There is something rather special about the Commons at this time of year. The trees are putting on their spectacular autumn display, with golden yellows, fiery reds and rich russet browns bringing a splash of colour to our landscape. The fallen leaves crunch underfoot and if you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of some of our wildlife making the most of the season. I do hope you’ve had a chance to enjoy these beautiful autumn changes.

Winter work programme

As the days become shorter and the temperatures begin to drop, our attention is turning to the winter work programme. Ranger Dan and our contractors will be getting stuck into a whole range of conservation and maintenance tasks across the Commons.

Winter is such an important time for our work, allowing us to manage scrub, maintain paths, undertake tree works and improve habitats for our wonderful wildlife. There is always plenty to do, and while some of the work may look a little severe at first, and perhaps not quite what you’d expect to see on a woodland walk, it is all carefully planned to improve the habitats, support our wildlife and ensure the Commons continue to thrive.

Our winter work programme is underway!

Little people, big ideas

We’re delighted to be launching our children’s dog poo poster competition.

We all love seeing our four-legged friends enjoying the Commons, but nobody enjoys an unexpected encounter with dog poo! Aside from being unpleasant, it can also pose a health risk to people and wildlife.

We’re inviting children to get creative and design a fantastic poster encouraging dog owners to pick up after their dogs and help keep our Commons clean, safe and enjoyable for everyone.

We can’t wait to see the wonderful, imaginative and perhaps slightly gruesome designs that our young artists come up with. Who knows, we may even discover our next budding conservation campaigner!

See our poster at the end for details of how to enter. We look forward to sharing the winning designs with you.

Can you help design a poster?

Woodland Adventurers and volunteering this Saturday!

It’s another busy Saturday on the Commons, and we’d love you to join us.

Our Woodland Adventurers will be back on Rusthall Common, ready for another morning of outdoor fun, nature discovery and hands-on activities. These free sessions are a fantastic opportunity for primary school-aged children to explore the natural world, learn new woodland skills and have a good old-fashioned adventure outdoors.

Meanwhile, our fabulous volunteers will be out on Tunbridge Wells Common, helping us with practical conservation tasks and keeping the Commons looking their best. Whether you’re a regular volunteer or have never joined us before, you’ll be made very welcome. It’s a great way to meet new people, learn a little more about the Commons and make a real difference.

So, wrap up warm, pop on your wellies and come and join us. We’d love to see you!

Look what we found!

Saturday 7th November

• Woodland Adventurers: 10am – 11.30am, Common View meadow, Rusthall Common. Free, but please book your child’s place.
• Tunbridge Wells Common volunteering: 10am – 12 noon, meeting at Fir Tree Road car park. All welcome, with equipment provided.

You can find further details and booking information on our Events page.

Busy, busy volunteers, always much appreciated.

As always, thank you to our wonderful community, volunteers and supporters for helping us care for these very special places. We’re incredibly lucky to have the Commons on our doorstep, and it’s a privilege to be able to look after them for future generations.