Durham Countryside Service and Volunteers

02/04/2026

8 April walks for your diary...

01/04/2026

Bioblitz days with our Rangers and Community team out on the local nature reserves. Why not come along next week? We have three to choose from or come to them all.

Book through the link or send us a direct message. All Welcome.

https://events.durham.gov.uk/1/Home/List/?search=&area=&cat=23&date=0&venue=0&provider=&sf=&dm=&cost=free&items=10&page=1

31/03/2026

The Brandon to Bishop Auckland Railway Path will be closed on Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 April between Kynren car par access track and Dere Street roman road crossing (before Hunwick Station).

A diversion route is in place following Bridleway 79 and Footpath 81 in the fields to the side of the railway path; however, this may not be suitable for all users.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience while we make improvements to the route.

31/03/2026

Fancy some fresh air and free activities with friends or the family? Only one week until our Easter Bioblitzes begin. Book online, message or email to reserve a place. All welcome to explore and you can come to as many as you like.

What happens on a Bioblitz? We bring expertise and equipment and we have a lot of fun finding and record the wildlife on our sites. It's a really important Citizen Science activity which shapes conservation work in the future.

Booking link: https://events.durham.gov.uk/1/Home/List/?search=&area=&cat=23&date=0&venue=0&provider=&sf=&dm=&cost=free&items=10&page=1

27/03/2026

Thanks so much to all of the volunteers who have joined us over the last 2 weeks to help us play our part in Durham County Council's BIG Spring Clean 2026 ! 👍

With help from members of the public, our countryside volunteers, a local geocaching group, and volunteers from Barclays, our Spring Cleans have cleared around 200 bags of litter and other items from across the countryside estate. 🚮

Litter picks have been undertaken at Malton Picnic Area, Ferryhill Carrs Nature Reserve, Waldridge Fell and on sections of the Brandon-Bishop Auckland and Hart-Haswell Railway Paths. 🌿

We are so grateful to all the help received from the local community. Together we have made a huge difference to the sites for the benefit of people and wildlife. Well done to all involved! 👏👏👏

26/03/2026

Thank you to our Ferryhill Mini Rangers and other locals who popped down to the nature reserve last week to witness twilight and night setting over their local wild space for the last time before the vernal equinox. As you can see their interest and enthusiasm was really lovely and we spotted lots of interesting wildflowers and heard tawny owls and other birds. We enjoyed saying "Goodbye winter, hello Spring!" together and will see you at our next event.🐸🦉

Photos C. Cook with thanks and K Durham.

26/03/2026

Well done!

18/03/2026

We have just a few places left on our event tomorrow night.

17/03/2026

🪶An hour spent birdwatching in nature reserves in our February Winter Bird Survey revealed that a lot of birds were watching us! As Spring begins, wait and watch for colour and movement in different habitats and you'll usually be pleasantly surprised. The Merlin app is very useful for helping to identify unique birdsongs to get you started.

We have three more bird surveys in May, please direct message us to join in or volunteer.

11/03/2026

"Goodnight Winter, hello Spring!" Only 7 sleeps left until our first equinox event to celebrate the wonders of nature, the stars and the seasons with a gentle night walk around the reserve and some fireside stories. All welcome including families and grown ups. Get your free tickets quickly before they are all gone.

Tickets are here: https://events.durham.gov.uk/1/Home/Details/3079?eventDate=19-03-2026%2000%3A00

27/02/2026

Please support our project at Hardwick Park.

We need to know what you think about the development of the park's Fen Carr and Boardwalk. You have until Monday 16 March to comment.

By taking part in the consultation you will be helping us understand what people would like to see for the area, as well as supporting our funding applications. Thank you. 💚

If you've been to Hardwick Park lately, you might know that access to the path around the fen carr area is currently closed.

We are preparing a funding application to improve the habitat of the area, suggested improvements are:
🔹The removal of invasive species
🔹Raising the water levels
🔹Creating ponds and opening watercourses to control water flow and quality.

We'd love to hear your views: 👇

📆Deadline for feedback: Monday 16 March
💻 https://letstalkcountydurham.co.uk/en-GB/projects/fen-carr-project-at-hardwick-park

25/02/2026

Events coming up this Spring across County Durham's beautiful countryside. Please book via events.durham.gov.uk Come along and find out about nature on your doorstep. These events are free of charge and led by our friendly Community and Ranger teams. All welcome, children need to be supervised by an adult.

Want to do something like this in your local countryside site with your school or community group? Send us a message and we can support arranging this.