Wildlife officials have been left “astonished” after someone cut healthy branches from trees on a nature reserve.
Loch Ken Trust ranger Ken Scott and RSPB Galloway Reserves Warden Gavin Chambers recently paid a visit to Kenmure Holms near New Galloway.
And they were left saddened that reports of several trees having been deliberately damaged proved to be true.
The behaviour is a breach of the Land Reform Act which gives people responsible access.
Mr Scott said: “I made a visit to the reserve myself to see the extent of the damage and was astonished to see that someone had taken a saw and cut limbs from several living willow trees, over a considerable area.
“Many of the willows in the reserve have horizontal branches and I can only assume that the person responsible was clearing themselves an easy path through the reserve, oblivious to the fact that many of the cut branches were close to reserve nest boxes.
“Such actions will never be considered as responsible under the access code, meaning that anyone causing damage of this type, loses their right of access and risks legal proceedings being taken against them.”
Mr Chambers added: “We encourage people to get outdoors and enjoy nature, the environment and fresh air, particularly by visiting our various reserves across the region and the country.
“But we expect responsible behaviour that treats wildlife and habitats with respect.
“The unnecessary removal of trees or branches can damage habitat and removes the home for a wide variety of wildlife, from lichens to insects and the birds that feed on those insects.
“Dead and rotten wood is also extremely important, particularly for the rare and declining willow tit which are resident in the Loch Ken area and require rotting standing wood to excavate their nest site annually, and therefore should be left standing where safe to do so and not tidied up.
“There is such a rich variety of wildlife and habitats in Dumfries and Galloway which residents and visitors alike should embrace and be proud of what we have.”
The trust and other organisations are planning studies to keep an eye on species that may suffer from declining numbers.
They are also hoping to avoid a repeat of anti-social behaviour around the loch last year, including when a camp fire was lit beside a goose nest on Danevale Island and trees were cut for firewood.
“If we can encourage visitors to be responsible and make an effort to leave no trace of having visited the loch, there should be a reduction of such incidents and images like these should become distant memories.”
