21/10/2026
Autumn / Winter Storms Advice
As autumn progresses the chance of stormy weather increases, leading to stronger winds and wetter ground conditions. This can cause added stress to our wonderful trees and weaken branches, or in rare cases snap main trunks.
I carry out regular tree inspections looking for signs of damage or stress, but with thousands of trees in the nature reserve I can’t check every tree and often tree damage is not visible from the ground.
In late August I identified 18 trees that needed felling, for safety reasons. The work was completed on 9th October, ahead of the main storm season.
If you see trees with signs of damage which are near footpaths, roads, or neighbouring properties, feel free to send me a photo and a what3words location and I will investigate further.
Lastly, if the Met Office issues a weather warning in the Maidstone area, relating to damaging winds please heed their advice regarding the increased risk of falling branches / trees and consider your safety before deciding whether you wish to enter the nature reserve whilst the weather warning is in place. Better safe than sorry and consider walking your canine companion in an area with less trees.
Be sensible & stay safe.
Steve Songhurst, Warden (Mobile / Whats app number 0780 123 1674)
(PS The what3words app divides the world into 3x3 meter squares and gives each a unique three-word address (such as ///clip.apples.leap). Free on iOS and Android, it helps users find, share, save, and navigate to exact locations offline or online and is widely used by all the emergency services. Please ensure you have the what3words app on your phone).
