What to do about ongoing problems with groups of Duke Of Edinburgh students?

[GunkyAndGungey]

We live on a large farm, and a well known footpath crosses past the end of our garden and then through two of our fields. Its a popular route with DofE expedition groups and a lot of them pass through. I've lived here nearly 10 years and whilst occasionally they get lost and end up in the garden (which is fine, we just show them the right path) and sometimes they're quite noisy as they pass (which I don't mind, it's quite nice to hear teenagers enjoying being outside tbh) we've never been bothered by them. Until this summer...

I don't know why, but this summer they all seem to be complete fools. In the last month alone:

• we have found one group climbing on farm machinery whilst taking photos of each other

• we have found two groups that have wandered off the path, through a closed gate, and into one of our fields, where they've gone into the little living willow shelter we have built with table/chairs/firepit and settled down for a picnic (leaving food strewn around and litter behind).

• my dad caught another group poking round inside a derelict and dangerous barn (again for photo opportunities 🙄)

• we have spotted several chucking litter over the hedge into our garden - each and every time we have caught them we have made them pick it up but obviously we don't catch them all and there is definitely much more litter than in previous years

• and to top it all, today I found yet another group off the path messing around trying to open the manhole cover that forms the lid to an old (unused) cess pit. This is not only off the path but it's invisible from the path, you can only see it once you are about 100 yards along our drive (which is very clearly marked PRIVATE) and they had to climb over barbed wire to get to it. Their excuse was that they "thought it was an old bomb shelter and they learned about them last week".

We always ask what school they're from and about half the time they do tell us, in which case we complain to the school. But I feel like we should start complaining to the DofE scheme itself now? Because clearly the students aren't being taught the basics before they're let loose in the countryside! Would there be any point though?

*Just to make clear these are all definitely DofE groups - we have also noticed an overall uptick in other walkers doing stupid shit (trying to put up a tent in a cow field without permission or letting their children into our garden to use the garden toys like it's a park, anyone?), but there's nobody to complain to about them!!

Prince Edward should be tasked with sorting this out! What does he actually do all day? If he wants his name on this award he needs to roll up his sleeves get down to ops farm and sort it out!

The late Duke would have been appalled and furious at the disrespect and lack of discipline.

Not sure that the schools do "any" teaching for the DofE these days. When my son did it, there wasn't anything other than a few short talks about the basics, i.e. starting/finishing points, dates, timings, and a quick summary of what the school were providing (tents etc) and what the participants had to provide. According to my son, it was the children themselves who sorted things out, led by the ones who were used to going camping in both the planning stages and during the expeditions. Those who didn't have camping experience just went along with what the others were doing, etc. All seemed very shambolic and unstructured really.

My dds school did go through ground rules, but they didn’t do countryside code. she has done it at scouts though.

I have teens and while not excusing these DoE students who should know better, I do think the pandemic has had a massive unacknowledged impact on them

"Unacknowledged" - you must be joking. You'd think that "THE CHILDREN!" were the only ones affected by the pandemic. The rest of us had a lovely time apparently.

I agree. And while I acknowledge that it has had an impact it didn’t stop you learning to not drop litter.

And while I acknowledge that it has had an impact it didn’t stop you learning to not drop litter.

If they're old enough to be doing DofE, they were old enough to know not to drop litter long before lockdown.

Though many adults don't know any better, and lockdown is no excuse for them.

I agree that the pandemic has caused all sorts of problems for you people but I'm not accepting "but lockdown" as an excuse for dropping litter

My toddlers know you don't drop litter!

FFS young people not you people 😂

Totally get that you're busy but I wonder if they could send the students to you as part of the prep for their expeditions (or not you - another local farmer/landowner with more time) for a firm word.

Most of that behaviour is so dense I can hardly believe it. Have they not even heard about the danger of cess pits/slurry pits?

Surprised they are taking photos because I thought that they didn't bring phones (but I don't know).

Definitely complaint to the schools if you can get it out of them and also to DofE. Not acceptable behaviour and if this was our scouts there get a massive bollockjng from the leader.

Agree that photos are worth taking and more signage can only be helpful.