Protect wildlife and wild places

Looking at Brownsea © Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION

How does Dorset Wildlife Trust look after Dorset?

We work with stakeholders across Dorset, including landowners, farmers, businesses, councils and charities, to promote and protect wildlife and wild places. You can find out more below.

A Wilder Future: Wilder Dorset

Get involved in our campaign for a strong new Environmental Bill post Brexit

Help us

Marsh Harrier © Andrew Parkinson/2020VISION

Planning and development

Working with planning authorities is one of our important activities. Find out what you can do if you think a proposal near you is harmful to wildlife.

Save Your Site

Avocets at Poole Harbour © Bertie Gregory/2020VISION

Farming and land management

We believe that investing in landscapes and wildlife benefits everyone. Discover our vision for a prosperous environment, which is good for the economy and for our wellbeing.

Chalk downland landscape with mixed farming © Guy Edwardes/2020VISION

Badgers & bovine Tuberculosis

We are strongly opposed to the badger cull. Find out why here.

Learn more

European badger (Meles meles) cub sniffing the air, Summer, Dorset, United Kingdom © Bertie Gregory/2020VISION

I feel that we should all be completely obsessed with it [the natural world]. If you take it away then we have nothing left.
Dr George McGavin - Dorset Wildlife Trust President

Dorset's Wild Rivers

Dorset Wild Rivers is a major river and wetland restoration project, led by Dorset Wildlife Trust and Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group South West, with funding from Wessex Water, focussing on the Frome and Piddle Valleys and the chalk stream tributaries of the Rivers Stour, Allen, Tarrant and the South Winterbournes. 

The River Stour, early morning mist and frost, near Wimborne Minster, Dorset © Ross Hoddinott/2020VISION

Catchment partnerships

Working in partnership with Wessex Water and other partner organisations, we are implementing improvements to protect and improve the health of the water environment in all rivers, streams, wetlands and ground waters that drain the Stour and Poole Harbour Catchments. 

Drinking Shelduck © Luke Massey/2020VISION