The National Trust is asking walkers and countryside lovers for help in protecting landscapes and nature after signs that the cumulative effects of winter weather, increased visitor numbers, and social distancing is starting to cause fresh erosion and widening of footpaths at hot spots across England.
In a year which has seen thousands more people benefit from spending time in nature, ranger teams and volunteers are encouraging a change in behaviour to head off the risk of lasting damage.
And, with England’s new tiering system and the upcoming Christmas holiday period likely to attract more people to get out and about in the countryside, the conservation charity is asking people to help minimise the effects of any further erosion.
The partnership which includes the National Trust, raises £500,000 each year to go towards fixing and maintaining 400 miles of paths across the UNESCO world heritage site.
In 2000, scarring caused by countryside users plagued the landscape, in some instances measured 30 metres wide and four metres deep.
Programme Manager Joanne Backshall warns at the current erosion rate, this could happen again, but some simple steps could go a long way to prevent it.
She says: “We are absolute advocates of the benefits that spending time in nature can bring, so it’s wonderful to see so many people enjoying the great outdoors this year. It is also fantastic to have witnessed so many people putting safety first as they step aside to allow a safe, social distance for fellow walkers.
“What people might not realise however, is that stepping off, and then continuing to walk off the path, is starting to erode the landscape at a rapid rate.
“Ensuring everyone’s safety is our top priority and we’re asking everyone to adhere to government guidelines around social distancing. Our top advice for walkers when encountering others is to walk single file. If you need to step aside to let others pass at a safe distance, please stop, wait and then return to the path before continuing your walk.”
Excessive erosion to popular walking routes doesn’t just leave a visual impact on the landscape it also affects wildlife. Joanne continues: “Once vegetation is lost through erosion, soil and stone can quickly wash off the hillside. This general loss of habitat and degradation can affect species like the mountain ringlet butterfly which feeds on acid grassland, or ring ouzels. It can also affect other rare mountain plants already at risk and living at the very edge of their range.
“Degradation also has a harmful impact on the rivers and lakes below. Sediment washed off the hillside can cover the gravel in rivers and lakes used by fish to lay their eggs, reducing their breeding habitat. Sediment will also impact insect numbers, which in turn will attract less birds and affect plant numbers.”
The charity, which has already had its finances stretched due to the coronavirus pandemic, anticipates that it will need to raise extra money to repair pathways damaged over the past six months alone, as well as fundraising for on-going maintenance and repairs.
Rob Rhodes, Head of Countryside Management at the National Trust says: “We want to do everything we can to encourage more people to get outdoors and to be active and to engage with nature.
“A rare positive of the coronavirus pandemic is how we’ve witnessed thousands more people get out and about as and when government restrictions allow to enjoy the countryside.
“Many of our sites are currently seeing three times the usual number of visitors they would get on a busy summer’s day.
“However, landscapes are more susceptible to damage at this time of year due to the colder and wetter weather, and we want to help people understand how each and every one of us can play a role in looking after these beautiful places.
“We recognise that people are getting fed up with having so many rules to follow, but if we can all play our part by looking after our paths, then we can ensure more people can enjoy them all the year round – and that they can remain open and accessible.”
For more information and to make a donation to the Fix the Fells project visit www.fixthefells.co.uk or to donate to the National Trust’s latest Give Back to Nature appeal which includes conservation work like pathway maintenance, visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
Main photo credit: Stuart Walker
