Dear Westhorpe Residents,
Over the last few months, we have been recording our wildlife around the farm, this has been done by us in person but also by the use of remote sensor camera traps. These are triggered by movement and pictures uploaded to our computers. We have located them around the farm in areas that are free from footpaths and any disturbance.
We have recorded some wonderful images of wildlife and these records are invaluable in what we are trying to do for ecology studies and our own wildlife audit. However, these camera traps have also unwittingly shed light on the number of people visiting our farm who think that they can walk where they want. They have also recorded a number of dogs off leads that roam free and out of control. In some instances, we have found both people walking and dogs off leads over a kilometre from a footpath.
Westhorpe has an extensive network of public footpaths on our farm that we maintain throughout the year to allow everyone to enjoy the local landscape (see Walkways & Bridleways) and so we please ask you respect the wildlife that we are working to conserve by keeping to the designated public footpaths with your dogs on a lead.
Kind regards,
Brian
On behalf of all the partners of E.J. Barker & Sons
From Brian Barker
AHDB Strategic Farm
LEAF Demonstration Farmer
Farmer Weekly Countryside Farmer of the Year 2010
E J Barker & Sons
Lodge Farm
Westhorpe
Stowmarket
Suffolk IP14 4TA
(01449 781286)
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