'Bag and bin' not 'stick and flick'

Why we ask you to keep dogs on a lead in Knaresborough Forest Park.

If you have walked on or near Knaresborough Forest Park recently, you may have seen notices asking walkers to keep dogs on a lead. This is the policy adopted by the Long Lands Common Community, so it holds true for this site too.

Many of the KFP team are dog owners too, and we are aware that some people may find this hard to adhere to, particularly if they have been used to letting their dogs off the lead on open ground, so we wanted to explain the reasons behind the request.

We heard our first curlew on the land during last month's guided walk, so we know that they are visiting and are likely to be nesting. They are ground-nesting birds, so it's important not to let dogs run loose where they can cause damage to the birds or the nests.

There are interesting articles here from Yorkshire Dales National Park and here from the Wildlife Trusts.

We also have roe deer and smaller mammals on the land which dogs might chase into the undergrowth, and injure either themselves or the wild animal.

The other reason is that if your dog is running loose, it's 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.

There is a very helpful article here explaining why it is now standard policy (advocated by Forestry England and the National Trust, among many others) to 'bag and bin' rather than 'stick and flick', as some organisations used to suggest.

If your dog is running through long grass, it is also at risk of picking up ticks, which cause serious diseases in dogs and humans: this article explains that the UK tick season has now been extended from spring-autumn to all year round, because of the change in climate.

At Knaresborough Forest Park we are treading a careful path between opening up the area for the community to enjoy, and protecting the wildlife: please help us by following the guidance and talking to your friends about it. We have mentioned it to a few dog walkers we have met on the land, and have been heartened by their positive response, so please join us in protecting the wildlife.

Thank you!

The Long Lands Common Community teams

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