ST CATHERINE’S Hill, Christchurch, is tipping the balance of nature in favour of sand lizards.

Earlier this year, in an effort to extend heathland for sand lizard breeding etc, the powers that be decided to chop down the majority of mature pine trees on the north east slopes of St Catherine’s Hill.

To get to these pines, they employed a JCB to run roughshod over existing heathland, slashing down heather and gouging out paths and banks, with no regard for wildlife; turning heathland sheep tracks into a criss-cross of access highways for heavy vehicles.

Work continued well into April in spite of their own rule – ‘Do not disturb ground nesting birds from March onwards’!

The consequences for Nature: Fast eroding slopes where heavy vehicles have scoured the hillside. Public can now tramp at least four new tracks up and down these cleared slopes and kids on mountain bikes are finding exciting new ziz-zag tracks down the hill.

Hundreds of seedling, pine and birch trees ploughed into the ground are sprouting up everywhere and a new thriving sea of bracken awaits the poison sprays.

Nesting Stonechats are gone from disturbed heathland. Deer have vanished. Cuckoos did not return to the hill this year. Banks of Sunden colonies have been destroyed, and who knows what happened to ‘in the way’ hedgehogs and nesting owls.

So, nature, thoroughly disturbed, not by kids or bike, or does or horses, but by so called conservationists.

By the way, adders seem more numerous on the undisturbed heath this year, as lizards are part of their diet. Where will this ‘Save the Cute and The Rare’ hypocritical meddling with nature stop?

P RANDLES, Apple Grove, Christchurch