Home / Environment / Charity Pleads for Help as Vandals Damage Kent Nature Sites
Charity Pleads for Help as Vandals Damage Kent Nature Sites
3 Nov
Summary
- Ongoing "heartbreaking" antisocial behavior and vandalism across parks and woodlands
- Damage costs Kent Wildlife Trust tens of thousands each year
- Volunteers have to clear up litter, fireworks, and smashed plates from social media trend
- Cows and ponies spooked by fireworks, could have been seriously hurt
As of November 3rd, 2025, the Kent Wildlife Trust, which manages 80 nature sites across the county, is grappling with an ongoing and "heartbreaking" issue of vandalism and antisocial behavior. The charity has launched an appeal, the Nature Nightmares Appeal, to highlight the scale of the problem and raise funds to address it.
According to Jessica Allam, the senior wilder grazing ranger, the damage has cost the trust "tens of thousands of pounds" each year. The Blue Bell Hill site has been a particular target, with volunteers having to clear up litter, fireworks, and smashed plates due to a social media trend of "letting go" by writing grievances on plates and smashing them.
The charity's cows and ponies, which graze on the sites for conservation purposes, have also been spooked by the fireworks, with the animals attempting to break through fences, putting them at risk of serious injury. Vandals have also damaged benches at Blue Bell Hill that featured educational information about the local wildlife.
The funds raised through the Nature Nightmares Appeal will be used to safeguard the county's wildlife and take decisive action against those who harm the very places the charity cherishes.
