Jun 13
New Forest NPA rangers had insightful conversations with more than 1,850 people while out in the National Park in May raising awareness of the #NewForestCode and PSPOs and their importance helping protect nature.
They spent 190 hours at 52 locations across the National Park and surrounding areas – from Beaulieu Heath to Wilverley Plain – supporting partners and chatting with visitors and locals.
The team enjoyed welcoming new life, spotting foals, and spending sunnier days and busy bank holidays seeing people care for the Forest, it’s wildlife, landscapes, and communities by visiting responsibly and driving with care #PassWideAndSlow.
May highlights included:
🏫 Giving talks to schools and students sharing knowledge and enthusiasm about the National Park and green careers
🐦 Undertaking ground nesting bird patrols supporting rare and special species in the New Forest – #KeepToTheTracks to avoid disturbance
👮 Joining partner organisations in the Forest supporting events and helping make the National Park’s roads safer
ALT A mobile information van for the New Forest National Park is parked on grass. Three people in green shirts and hats stand in front of it, smiling. The van displays posters and informational materials. Another green tent is visible in the background.
ALT A person wearing a wide-brimmed hat is sitting next to a vehicle displaying informational posters about the "New Forest Code." They are also in front of a table with informational pamphlets. The person is wearing a green polo shirt with "New Forest National Park" branding.
ALT A group of three people stand outdoors beside a police car and a van with a "Follow the New Forest code" sign. One person wears a police uniform, and two wear "New Forest" branded vests. Trees and greenery are in the background.
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May 12
🌳 Do you love the New Forest?
🐴 Stay up to date with local news wherever you are with our e-newsletter. Sign up for free: bit.ly/3feC0DL
⚠️ With young foals on the road this time of year please remember to keep to the speed limit and PASS WIDE AND SLOW when driving in the New Forest.
🙏 Always follow the New Forest Code.
📷 credit Andy Tait Photography
#NewForest #Ponies #News #PassWideAndSlow #ProtectOurPonies #NewForestCode
ALT A horse with a chestnut coat grazes in a grassy field near a wooden fence, accompanied by a resting foal. Trees are visible in the background.
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May 9
Rangers from the New Forest NPA spent nearly 160 hours at sites across the National Park in April and spoke to more than 1,200 people.
They discussed the importance of always following the #NewForestCode, PSPOs, and why we should all #KeepToTheTracks to help protect rare and special species like ground nesting birds.
From Brockenhurst to Hatchet Pond, Picket Post to Telegraph Hill, NPA rangers worked closely with partner organisations and shared knowledge about the National Park and how we can all support its wildlife.
The team also enjoyed spotting a number of firsts for the year as warmer weather arrives, including counting bluebells, glimpsing green hairstreak and painted lady butterflies, and seeing the Forest's canopy becoming greener.
April highlights included:
👮 Joining partner organisations in the Forest including on #OpMountie to help make the National Park’s roads safer
🤠 Undertaking ground nesting bird patrols supporting rare and special species in the Forest
💬 Giving talks to school and college pupils to share knowledge and enthusiasm for the New Forest
🚲 Supporting partners with bike marking at events to increase security for riders cycling responsibly
🔗 Find out about the New Forest and cycling codes below:
newforestnpa.gov.uk/enjoying…
newforestnpa.gov.uk/enjoying…
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@NewForestNPA rangers are mostly out on the heath monitoring & raising awareness of ground nesting birds & how we can all help: #KeepToTheTracks #NewForestCode
...so a short walk through some woodland with it's beautiful, fresh, vibrant, green canopy was a refreshing change 💚!
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Apr 23
Watch out for foals! 🐴
The first Forest foals and calves are being born and will soon be running rings round their mothers! Here's how you can make sure they have the best start to life in the National Park:
Drive with care - livestock, such as ponies, donkeys, sheep and cattle, may be on or near roads day or night and can move unexpectedly, pass wide and slow and be ready to stop. 🚗
Keep your distance - petting or feeding ponies and donkeys is banned and may result in a fine. Mothers can be very protective of their foals and may kick or bite. Human food can make livestock very ill and encourage them near roads. 🫸
Know who to call in an emergency - if you are involved in a road accident with New Forest livestock, it's a legal requirement to notify the police within 24 hours. You can report sick or injured livestock to the Verderers. Animal emergency hotline cards with this information can be downloaded from our website. 👮
Thank you to those who continue to enjoy the National Park responsibly and allow the livestock to continue doing their important job of shaping the landscape undisturbed! 💚
Find out more on our website: newforestnpa.gov.uk/protecti…
📸 credit: Acorns and Scapes
#PassWideAndSlow #NewForestCode
ALT A brown New Forest pony and a foal stand in a sunlit grassy area with lush green hills and trees in the background.
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⚠️New Forest foal alert!⚠️
Drove past my first foal of the season nr Burley today:
🐎Drive with extra care over the coming weeks
🐎Always expect them to step in the road unexpectedly!
🐎Always slow right down & allow extra space for roadside animals
#Add3Minutes
#NewForestCode
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Apr 8
Rangers from the New Forest NPA spoke to 1,175 people across the National Park in March, from Balmer Lawn to Longslade Heath, Parc Pale to Wilverley Inclosure.
The team spent 160 hours visiting more than 55 locations engaging with members of the public and sharing why it’s important to always follow the #NewForestCode.
They undertook important ground nesting bird and foot patrols, led guided walks and sessions as part of the New Forest’s spring Awakening Festival, and supported various events in the National Park and its surrounding areas.
March highlights included:
🐴 Raising awareness of Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) as they are extended to continue protecting against impacts from fires, BBQs, and petting ponies
🐶 Chairing a New Forest Dogs forum to promote ways we can all minimise our impact on nature as responsible dog walkers
🍃 Supporting NPA volunteers protecting the National Park’s habitats and heritage
👮 Making the New Forest’s roads safer alongside partner organisations through joint operations like #OpMountie
🤠 Meeting members of the public for insightful discussions at the National Park’s 20th anniversary Open Day event
ALT A New Forest National Park Authority ranger in outdoor gear and a colorful beanie is smiling, holding a camera in a natural landscape with grassy and bushy terrain.
ALT A New Forest National Park Authority ranger on a ground nesting bird patrol is wearing a black jacket and hat looking through binoculars in an open field. The sky is clear, with a few clouds in the background.
ALT A New Forest National Park Authority ranger is standing next to a New Forest NPA information van, speaking with a visitor at the New Forest Marque Spring Market roadshow event at Everton Nurseries. The van displays a "New Forest Explorer" sign and informational posters. The scene is in an outdoor area with a few other people walking in the background.
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Apr 3
Spending time in the New Forest this Easter weekend?
Use our interactive map with walks, wheelchair and pushchair-friendly accessible trails, cycle routes, events, facilities, information points and more!
Head to our website to begin planning your adventure now: newforestnpa.gov.uk/explore-…
Remember to follow the New Forest code when enjoying the National Park 💚
#NewForest #NationalPark #NewForestCode
ALT A group of people walk along a path in a park, with a brown pony grazing in the grassy foreground. Some are pushing strollers, while others walk beside them. Trees fill the background.
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Mar 6
New Forest NPA rangers spoke to more than 600 people in February and spent nearly 130 hours at sites across the National Park and surrounding areas.
From Beaulieu Heath to Telegraph Hill, Fordingbridge to Setley Pond the team spent time at more than 50 locations speaking to members of the public, working alongside partners in the Forest, and spotting the first signs of spring.
They discussed the importance of always following the #NewForestCode, had conversations about PSPOs (Public Space Protection Orders) in place to protect against impacts from fires, BBQs, and petting ponies, and supported health and wellbeing in the National park.
February Highlights include:
📖 Delivering a session for families at Fordingbridge Library
🤠 Supporting conservation volunteers working to protect the National Park’s habitats and heritage
👮 Joining partner organisations on #OpMountie to help make the National Park’s roads safer
🏫 Leading school talks and workshops to spread education around the New Forest code
🍃 Speaking to members of the public at car park pop-ups and while on wildlife patrols
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Mar 3
Stick to the main tracks and keep dogs under close control when out in the New Forest to avoid distrubing rare birds!
Thanks to collective efforts, some species of ground nesting birds including woodlark and Dartford warbler are being found in record numbers in the National Park! However, others including the iconic curlew and the nightjar, which migrates here all the way from Africa, are at critically low levels and continue to need your help!
Read more about these important birds and how the New Forest plays a key role in their survival on our website: newforestnpa.gov.uk/news/sta…
#GroundNestingBirds #StayOnTheTracks #NewForestCode
@EngNewForest
📷 Steve Laycock
ALT A curlew bird stands on a patch of rocky ground covered with green moss and grass. The background is blurred, highlighting the bird's mottled brown plumage and long, curved bill.
ALT A Dartford warbler perched on a branch amidst dense green foliage. The bird has a dark head, reddish-brown body, and bright orange legs, with an eye featuring a prominent orange ring. The setting appears to be a natural outdoor environment.
ALT A small bird, a woodlark, stands on grass in an open field with a blurred brown background.
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Feb 4
Rangers from the New Forest NPA spoke to nearly 1,000 people in January and spent more than 100 hours visiting locations in the National Park and its surroundings.
They spoke to pupils at school and members of the public at car park pop-ups, surveyed New Forest National Park Walks app routes, and undertook patrols and litter picks.
From Ashley Walk to Dibden, Linford Bottom to Wootton Bridge NPA rangers supported partners across the New Forest on joint operations, always sharing the importance of the #NewForestCode and the positive impacts we can all have on wildlife by following it.
January highlights included:
👮 Joining partner organisations on #OpMountie to help make the National Park’s roads safer #WideAndSlow
📑 Sharing National Park literature to key sites in the Forest
🎓 Giving talks to pupils at school to spread education around why the New Forest code is important for nature
ALT New Forest NPA ranger takes a selfie with a heathland landscape behind him.
ALT New Forest NPA ranger takes a selfie in front of a National Park car park sign and a NPA van branded with the New Forest code
ALT A dawn landscape photo taken in the New Forest with a winter sunrise through trees over a heathland
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Jan 22
New Forest drivers are being urged to drive with extra care in the National Park amid an increase in animal accidents.
Last year saw a rise in animal accidents involving New Forest Commoners’ livestock such as ponies, cattle and donkeys, with 108 reported accidents and 47 animals killed.
It follows the lowest deaths on record in 2024 and is the highest number of animals killed or destroyed, as a result of a road accident, since 2020. However, the overall trend since 1991 has been clearly downwards.
Read more on our website: newforestnpa.gov.uk/news/sta…
When driving on Forest roads, remember:
⏰ Drive with care and to the road conditions, allow yourself extra time to make your journeys.
🐴 Expect the unexpected, animals may appear on or cross the road suddenly, or be gathered in dark, shady spots, such as under bridges.
👮 Report any road accidents involving livestock to the police within 24 hours.
📞 Carry animal accident cards to remind you of what to do in an emergency, or if you find a sick or injured animal
🚗 If you are a business with staff who drive within the National Park, you can sign up to the New Forest Drive Safe Group.
📷 Acorns and Scapes
#PassWideAndSlow #NewForestCode #NewForestDriveSafe
@RealNewForest @EngNewForest @NFVerderers
ALT A group of New Forest ponies crossing a road surrounded by lush green trees.
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Jan 4
The 2025 pannage season has been longer than normal, extending into early 2026 due to a glut of acorns that have fallen on the New Forest’s floor.
Pannage is an ancient practice, allowing Commoners to turn pigs out on the open Forest for a period each year where they are experts at gathering up acorns – vital because the nuts can prove poisonous to livestock if ingested in large amounts.
The dates of the Pannage season – determined each year by the Verderers – usually span from mid-September to mid-November, but in 2025 were extended into the New Year (4 January).
It’s important to always follow the #NewForestCode and, like with all livestock, please keep your distance from the animals and allow them to roam safely and happily so they can continue doing their important job.
newforestnpa.gov.uk/discover…
Check back tomorrow for the next post in our #12DaysOfNewForestChristmas.
ALT Pigs in a field out for pannage in the New Forest.
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Jan 1
New Forest NPA rangers visited more than 60 locations in and around the National Park in December.
From Anderwood to Hawkhill, Holmsley to Wilverley, the team spent 100 hours speaking to at least 600 people out enjoying the Forest.
They litter picked at Wootton Bridge and Dibden Inclosure, shared literature in Lyndhurst and Ringwood, and spoke wherever they went about the important impact following the #NewForestCode has for the National Park’s wildlife and landscapes.
December highlights included:
💬 Giving a talk to Christchurch Harbour Ornithological Group to discuss important wildlife habitats and how we can all help protect them
🍄 Sharing information about sightings of nationally rare and scarce fungi throughout the New Forest #LookDontTouch
🐾 Discussing the benefits of responsible dog walking for animals and the impact dogs can have on freshwater habitats
👮 Joining partners on patrols like #OpMountie to help make the National Park’s roads safer
ALT New Forest NPA ranger smiling at the camera, wearing a hat and outdoor clothing, with a scenic, open landscape in the background.
ALT New Forest NPA ranger smiling in front of a sign for Dibden Inclosure in New Forest, England, indicating barbecues and fires are prohibited
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31 Dec 2025
Ponies, cattle, and pigs when they’re out for pannage are an iconic sight in the New Forest and are an integral part of the National Park’s landscapes.
They play an important role helping maintain rare habitats through conservation grazing, and every person in the Forest can help protect them.
Following the #NewForestCode means keeping your distance from animals and not feeding or petting them, while driving with care #WideAndSlow and to the conditions significantly reduces risks of an accident while near livestock.
If you’re a business, you can go a step further and promote good practices by signing up to the New Forest Drive Safe campaign raising road and animal safety awareness among your employees.
🔗 Follow the link below to learn more about the campaign.
newforestnpa.gov.uk/news/bus…
Check back tomorrow for the next post in our #12DaysOfNewForestChristmas.
📸 Bramble and Beach Photography
ALT Sunset over a rural road with several ponies grazing peacefully beside the road under a colorful sky.
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30 Dec 2025
Heading into 2026 and still in need of a resolution? Sign up to the New Forest Climate and Nature Challenge Pledge and make a change that’s part of something bigger.
Taking a few steps, no matter how small, can all add up to making a positive impact on our fragile New Forest environment.
Following the #NewForestCode, choosing to shop locally, or finding ways to save energy – together with the Pledge we can all help care for the National Park.
🔗 Follow the link below to find out more.
newforestnpa.gov.uk/pledge/
Check back tomorrow for the next post in our #12DaysOfNewForestChristmas.
ALT Three ponies grazing in a field covered with purple flowers, with a tree line in the background.
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27 Dec 2025
The New Forest’s landscapes are for all to enjoy, its habitats internationally important for wildlife, and its roaming livestock iconic.
Easy-to-follow choices found in the #NewForestCode like sticking to the tracks and keeping your distance from animals – not petting or feeding them – are a few of the simple ways everybody can help protect the National Park’s sensitive and rare nature.
If we all keep dogs under effective control, pick up after them, and drive with care to the conditions on the road we can all minimise the impact we have while spending time in the New Forest.
🔗 Find the full New Forest code by following the link below.
newforestnpa.gov.uk/visiting…
Check back tomorrow for the next post in our #12DaysOfNewForestChristmas.
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3 Dec 2025
Unbelievably we're still finding pumpkins dumped on the open Forest where they pose a very real threat to livestock if consumed by them...
This one, at Godshill Inclosure yesterday hadn't even been carved!
😡
#NewForestCode
#CareForTheForest
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3 Dec 2025
Thank you to this tractor driver for passing this pig wide and slow! 🙏
Remember New Forest livestock, such as ponies, cattle, sheep and pigs may be on or near roads day and night and can be particularly hard to see in the winter months. Slow down, be patient and pass wide and slow.
We recently launched the New Forest Drive Safe business group alongside partners to promote safer driving among organisations with staff who drive in the National Park and reduce livestock road accidents and fatalities.
Find out more and sign up here: newforestnpa.gov.uk/news/bus…
#PassWideAndSlow #ExpectTheUnexpected #NewForestCode #NewForest #pannage
@RealNewForest @EngNewForest
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