The Guardians

“To preserve and protect the character of Slop Bog Local Nature Reserve by maintaining a balance between the views of the local community and national conservation strategies”.

In 2003 local residents around the Slop Bog area received news that a clear fell of all trees on Slop Bog was to take place. Natural England had determined that all large trees should be removed from the Reserve to return the land to natural heathland.  On site and public meetings were held raising objections to the plans. As a consequence a properly constituted committee meeting was held on 7th March 2003 and the Slop Bog Guardians arose. Quarterly newsletters were published raising contentious issues and a group of some 200 members joined in support.

Modifications to the original felling plans were agreed on the lines of maintaining a balance between the views of the local community and national conservation strategies and a rapport evolved between Countryside Rangers, Natural England and the Guardians.

Our success in obtaining a grant approaching £18,000 from the Lottery Fund helped provide access for all abilities with the building of a boardwalk. Information boards, interpretation panels and brass rubbing posts helped create a new experience.

Today there are no Guardian members as such other than those individuals listed as volunteers for the work parties and the committee that acts as a formal link to the Countryside Rangers, Dorset County Council and Natural England.

Slop Bog though needs financial assistance to help to maintain what is there and to support ongoing improvements – fund raising activities alone cannot achieve this. A major project that has to be addressed in due course is the replacement of the wooden boardwalk. Dorset Countryside recognise the considerable value it provides to the local community and that it will need to be replaced with something other than wood. Costs will likely be in the tens of thousands.

Slop Bog is a registered charity with HM Customs and Excise and donations from taxpayers qualify for Gift Aid. Legacies are also exempt from Inheritance Tax. It is hoped this will encourage people to consider Slop Bog Guardians when given to charitable causes.

Status and Designations

Notified in 1985 and declared a local nature reserve in 2002, the Reserve lies within the greenbelt as part of the “Slop Bog and Uddens Heath Site of Special Scientific Interest” (SSSI). In 2009 its condition status was upgraded from “unfavourable no change” to “unfavourable recovering” showing that recent management was benefitting the site’s conservation value.

In addition to its local and national status, the Reserve lies within English Nature’s “Dorset Heathlands Natural area”, and as such receives international recognition.

* Special Area for Conservation (European Union Habitats Directive)

* Species Protection Area (European Union Birds Directive)

* Ramsar (convention on wetlands of international importance)