Sorry I have come to this thread a bit late, but couldn't resist just pointing out some LWT stats.
The Trust has 46 hides at the moment, with a replacement cost in excess of £250,000. They are, as noted, prime targets for the mischief-makers, with an annual replacement/repair/maintenance/cleaning bill in excess of £5,000. It's soul destroying for staff and volunteers coping with a constant abuse of these facilities. We have also tried every possible ergonomic combination of seat height to slot ratio, foot rests, bench width, slot size, to have glass or leave open etc. We have even sent people round to the North Norfolk coast measuring all the bird hides we could find, to try and come up with some avearge ratios. Harvey's Hide at Gib should represent the ultimate in hide ergonomics. You have to remember we have some very big birders (Hi Dean!) as well as little ones.
The provision of basic infrastructure, currently 96 hand gates, 33 kissing gates, 23 stiles and 241 field gates + padlocks represents nearly £100,000 of access investment. Added to that are the 63 benches and 42 bridges which come in a multitude of designs and materials, all of which need regular checking and maintenance.
The visitor routes for all LWT nature reserves currently add up to 71 miles of managed access. We have over £180,000 invested in machinery to help keep the paths open. Running costs for the trucks, fuel and servicing for access work costs over £25,000 a year. For the most part visitor routes do allow us to direct people where we want, reducing disturbance, predominantly to bigger mammals and birds, although plant trampling can be a real problem on some sites. It's mainly natural history "enthusiasts" that won't stick to the paths that cause the biggest problems.
Signage is also surprisingly expensive and high maintenance across the reserves. 121 entrance signs alone have cost the best part of £5K. These signs are beset with vandalism issues, with a constant drip-feed of replacements required. Interpreative panels have racked up another £30,000 over the last few years.
Including buildings, facilities, major path projects and all other access provision, LWT have been involved in about £5,000,000 of "people investment" this century.
As I have mentioned ad nauseum on this Forum, I have 12 staff covering 99 reserves (3,500 hectares), with a dwindling but dedicated team of reserve volunteers. You can only imagine how frustrating it is to see yet more grizzling about a restricted view from a hide! Why don't the "moaners" come forth and offer their services to help manage/clean the hides rather than expect everything to be sorted for them? Are we going to be expected to offer tripod portering services next, because your Manfrotto/Swarovski/Canon combo is getting too heavy for you to lug to the nearest hide?
So have a good bank holiday weekend, appreciate and enjoy the Trust's reserves if you are visiting them. Let us know (gently) if there is a problem and then if you can, offer your services to help us sort it out. Many hands make light work. I will go and trim the reeds in front of the hide at Kirkby Moor this very evening, but bare in mind if you are visiting that reserve, there is a wasps nest in the corner of the hide, so make sure the side flap stays open whilst you are in there! They don't seem to mind a bit of company as long as you sit still.
If life is all getting a bit too much, just go and sit on top of Quarry Hill at Rimac (Saltleetby NNR) and take in the view. Works for me!
Enjoy your birding and enjoy the great Lincolnshire countryside.
All the best
Dave
(Dave Bromwich, Head of Nature Reserves, LWT)
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