"The iconic ponies are owned by 'commoners', who have an ancient right to put their animals out onto the New Forest"
"THE NEW FOREST IS RECOGNISED by millions globally as a very special place," says Hilary Harper of the conservation charity the New Forest Trust, speaking to us from her home not far from THE PIG in Brockenhurst. "But it faces constant pressures, including from visitors.
The trust's work is helping to secure the future of the forest, for those who live in it and for those who love it." A grant-giving charity, the New Forest Trust is able to help local people and groups secure funding for initiatives that speak to "the conservation, protection and improvement of the New Forest". As Hilary, who is a practising solicitor with a passion for working to help her local area, explains, "People come to us with ideas, proposals or projects they believe fit with our charitable aims. Then we say, Yes, we really like that, it absolutely ticks all the boxes for the charity - so here's €50, €500 or €5,000.""
Much of the work is about protecting the flora and fauna - one project funded by the trust worked to protect and survey the number of native reptiles, such as smooth snakes and sand lizards, in the forest.
Unlike the reptiles, birds and insect life, however, "the iconic New Forest ponies, the cattle and the donkeys here are all owned by individuals - they're not wild," clarifies Hilary. "They're owned by 'commoners', who have an ancient right, by virtue of the lands they live in or rent, to put their animals out onto the New Forest." This traditional practice remains a vital part of maintaining the forest environment: "If we didn't have those animals grazing, it would very quickly grow out of control, like a garden that hasn't been mowed."
One simple but effective example of local knowledge being applied here has been the success of the "salt licks" project. "In the New Forest, most roads are unfenced, so you've got 140,000 acres of open forest, and the animals can just walk across the roads," explains Hilary, by way of background. "In fact, they have right of way across the roads - but if they're on the road, there's a huge risk they'll get hit, injured or killed." Locals had observed that this problem was becoming worse during the colder months, and connected this to the fact that: "In winter, we salt our roads to stop them getting icy, but ponies and cattle love the salt, and animals will congregate on the roads to lick the salt off.
"We had some horrible incidents with donkeys and ponies being hit. But now, at the suggestion of the commoners of the New Forest, there are big salt licks placed away from the roads. The ponies know there is always salt in a particular place, so they'll go there rather than risk the roads. And over the last couple of years, the accident numbers have hugely decreased."
One of the New Forest Trust's next projects is on a far larger scale: building dedicated affordable housing, complete with agricultural outbuildings, for commoners who will keep animals that graze in the New Forest. "As a charity, we are building up a stock of land and housing that we are going to rent out at affordable rates to young commoners - it's really exciting," says Hilary. "We've been given some land by Hampshire County Council and we're negotiating our next steps. It's preserving that way of life and giving an opportunity for a new generation."
Find out more or make a donation at newforesttrust.org.uk
