How you can help

Cannock Chase’s wetland environs are special but sensitive.  You don’t want to you unwittingly bring in invasive plants and animals into the water courses or spread crayfish plague.

Rare, White-clawed Crayfish are in some of the water courses.  So, all-round it’s important to follow simple biosecurity measures.

• If you can, try and avoid walking in the water courses (streams, ponds etc)
• If you want to walk in the water course/ are carrying out survey work, arrive with clean, dry (ideally disinfected wellies).
• Follow: – Check, Clean, Dry advice.  Arrive at the site with clean footwear

Ensure footwear is clean (visually from soil and debris) before leaving the site.

Where possible, avoid areas of livestock and areas with known plant disease.

If you are a dog owner/ in charge of a dog

Much of Cannock Chase is Open Access Land and it is a legal requirement for all dogs to be on a lead of 2m or less from the 1st March to the 31st July.  We ask visitors to extend this to the end of August as it is possible that some birds may have a second clutch of eggs and still be on their nests.

Flea and Tick treatments for dogs can wash off and affect freshwater habitats

Safe dog swimming provides more information.  Talk to your vet to discuss options for flea tick treatment to protect freshwater environments,