Countryside Code: Looking After Nature
We all know the Highway code: look both ways before you cross the road, use the pavement where there is one. We were taught by our parents and also at school. But what happens when you translate the code to the countryside? If you weren’t raised amongst farms, and it’s not covered in class, how are you meant to know the right thing to do?
With lockdown easing and the weather becoming more glorious by the minute (despite the fact that I’ve just sat down to write this on a Sunday afternoon and it’s started to rain), many of us find ourselves escaping the city for a cheeky weekend away to live the country dream, or perhaps exploring hiking routes further afield, or getting out on a new exciting dog walk.
Whilst it is fantastic that people are starting to explore the countryside, one must remember it is the home and livelihood of many young farmers and their families. Without following simple rules, our countryside exploration can lead to stresses that people are more often than not totally unaware of, leading to animals being injured and unwitting trespassing onto private land.
I recently met the wonderful florist Issy Watts who grows her own flowers for her exceptional floristry business (as featured in British Vogue - very fancy). The farm is based directly between Bath and Bristol, and throughout the pandemic, the issues aforementioned have been growing continuously with the increase in walkers.
Due to a lack of awareness of simple guidelines for countryside exploring, there has been an increase in dog attacks and vandalised fencing causing livestock to escape. However, there is hope! For there are a few easy steps that can help everyone massively. Share them far and wide across the land to help make the countryside a happier place for everyone.
Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know to keep yourself, your pets and all other animals safe...
Keep your dogs on leads (even if you think there is no livestock in the field).
Pick up your dog poop and dispose of it properly. Dog mess is terribly bad for livestock and can cause Neospora, an infection that will cause stillborns.
CLOSE THE GATE BEHIND YOU. Simples! (said in your best Meerkat voice please).
Stick to footpaths - they are there for a reason; no one wants to be caught trespassing, accidental or not.
Avoid being a litterbug! Animals choke on crisp packets and cut themselves on tin cans. Simply take it with you and dispose of it properly.
Five simple steps to avoid a huge amount of wildlife and livestock problems. With these in mind and summer pretty much here, you can now feel free to run through fields of wheat just as young Teresa May once did (figuratively speaking).
“Take nothing but photos, and leave nothing but footprints.” Wizz & Wild
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Written by Georgie Hare
