RSPB Sherwood Forest and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service launch anti-wildfire campaign urging public to swap barbecues for picnics

The public are asked to swap barbecues for picnics to help prevent wildfires this summer.

The RSPB and Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service have teamed up to encourage residents and visitors to avoid barbecues and campfires in the countryside.

Even when not started maliciously, they can accidentally be left smouldering and cause serious damage — so avoiding starting fires altogether is key to keep people safe and protect the region’s woodland, heathland and wildlife.

The adjoining RSPB nature reserves of Sherwood Forest — which is internationally significant thanks to its links to Robin Hood — and Budby South Forest are steeped in history, rich with wildlife including some endangered species, and are full of ancient oaks which have stood for over 500 years.

It also contains the region’s largest area of open heathland, but it is at high risk of fires throughout the year due to its dryness. This is heightened during the summer months when more people choose to cook and eat outdoors.

Like with all RSPB England nature reserves, barbecues and campfires are not permitted at the sites.

There’s still plenty of ways to safely enjoy the beautiful reserve, with visitors encouraged to bring picnics from home or bought from the visitor centre cafe to enjoy at the variety of picnic spots around the woodland reserve, including beside the famed Major Oak.

Litter can also spark a fire and food waste can cause issues for wildlife — so visitors are reminded to bag up their litter and take it home after their picnics.

Smokers are also being asked to take extra care when smoking and to extinguish cigarettes in a safe manner, as a discarded cigarette end can quickly start a blaze in dry vegetation.

Robert James, communications officer at RSBP Sherwood Forest and Budby South Forest said: “Here at Sherwood Forest we’ve got this beautiful ancient oak woodland, its a clear oasis for nature, its a really important place, its an internationally significant woodland. Wildfire, and fire in general, is a real threat to it potentially, especially in the dry summer months.

“So what we’re asking people do is to respect the fact that we ask that there are no barbecues, no campfires, and if you have to smoke, that you’re extinguishing cigarettes responsibly and carefully, so that we don’t run the risk of loosing these incredible trees to wildfire.

“Sherwood Forest is culturally significant, but its also internationally significant for the invertebrates that call this place home, the bird species that live here, the mammals, the fungi. This forest is thousands of years in the making. Some of these trees are hundreds of years old, but even in their old age they are ecologically vital. So its utterly important that we all try to protect this landscape, and the best way we can do that is to avoid any fire risk.”

During the hot, dry summer of 2022 RSPB staff found campfires that had been lit at both Budby South Forest and Sherwood Forest, very close to irreplaceable ancient oak trees, including the much-loved Major Oak.

A further fire at Budby in 2023 also required the assistance of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service to put the blaze out.

Not only do fires cause obvious surface damage to the woodland and heathland, and risk the lives of wildlife and people — they can also cause long-lasting ecological damage to underground ecosystems.

Dan Palmer, group manager of prevention for Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Wildfires can ravage the local wildlife, destroying ecosystems in a matter of hours that have taken years to build up. Every wildfire starts with human intervention, whether that’s carelessness or a deliberate act, so we need everyone who enjoys our beautiful open spaces to work with us to help protect them.

“Seemingly extinguished bonfires and barbecues often pose a continued risk of causing wildfires. Residual heat and embers can cause hidden smouldering fires underground, sometimes for a number of days, before spreading to surface vegetation. These unseen fires can be particularly challenging for firefighters to detect and can easily spread unnoticed. It’s another reason that we ask people to bring a picnic not a barbecue.”

The vast nature of the woodland sites also poses a challenge for staff to become aware of fires, and the remote areas can make it harder for firefighters to access the area.

Anyone who sees smoke or a fire while visiting the reserves or driving past, or anywhere else in the countryside, is asked to call 999 immediately. Apps like What3Words can help pinpoint the location.

Early detection can prevent blazes from developing into large wildfire incidents.