Visiting Reserves
Nature reserves are special places that are carefully and sensitively managed for their wildlife. In order to help us to look after them please observe the following points:
No collecting
Please do not remove any plants or animals. For teaching and serious study, collecting permits may be issued by the Trust's headquarters.
No tents, hides or vehicles
Tents and hides are not allowed except by special permission. Vehicles may not be taken into reserves except where special parking provision is made.
Go quietly and follow the Country Code
Please go quietly and observe the Country Code. Smoking and the lighting of fires and stoves are strictly prohibited. Please take your litter home.
Dogs
Dogs are generally not welcome. At a few sites identified by a symbol, dogs are allowed provided they are kept on a lead. Please remember to clean up after your dog.
Special restrictions
Special restrictions or conditions may apply at some of the reserves. Please look out for notices posted at entrances and elsewhere. Special care is needed when visiting meadows before haytime.
Waymarked routes
Where there are waymarked routes please follow the paths. The routes are liable to change from time to time. Visitors are expected to comply with any proper request of a Warden or other Trust officer.
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Cars parked at nature reserves are increasingly vulnerable to theft and damage.
Do not leave valuables in your car and report any persons behaving suspiciously to the police. |
Records and observations from the nature reserves are always welcomed by the Reserve Managers or the Trust's headquarters.
The Trust accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury or damage, howsoever caused, that may be sustained while visiting any nature reserve.
- Take nothing but photographs
- Leave nothing but footprints
- Kill nothing but time
When to Visit the Reserves
Advice on when to visit reserves is not straightforward as it depends greatly on the type of reserve and its habitats. Although each reserve may have its annual highlights, almost all are worthwhile at any time of the year. However, it is possible to suggest some guidelines:
Meadows are at their best from May, with a peak of flowers on show in June, until hay time in mid-July.
Woods are best from April until mid-June, after which the developing canopy shades out the early flowers and makes birdwatching more difficult. The period between September and November is of course a good time for autumn colour and, in most seasons, is the best time for fungi.
Heathlands are at their best in high summer, from July through to September.
Wetlands are best for breeding birds and flowering plants in May and June. The spring and autumn are best for migratory birds, especially in areas of shallow water.
Coastlands have much to offer in all seasons: wildfowl and wading birds in winter; sea lavender in late July and early August; the famous marsh orchids at Saltfleetby in mid-June; and breeding birds from May to August.
