A LOCAL anti-litter campaign is calling on mountain bikers to clean up their act to help “significantly reduce” the amount of rubbish left on Forest trails this summer.

National charity Hubbub, which runs local environmental campaign #LoveYourForest, is urging mountain bikers to join their movement to reduce waste on popular trails surrounding Forestry England’s Cannop Cycle Centre.

The Forest’s “hugely popular” biking trails draw around 350,000 visitors every year, but campaigners say that bikers are “trailing trash in their wake”, including single use plastic packaging from energy bars and drinks, which could prove “fatal” for local wildlife.

Between 2019 and 2020, Forestry England spent £60k on waste collection in the Forest of Dean, with 250 tonnes of rubbish removed every year by the district council, costing local taxpayers £450k per annum.

Campaign leaders say that local wildlife and the environment are also “paying a high price” for the area’s popularity, with trail clean-up project Trash Free Trails estimating that a lot more plastic pollution is being introduced to local ecosystems via land than water.

#LoveYourForest has teamed up with host of groups and individuals to inspire bikers to join their movement, including World Mountain Biking Champion Katy Curd.

Katy is offering a coaching session to bikers who enter a new competition, in which entrants are required to take a photo of themselves with at least three pieces of litter collected from local trails.

Full details of the competition can be found on the #LoveYourForest Facebook page.

“Long-standing” campaign supporter Katy said: “It always makes me so sad when I see litter on the bike trails.

“Not only does litter have a damaging effect on the forest we are lucky to ride in, but it can also cause accidents to those travelling at high speed.

“We need to make sure that when we are out on our bikes, the only tracks we are leaving are those left by our tyres!”

Also joining the campaign’s “anti-pollution peloton” are the Forestry England team at Cannop Cycle Centre, Pedalabikeaway, Dean Trail Volunteers, Trash Free Trails and the centre’s Flyup DownHill shuttle bus team.

New interventions from the campaign include a communal chalk board, where riders can join professional bikers in signing a pledge for a litter free cycle, and a new wild boar-shaped litter picking trailer designed by local artist Amanda Copp, to be used at events organised by Dean Trail Volunteers.

There will also be new signage installed at Cannop Cycle Centre, including in shops and on shuttle buses, asking people to take their litter home, as well as giveaways of reusable items such as cable ties and water bottles to encourage riders to ditch single-use plastic.

The #LoveYourForest campaign is a collaboration between Hubbub and local employer Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, Forest of Dean District Council, Forestry England, Foresters’ Forest, and Forest of Dean & Wye Valley Tourism.

The campaign has seen more than 1,000 bags of litter collected in the local area since it was launched in 2016.

Abi Arden, Project Coordinator at Hubbub, said: “The #LoveYourForest campaign is now in its fifth year and we have seen many successes during this time.

“Working with local partners means that we have been able to identify another key area of the forest where litter is still problematic.

“While we appreciate that litter from mountain bikers is often dropped by mistake, there is a solution.

“By switching to reusable items and carrying lightweight gear to store it in, we hope that bikers will quickly see the benefits this change can have as their favourite trails become less obstructed by litter.”

Michelle Norman, Director of Sustainability at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I, said: “The #LoveYourForest campaign continues to make a positive impact on our beautiful Forest Of Dean, minimising the worst of the littering from the increasing number of visitors flocking to the Forest.

“We know the vast majority of visitors act responsibly and this targeted initiative invites mountain bikers to help drive the change we all want to see.

“We look forward to working together to send a powerful message to everyone in the community to help do their bit for our trails, our forests and our planet.”

Dan Weston, Cycling Ranger for Forestry England in the Forest of Dean, said: “296 million visits were made to the nation’s forests during a year of lockdown – that’s 35% more than what we have seen in previous years.

“Cannop Cycle Centre is just one of our sites that has seen a huge surge in popularity. While we love welcoming new people, sadly with the extra footfall comes more litter.

“However, the #LoveYourForest campaign at the Forest of Dean is a leading example of how others can take action to reduce litter in our rural areas, to ensure they can continue to be enjoyed by future visitors and existing wildlife inhabitants.”

For more information about the campaign, go to www.hubbub.org.uk/love-your-forest.