Ranger team encourages ‘Love Moor Life’

My name is Simon Lee and I am the ranger team manager for Dartmoor National Park. The ranger team covers all 368 square miles of the national park, 365 days of the year.  We are heading into the busiest time of the year on Dartmoor, when more people - locals and visitors alike - are heading out to enjoy this wonderful landscape. We know that most people want to do the right thing to ensure their actions do not cause damage. But there are always those that don’t think about their actions and how they affect other people, wildlife and the environment.  We have developed a campaign encouraging people to ‘Love Moor Life’ and part of this is a new ranger code which asks you to follow six simple steps to help us look after this special landscape and protect the wildlife and livestock on Dartmoor:

· Don’t feed the ponies

· Keep your dog on a lead

· Close gates

· Bag up litter and take it home

· Share roads and bridleways

· Camping: use a campsite or check the website

Help prevent moorland fires

We have had some exceptionally warm, dry weather in recent months which can make moorland vegetation extremely vulnerable to fire risk. We are asking visitors to Dartmoor National Park to be particularly vigilant to reduce the risk of moorland fires which could spread very quickly and be devastating to the landscape and its wildlife. Discarded cigarettes, matches, lighters or glass bottles can start fires. If portable barbeques are being used, they should be placed on a rock to prevent damage to vegetation. Care should also be taken with camping stoves and fuel. Please report a fire quickly to the fire service by phoning 999.