Presentment Made by James Aldred to the November 2024 Meeting of the Verderers Court

My name is James Aldred, I am a freelance wildlife cameraman and writer. I grew up in Ringwood before moving to Bristol to work at the BBC Natural History Unit. I own a paddock in the north of the Forest and was given permission to film wildlife in the Forest during the 2020 lockdowns. On the back of that film, I also wrote a book called Goshawk Summer.

I mention this because the focus of my work during that period was the wildlife located within the designated Northern tranquil area now under consideration for new cycle routes.

The reason I am here today is to raise awareness of that areas internationally rare and precious ecology in the hope that this will be taken into consideration ahead of any proposed development.

As a direct result of it containing less visitor infrastructure than other regions of the Forest, this area is an important refuge for many vulnerable species that have disappeared elsewhere as a direct result of human disturbance. These include 17 species of birds currently on the UK Red List. Species such as cuckoo, woodcock and linnet which are now globally threatened and whose UK breeding populations have suffered a 50% decline in the past 25 years.

It is also a refuge for many species that often go unnoticed: all 6 native species of British reptile can be found there. Animals that are intrinsically tied to the highly threatened lowland heath biome. With only one sixth of the UKs original lowland heath now remaining, I would argue that the protection of our last remaining fragments should be of utmost priority. Indeed, the Smooth snake in particular is extremely rare, and under the Wildlife and Countryside act of 1981 it is illegal – not only to kill or injure one – but also to destroy its habitat, either deliberately or by accident.

As we all know, the forest was hugely impacted by high visitor numbers during post-lockdown periods – many areas not usually accessed, were. I encountered numerous off-road cyclists well away from designated routes and even had to confront one chap armed with spade and saw, intent on building a racetrack through the middle of a Fallow rutting stand. An extreme scenario, for sure, but as unfortunate as that period was, it also offered a useful glimpse into the direct impact on wildlife that high visitor numbers can have.

It’s not the act of disturbance per se that concerns me, it is the effect of an increase in the frequency of disturbance events. For example, a curlew flushed from its nest once will resettle quickly. If it is flushed several times a day, it won’t take long for predators to work out where the nest is and take the eggs. This happens regularly in busier parts of the Forest.

Indeed, of the 46 pairs of curlew that attempted breeding on the forest in 2020 – only 3 chicks successfully fledged. This was as a direct result of high human presence in hitherto undisturbed areas. I believe that this is directly relevant to the future of the northern area being discussed.

One might argue that the occasional snake run over by a bike, or a failed nest or two represents an acceptable level of attrition that should be absorbed for the greater good. I understand the desire to spread visitor impact more evenly across the Forest and recognise the need to provide equal access opportunities for all. But the fact is that many of these species now have nowhere else to go. 

I know that most cyclists will keep to official routes. But it won’t be long before off-piste tracks become established by others through ancient woodland or across sandy heath. And once those cross-country trails become established, they will attract more attention until they become accepted as the norm, causing exponential erosion and disturbance. I fail to see how this can be policed effectively around the clock.

Surely, meaningful conservation should begin at home, and it is my opinion that such a development in the Northern designated tranquil area would represent the thin end of the wedge leading to further ecological damage of this fragile and unique region in the future.

As such, I urge extreme caution as I also believe that we are beholden to the next generation to ensure that we act as responsible custodians of their natural heritage. We have a moral obligation not to place our own temporary desires above the welfare of the environment.

Finally, I hope that I am correct in assuming that a detailed independent ecological review has been undertaken by a third party as part of the feasibility study for the proposed development.-

RETURN to REPORT ON NOVEMBER VERDERERS COURT