- Brownsea Island, now owned by the National Trust, is a tranquil wooded island in Poole Harbour with waymarked trails and spectacular views of the Dorset Coast. Its Nature Reserve, managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, is renowned for red squirrels, sika deer and a large population of wading birds in a shallow lagoon. Ferry boats run from Poole, Bournemouth and Swanage ...www.nationaltrust.org.uk/places/brownsea