The Bermuda National Trust has decried a “worrying rise” in illegal dumping at nature reserves across the island.

In its February newsletter, the trust said it spends many hours of staff time removing waste from reserves.

The discarded items often include appliances, mattresses, bikes, bags of household garbage and horticultural waste.

Myles Darrell, the BNT head of natural heritage, wrote: “At the trust, we are on the front line as stewards of hundreds of acres of open space, apparently regarded by some in our community as empty spaces to dispose of garbage.

“We clear it away and the following week there’s another pile of rubbish.

“We can’t leave this unchecked because garbage damages the environment and perpetuates a cycle of neglect.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works said while it has not received any reports of illegal dumping at nature reserves, it would investigate the issue.

The ministry said it takes the matter “seriously” and encouraged residents to report any instances of illegal dumping by e-mail at waste@gov.bm.

The BNT said the matter posed a “serious national problem” and said it often collaborates with the charity Keep Bermuda Beautiful to address the issue.

It said while both organisations tried their best to clean up the environment, they were both under-resourced to cope with the scale of the problem.

On a positive note, the trust thanked the Somersfield Academy Rotary Interact Club for its efforts that recently led to the removal of an “astounding 2,200lb of litter” from a BNT property adjacent to the school.

The trust said: “Their dedication to preserving the beauty of our environment is commendable, and their work is a reminder of the importance of community engagement in solving community problems.

“We are grateful to all those who contribute, whether through volunteering, donations or advocacy for our natural heritage. Your efforts are truly appreciated.”

Last month, KBB called on residents to identify locations for trash clean-ups as part of a new engagement strategy.

For its first community clean-up campaign of 2025, the charity called on the residents of St George’s to help locate polluted areas in the parish.

It said that in the months ahead, residents from other parishes would be encouraged to give feedback on their neighbourhoods.

Angel Smith, the executive director of KBB, said: “This initiative is a little different from what we've done in the past.

“For the first time, we're reaching out directly to parish residents to ask for their input on clean-up locations.”

She said the new measure helped the organisation to get the community more involved and ensured that attention went to areas where people felt it was most needed.

She added: “Who better to identify these spots than those who live and work there?

“It’s important for us to engage the community, not just for their input but also for their participation.”