Having walked my dogs in Lorton for 20years, I am appalled at the loss of wildlife and natural habitat. The original meadows were farmed sparsely, with no cattle prescience. The bird life, in particular, much varied with many hedgerow, shrub and tree species. Access was good with little fencing and gating to scar a very natural area. It was a stable local eco-system that had been allowed to develop relatively slowly.
The creation of Lorton park changed the nature and habitat of all that. The creation of new fields meant miles of fencing and gating. Bracken and thorns were cut back, supposedly to allow cattle to graze , allowing flowers and butterflies to thrive. At first, this activity was restricted to just one field -
This seemed a logical balance between the requirements of different flora and fauna, if it meant an ugly water trough and yet more fencing. The cattle were there "for a few weeks" and "not all all dangerous"
This has now changed of the years so much that is a de-facto farm. Every field now has these ugly troughs - i.e. at some part of the year at least one field is barred to the public. The number of cattle within the boundaries has increased incrementally and gives the lie to light grazing for wildflower development - many more cattle mean over a wide area tramples flowers and depletes grassses. In addition, they excrete large amounts on agricultural anti-biotics and veterinary medicines directly onto the soil. Hardly compatible with a supposedly natural environment. The movement of cattle within the reserve has left flattened soil and track rutting in many areas of this wildflower haven.
It is not just the number of cattle, but their composition. Mothers with calves are naturally actively protective of their young, and at least one pet dog has been killed. Currently, there is a large bull in one field that was certainly not a designated wildflower area. Perhaps DWT could tell me how putting a 2ton in a field to mate helps local wildlife? The constant rotation makes walking of dogs a lottery, with totally inadequate signposting and information. A flimsy pamphlet, often out of date ,at the visitors centre is not enough with some many possible routes in and around the site.
For the first time, there will now be cattle wintering on the reserve. This will mean yet more damage to a natural environment. Over the years the management and nature of what was promised as a haven for wildlife has morphed into just another cattle farm, with ever decreasing access for the general public and depleting both numbers and variety of ever less common flora and fauna. If DWT are concerned in the least about local wildlife, get rid of the cattle and all...
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