officer said:
Great crested newts are one of our most protected amphibians, and have suffered severe declines over the last century due to various reasons including habitat loss, pollution and fragmentation of habitats. As a result, our pond-building project for great crested newts is a vital way to help Yorkshire’s newt populations survive and begin to recover.
One of the newt ponds at Knaresborough Forest Park. Pic: Long Lands Community
Tree planting
In February, 2,000 trees were planted by volunteers.
They were planted in the field to the left of the Beryl Burton Cycleway, after the second cattle grid walking up the hill from Knaresborough.
It brings together four complementary habitats:
- Hazel coppice, which will be used to generate income by supplying straight, useful rods for craft, construction and community workshops. When coppiced, hazel does not grow too tall and preserves the view.
- Riparian woodland to strengthen the existing strip along the ghyll (sunken stream). Ten different species have been planted, including alder, willow, birch and alder buckthorn.
- Wood meadow planting extending into the field. More widely spaced trees extending out into the field, including oak, alder, rowan and field maple.
- Mixed native hedge and low fence along the cycleway, to act as a gentle barrier to stop dogs running into the field.
Funded by the White Rose Forest's trees for climate programme, the tree planting was also supported by Orb Community Arts and Knaresborough Nidd Gorge Conservation Group.
Knaresborough Forest Park site lead Geoff Freeston commented:
There was a wonderful sense of community and goodwill, with everyone working together to achieve this fantastic result over five planting days. It was great to see people bringing their families to take part – our volunteers ranged from age 3 to 87!
Dog policy
Knaresborough Forest Park is a popular area for dog walkers.
Signs asking dog walkers to keep their dogs on short leashes because the area is a wildlife reserve have been destroyed.
The woodland has now introduced a policy that asks owners to keep dogs on a short lead, follow the mown paths and avoid areas marked off for ground-nesting birds, and bag and bin any dog poo.
Long Lands Community said it was "alarmed" by the number of dogs roaming freely and it was "treading a careful path between opening up the area for the community to enjoy, and protecting the wildlife which lives in it".
Explaining the policy, it said:
- The site is used by ground-nesting birds, so they must be undisturbed.
- If a dog is running loose, it is much harder to pick up after it. Dog poo is classed as an environmental pollutant because of its high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, as well as parasites and chemicals from medicines and treatments. It is now standard policy in most environmental organisations to 'bag and bin'.
- There are roe deer and smaller mammals on the land, which dogs might chase into the undergrowth, and injure either themselves or the wild animal. There have been reports of deer being mauled by dogs in the area.
- If a dog is running through long grass, it is also at risk of picking up ticks, which cause serious diseases in dogs and humans.
0