Wildlife October 2017 by Sussex Wildlife Trust

The magazine of the Sussex Wildlife Trust

Issue 181

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Autumn/Winter 2017

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Membership

Meet the team… Debbie Chalmers

I joined the Trust three years ago having worked in fundraising for over twenty years. I am delighted to have met so many of our members at our Friday Woods Mill Wanders and look forward to expanding our range of membership events in the future.

Jamie Warren

I moved into the charity sector ten years ago after many years of working in retail and it has proved one of the most rewarding decisions I have ever made. I joined the Trust over a year ago as Membership Services and Database Coordinator. In my spare time I play bass guitar in several bands including an Elvis Tribute Band.

Helen Graham

When I joined the staff as a membership recruiter three years ago I discovered just how passionate local people are about wildlife and the natural environment. I am now a Membership Support Officer, which is fantastic because I still get to talk to our members which I love doing.

Gill Fletcher

Having been connected with the Trust since 1989, when I held the post of Office Manager, I am very pleased to now be continuing in my new role of Events and Engagement Officer, organising the ‘member only’ events. I have lived in Sussex all my life and enjoy daily walks in our beautiful countryside. You can contact our membership department on 01273 497532 or email: membership@sussexwt.org.uk

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pyramidal orchids © Mike Read

Increased membership support

A huge thank-you to all our members who responded to Dr Tony Whitbread’s appeal in our spring/summer magazine asking whether it might be possible to increase your subscription. More than 500 members replied, and their generosity has resulted in an additional annual income of more than £14,300, plus associated Gift Aid. A further £8,740 was raised in one-off donations. Your additional support will help us greatly as we continue to face unprecedented threats to

the natural environment of Sussex. If you have not yet replied, and would like to increase your support, there is now a form on the members area of our website sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/members or you can contact the membership team on 01273 497532. Membership subscriptions are our single largest source of regular income and we remain extremely grateful for all you do to help protect wildlife and habitats in Sussex.

Wildlife magazine is published twice a year, in April and October. In between issues you can keep up to date with news and events on our website www.sussexwildlife.org.uk where you can also sign up for our monthly e-newsletter.

Wildlife magazine is now available in a digital format, which you can choose to receive as well as, or instead of, the printed edition. If you'd like to read Wildlife online in the future please contact the membership team to let us know your preferences. We will e-mail you each time it is published, so we will also need your e-mail address.

Our promise

When you join us as a member we promise to keep your personal data safe. We store your details securely, and only use them to manage your membership, including sending this magazine. Sussex Wildlife Trust does not sell, trade or rent your personal information to others. We sometimes use the services of third parties such as mailing houses to issue communications on our behalf, and require them to protect your personal information to the same degree that we do. If you provide your telephone number and email address we may contact you by these methods from time to time. We sometimes send information about other aspects of our work such as conservation news, events, fundraising appeals and volunteer opportunities. Should you prefer not to receive this information you can opt-out of mail, telephone or email contact by notifying us on membership@sussexwt.org.uk or telephoning 01273 497532.

From the Chief Executive How many of us remember what happened in October 30 years ago? Well of course, it was the great storm of 1987. Coincidentally, it was also the year I moved to Sussex, doing research on the storm for The Wildlife Trusts before joining the Sussex Wildlife Trust as Conservation Director. So I have a personal affinity with the storm – I see it as something of a turning point in the popular understanding of ecology. The storm was not merely some external force that devastated our landscape. Storms are, on the contrary, an inherent part of forest ecology. Storms open up a forest, allowing light to the forest floor, creating all sorts of diversity and driving the regeneration that follows. They are a form of natural disturbance, and it is natural disturbance that creates diversity in nature. Ecologists were already very well aware of the role of natural disturbance long before 1987. But it was the storm that helped drive understanding of ever-changing nature to a wider public audience. Today, many people talk of ‘rewilding’ – the restoration of natural processes. So what are the natural processes? Well, storms are one, but there are many others – grazing and browsing by large herbivores, erosion, flooding, diseases in trees, fungi and so on. This is why rewilding is not the same as abandonment – it involves putting back the missing natural processes. When you can’t restore natural processes, you can copy them through management. And this is the rationale for why sympathetic management is good for nature. We can remember the 1987 storm on its 30th anniversary, but in a future edition of this magazine we will expand upon these thoughts. What did we learn from the storm, how has understanding developed since, and what might this all tell us about future nature conservation?

Dr Tony Whitbread

Inside this issue… REGULARS

Wildlife News

Membership

Reserves roundup

A new Discovery Centre at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, an update on Pondtail Wood and pond dipping with Badger class.

FEATURES

Recording Challenge

Strong and True

Recording 1,000 species in just 24 hours – our senior ecologist Graeme Lyons reports.

How to make the most of your membership, order your copy of our 2018 What’s On guide and read all about The Wonder Tales. Alice Parfitt reports on news from our land management team and a special sighting at Flatropers Wood.

WildCall

Charlotte Owen gives an insight into the wonderful world of wildlife – your questions answered.

Investing in Nature

How Sussex based businesses step up to support our work.

Ronnie Reed explains just why the oak tree is such a special part of our landscape.

Saltmarsh success

Invitation to the AGM

Dr Barry Yates, Manager at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve invites you to see the spectacular birds attracted by the saltmarsh habitat re-creation. Your invitation to attend our AGM on 11 November is on page 15. Guest speaker is Guardian columnist Patrick Barkham.

A Walk around Waltham Brooks

Jane Willmott, Reserves Officer describes this beautiful species-rich wetland reserve which is now grazed by Konik ponies.

Sussex Life carries a regular monthly section featuring Sussex Wildlife Trust. Copies are available from your local newsagent or by annual subscription. Contact Sussex Life tel: 01858 438832

The aim of the Sussex Wildlife Trust is to conserve the Sussex landscape, wildlife and its habitats, and to use its knowledge and expertise to help the people of Sussex to enjoy, understand and take action to this end. For membership details please telephone 01273 497532

Front cover: little owl © Andy Rouse/naturepl.com

Wildlife is produced and published by: The Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henﬁeld, West Sussex BN5 9SD. Tel: 01273 492630 Email: enquiries@sussexwt.org.uk Website: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk Editor: Amanda Reeves

Design: Barry Sharman Design Tel: 07801 659094 Email: barry@barrysharman.com

Advertising: Amanda Reeves Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9SD Email: amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk

The Sussex Wildlife Trust is a company limited by guarantee. Registered Company No: 698851 Registered Charity No: 207005 Chairman of Council: Carole Nicholson Chief Executive: Dr. Tony Whitbread

CBP000121190303155716

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WildlifeNews

Rye Harbour Discovery Centre Rye Harbour nature reserve offers a unique experience to its 330,000 visitors every year. It is one of the largest and most important wildlife sites in England, set in an exceptional coastal and wetland landscape and home to 4,500 varieties of plants and animals, including more than 300 considered rare or endangered. The nature reserve is carefully managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust in partnership with The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, the Environment Agency, County, District and Parish Councils, landowners and several conservation groups and local authorities. We strongly believe that the nature reserve, and all its visitors, deserve a safe, comfortable and welcoming modern facility. The reserve currently has a very small information centre housed in portacabins. For much of the year it is not welcoming to visitors, staff or the volunteers who run it for us and

black-headed gulls © Dave Kilbey

Artist's impression of proposed Discovery Centre

lacks the necessary facilities to host schools and other educational groups. By building a modern visitor centre on the site we can help visitors and the local community learn more about their natural heritage and understand the threats and risks facing wildlife – both in the immediate area and on a national and global scale.

We are calling it the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre because that sums up what we hope everyone who enters the building will experience. We are confident that the proposed Rye Harbour Discovery Centre will become a thriving hub for community enjoyment

and engagement. It will also instil a lifelong appreciation and understanding of the natural environment and be an important contributor to protect the ecology and sustainability of the nature reserve for future generations.

As Wildlife magazine went to press the plans were being submitted to Rother District Council for planning permission approval. We hope to be able to start the construction programme in 2018 with a view to opening to the public in 2019.

For further details: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ ryeharbourdiscoverycentre

PONDTAIL WOOD UPDATE by Phil Belden

In 2016 we reported some bad news at Pondtail Wood, a couple of miles to the east of Sussex Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve and offices at Woods Mill, Henfield.

This was the illegal felling of trees in the heart of the wood and dumping of rubble to create access roads, subsequently stopped by the South Downs National Park Authority and Forestry Commission. Earlier this year we reported that a new owner had stepped in to buy the wood, conscious that he had to take on the liability of restoring it ... we waited. We can now report some good news. With the wet early season and bird-nesting out of the way, work has started on repairing the damage.

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The landowner is undertaking the agreed works, working with the South Downs National Park Authority, Forestry Commission and Natural England. Under the watchful eyes of an ecologist and enforcement officer, he is currently removing a large area of ‘waste’ dumped in the wood. He has also undertaken some safety work, removing dangerous and overhanging trees left in situ by the previous owner when he was abruptly stopped from proceeding with his woodland clearance activities.

All seems to be going in the right direction but it's early days yet, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on this. Our wish is not just for a repair of the damage, but to see a full restoration, the coniferous plantation eventually replaced with the original deciduous

woodland tree cover and the ground flora slowly re-emerging to its former glory. The early work is encouraging, so we are hoping for a more promising future for Pondtail Wood. The landowner himself has stated his aim to ‘redeem the woodland to its former beauty and improve its biodiversity’.

As a registered charity, Sussex Wildlife Trust can only achieve what it does with the immensely valuable support of its volunteers. DIPPING FOR WILDLIFE

Pupils cut a ribbon to declare it open before getting down to the exciting business of finding out exactly what wildlife was living in the lake. Over 2,800 children visit this nature reserve during the year with schools and clubs. In addition to this, 1,900 adults and children attend supervised pond dipping sessions during the school holidays. Steve Tillman, Reserve Manager, said, ‘Four years ago conservation work was carried out on the lake which was deteriorating due to an explosion of carp eating all the invertebrates and stirring up the water.

The lake was very poor for wildlife so we drained it and over 1,800 carp were removed and rehomed. ‘Now, there are thousands of tadpoles, toads, newts, dragonflies and damselflies and other water insects and the water is clear – a remarkable transformation. ‘The ‘icing on the cake’ is the new dipping platform, vital so children and adults can explore the wealth of wildlife living in the lake. Thanks to the generous donations from our funders we now have a large platform with an anti-slip deck so visitors with mobility needs and larger groups of children can dip their nets into the water safely.’ The platform was funded by the South Downs National Park Authority’s Sustainable Communities Fund, Viridor, The Ivo Trust and Upper Beeding Parish Council.

BADGER VACCINATION Sussex Wildlife Trust embarked on a badger vaccination programme in 2015 on its Malling Down and Southerham Farm nature reserves near Lewes. The work was undertaken by the East Sussex Badger Vaccination Group and got off to a very promising start.

Honorary Secretary and Trustee

We are seeking a representative with Company Secretarial skills. A suitable person will be familiar with the responsibilities of both governance and management and have experience in being a member of a Board of Directors or Council of Trustees; advising on Company Secretarial issues and the necessary compliance with Company and Charity law. An awareness of Health and Safety requirements would also be helpful but not essential.

HR Trustee

We are seeking a representative with significant organisational development/people management experience. A suitable person will be familiar with the responsibilities of both governance and management and have experience in being a member of a Board of Directors or Council of Trustees; advising on restructuring or organisational reorganisation; ensuring operation of effective people management processes and the necessary compliance with employment legislation. An awareness of Health and Safety requirements would also be helpful. Roles are voluntary and unpaid. If you would like to play your part in conserving the natural heritage of Sussex, then we would very much like to hear from you. Please contact Maria Jonsson, mariajonsson@sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk or telephone: 01273 497526 for an informal talk. Please contact us no later than 12 January 2018.

Unfortunately, the programme had to be suspended in 2016 because of a worldwide shortage of vaccine, but it is understood that the vaccine will soon be available again enabling us to resume the vaccination programme in 2018.

Save the Date

11 November 2017

You will find your invitation to attend our 2017 AGM on page 15 of this edition of Wildlife. Our speaker is Patrick Barkham, author and natural history writer for The Guardian, and we will be holding our special event for members’ children again this year. Don’t forget to book your complimentary lunch.

Badger Class from Benfield Primary School, Portslade were the very first children to use our new dipping platform at Woods Mill nature reserve.

The Trust is looking to continue to reflect key business skills through its board of Trustees, and is seeking two people to join its Council.

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EcologyZone with Graeme Lyons, Senior Ecologist

1,000 species in 24 hours – Graeme Lyons and David Green

by Graeme Lyons Senior Ecologist Sussex Wildlife Trust

On the 10th June 2017, Dave Green, a Trustee of the Sussex Wildlife Trust and I embarked upon the ludicrous and the impossible; to find and identify 1,000 species or more in a single 24 hour period, all in West Sussex and mostly on our reserves. Why? I hear you ask. Well, for a number of reasons…

Firstly for the sheer joy of it, just to see if it was possible and have a great time in the process. Secondly, to raise awareness of 6 Wildlife

biological recording and the pan-species listing approach. Thirdly, to generate some valuable records and increase our understanding of our reserves and finally to raise funds for the Trust. We also opened the challenge to anyone else in the UK. The rules were: teams of two with one vehicle with as much equipment as you wanted to take. You had to keep a running total, which means some clever recording forms and you had to work together, with both members seeing each species. You could set up traps but not activate them until midnight and only specimens seen and identified in the 24 hours of the 10th June counted. So there we were, waking up at 11.00 pm after a couple of hours sleep on a Friday night after a busy week and before we knew it we were in Ebernoe Common with two moth traps set up and the clock rapidly approaching midnight. It was a very dark, humid and overcast night with not a

breath of wind. For the last time in 24 hours, we had a moment to pause. And then we were off, we started the generators and recorded our first species. It was human. We left the traps running and walked around Ebernoe Common in the dark identifying plants. We got to 100 species in 19 minutes! We found bird’s-nest orchid, bitter-vetch and many other plants this way. We even found a rare spider Episinus maculipes and a snakeskin grisette toadstool. Hearing nightingales whilst recording zigzag clover and pepper-saxifrage at 2.00 am in Furnace Meadow was amazing. We went back to the traps and had heard a roding woodcock as we looked through them. Orange moth was the highlight, we made one more pass around the common and found the Welsh oak longhorn beetle dead in a spider’s web, never before recorded from a Trust reserve! We heard the dawn chorus come online one bird at a

spotted flycatcher © Roger Wilmshurst

Welsh oak longhorn beetle

– is it possible? bitter-vetch © Arthur Hoare

time, including a singing spotted flycatcher. It was 8.00 am and we’d been at Ebernoe for a third of the day already but we were nearly on 500 species. It was time to go. We got the 500th from the car, white dead-nettle on a road verge. We went to Amberley Wildbrooks and found lapwing, water ermine and true fox sedge. From there, lunch at Burton Pond revealed cow-bane and then we were off again. Graffham Common and we found two scarce spiders never recorded from there before, Araneus angulatus and Dipoena tristis. My colleague Alice Parfitt, brought us some ‘sugar supplies’, our only contact all day beyond squeezing out the odd social media update. We headed to Levin Down with a few hundred to go but our knees and our hayfever were playing up in various ways. I could barely walk and Dave could barely see but we soldiered on. We found some nice arable weeds on the climb and worked

snakesin grisette toadstool

our way through the chalk-grassland plants such as common rock-rose and juniper. Dave swept a small beetle with feathered antennae into his net – it was the snail-killing beetle Drilus flavescens. It was also species 1000! It was about 7.30 pm and we’d done it. We then went back to Burton Pond for some final moth trapping where I hand caught my first dentated pug whilst being serenaded by field crickets. We were winding down by this point though, but when the clock struck midnight for the second time, we had a grand total of 1035 species in 24 hours! A few days later we analysed what we had achieved: 424 plants, 116 beetles, 113 moths, 69 birds, 52 spiders and more. Several species new to the respective reserves, some never before recorded on a Trust reserve. We didn’t see a speckled wood butterfly, a silver-y moth or a stonechat though!

black arches caterpillar

And then we were off, we started the generators and recorded our first species. It was human. We also managed to raise over £900 for the Trust so a big thank you to everyone who donated. It was a resounding success. Now, will we do it again? I’m already planning on a new challenge, 1500 species in a 24 hour period in May 2018.

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Strong and true… oak tree © Chris O'Reilly/naturepl.com

by Ronnie Reed Volunteer It is head down, collar up weather as the wind chases the rain down the western slope of the Downs. The oak tree stands with its back to the wind at the junction of the footpath. The branches stretch up into the heavy grey sky and the last of this season’s yellow and green leaves dance in tune to the weather.

It has stood strong and true to its name: Quercus robur. (Robur = strength in Latin) pedunculate oak, English oak for many years. The heart wood has gone; the tree is hollow and dark within, a space for spiders, woodlice and beetles. Three of the lower limbs have been lost and the hollow scars left behind look down with a lopsided smile at those who pass beneath. Outstretched branches offer shelter to those who pause for a second to admire this tree. And stop and admire you do because there is something about oak trees. 8 Wildlife

Maybe it goes back to our druid roots and the rituals practised beneath their branches. Maybe it is because they were sacred to so many gods; Greek, Roman, Celtic. Or is it the stories of royalty on the run? In times past, we have tied the matrimonial knot beneath these spreading boughs, and cut our Yule Logs at Christmas. Oak has featured on our coins, on natty logos, and we follow its fruit on sign posts here in Sussex as we walk the South Downs Way. Do we touch its bark because once it was used for leather tanning and in dying? Do we treasure acorns because we once turned them into flour and fed them to our livestock? Do we pick up the lobed leaves and finger them because once we used them for medicinal purposes? Do we get excited (I do!) when we find the hard, round oak apple galls because once we made black ink from them? Maybe. This gnarled old oak tree is a wildlife supermarket, its shelves stocked with food. In the autumn, on special offer are the starchy acorns for birds like the brazen jays you briefly glimpse disappearing into the trees, for raucous rooks, soft grey pigeons and small mammals like squirrels and mice. Deer moving softly through the woods pick over the fallen nuts and mid-

night shoppers like badgers feast on the acorns. Great spotted woodpeckers go for the insects in the bark. Others go for shelter. Owls and bats roost in the hollow trunks. The oak is host to a myriad of invertebrates. The larvae of several hundred moth species feed on its leaves including the green oak moth which having lunched on the leaves rolls itself up in a leaf to pupate into an adult. The poor defenceless pupa can, in turn, be parasitised by at least four species of ichneumon wasps which lay their eggs inside the body of the pupa. Life can be tough! The purple hairstreak butterfly lives in the tree tops from June to August feeding on the oak leaves, its life cycle and name (Quercusia quercus) intrinsically tied to the tree of its choice. And then there are the gall wasps. More than thirty species in fact. They lay their eggs on different parts of the tree depending on the species of wasp and the stage of its lifecycle. The larvae secrete a chemical which causes the tree to mutate and form a gall or oak apple which provides protection and shelter. If you look carefully at the tree or search through fallen leaves you can find oak apples. They come in all shapes and

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This gnarled old oak tree is a wildlife supermarket, its shelves stocked with food.

orange oak bolete ÂŠ Graeme Lyons

sizes. There are flattened rounded galls with a spongy texture on twigs in the spring caused by the oak apple gall wasp. You can find quite spectacular spangle galls; the common ones are yellow-ginger brown discs on the underside of leaves in the late summer and early autumn. The smooth galls are saucer shaped and yellow-green or pinkish red. The silk button gall wasp leaves behind tiny brown discs with a depression in the centre while the knopper gall wasp, which became established in the UK in the 1970s, lays its eggs in the acorns and turns them ridged and woody. Beneath our oak tree lies a fallen twig. Carefully attached to it are two round mottled green galls with a red tinge that looked exactly like their name; marble galls, blown down by the wind. Mosses, lichens and fungi flourish. The orange oak bolete snuggles up to the roots of the oak in a symbiotic relationship which helps the tree extract nutrients from the soil in exchange for sugar. Mushroom foragers look for brackets of large edible beef steak fungi growing out from the trunks of old oaks. Food, shelter, support â&#x20AC;&#x201C; oaks provide them all for hundreds of living creatures. For us they are a thing of beauty that makes us stop for a second, take a breath and admire and then move on into the misty rain.

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RyeHarbour

Saltmarsh Success sea heath © Barry Yates

by Dr Barry Yates Manager, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Six years ago we worked with the Environment Agency to re-create 17 hectares of saltmarsh as part of a sea defence improvement project at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. This was on land that had been saltmarsh 60 years previously, until the sea was excluded to create land for agriculture.

With a new sea defence now keeping people and property dry and safe, the results of the habitat re-creation have been fantastic and appreciated by visitors 10 Wildlife

and the wildlife. The specialised plants that enjoy a regular covering of saltwater have colonised, including sea purslane, sea heath, sea spurreys, sea aster, sea-blite and glassworts. The mud dwelling shrimps and worms have reached great numbers and attracted redshank, avocet and shelduck. On each high tide many small fish come in to feed and some of them become food for the many little egrets that are now with us all year round and even for the occasional spoonbill. For much of the year the area is also used by roosting flocks of wading birds: by day, lapwing and golden plover and by night, curlew. Visitors get to see the twice daily flooding of the saltmarsh. Regular visitors also notice that there is a monthly variation of tide – caused by the alignment of the sun and the moon – and on a few high tides in the month no water comes into the channel at all, and the area dries out.

The saltmarsh has autumn colours like woodland, going from green to red to purple and then brown as the plants produce masses of seeds to colonise new mud and feed wintering birds like skylark and linnet. So if you can plan your visit to Rye Harbour try to pick a day and time with a big high tide – generally around mid-day on a weekend with a full or new moon. Starting at Rye Harbour village, take the two mile circular walk to the river mouth along the private tarmac road and around the saltmarsh trail. This will visit three birdwatching hides with wheelchair access (part of the path is not ideal for all manual wheelchairs, but some do manage). Another great time to visit is in the evening when curlews and gulls come into roost. The setting sun provides a great landscape reflected in the wetland and, if not too windy, the birds provide the soundscape.

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golden plover © Barry Yates

sea aster © Neil Fletcher

Rye Harbour nature reserve has been nominated for the prestigious Campaign to Protect Rural England Sussex Countryside Award for its saltmarsh re-creation project.

Presentation of the Awards will take place in October so I will report back in the next edition of Wildlife magazine.

redshank © Barry Yates

greater sea spurrey © Barry Yates

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Membership

Legacy gifts are an increasingly important source of income and we are hugely grateful to those members who have remembered Sussex Wildlife Trust with a gift in their Will. Recent legacies have included gifts from long-standing members Patience Forster of Midhurst and Mary Young of Lymington. Members who have pledged to support Sussex Wildlife Trust with a gift in their Will enjoyed a lunchtime reception this May at Tilgate Park, home to the Trust’s Gatwick Greenspace Partnership, which has been working for more than 20 years to benefit people, wildlife and the countryside in a large area around Gatwick Airport.

If you have already remembered us in your Will, and would like to let us know please contact Mark Barkaway by email: markbarkaway@sussexwt.org.uk or tel: 01273 497520.

If you are interested in learning more about how your legacy could help protect Sussex’s wildlife and wild places for future generations we would be delighted to send you our free booklet.

Our new What’s On booklet will be available from early December, detailing hundreds of courses and activities throughout the year, from walks and talks through to field trips and identification workshops. There is also a separate guide for events at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

If you have any queries about your membership, please contact the Membership team by phone on 01273 497532 or e-mail membership@sussexwt.org.uk It helps us if you have your membership number handy; this can be found on your membership card.

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WHAT’S ON

2018

Even t field s, cours es trips in Su & ssex

H 2018 AT’S ON

Members enjoy a generous discount on all events, which are also advertised online at sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/whatson

If you would like a printed copy of the What’s On booklet, please contact swtbookings@sussexwt.org.uk or tel: 01273 497561.

WILDLIFE & COUNTRYSIDE SURVEY

In April this year we distributed our annual Wildlife and Countryside Survey to thousands of Sussex households. To date we have received over 3,000 responses, which will be invaluable in helping us to plan our work and respond to future challenges. Headline results show that:

Almost 70% of respondents are deeply concerned about threats posed to wildlife by pressure on land for development The threat to turtle doves, the seven spot ladybird and the pyramidal orchid were not widely known

The overwhelming majority of respondents supported our work in challenging public bodies over their lack of action in responding to the destruction of a Sussex ancient woodland

Only 18% of respondents were very aware of our work in presenting the case for the environment in Local Authority Plans

Very few respondents were aware of the work of the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre – a vital resource when making decisions that could impact wildlife

Thank you to all the existing members who responded, and to more than 240 new members who joined the Trust at the same time.

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/legacy

CONTACTING THE MEMBERSHIP TEAM

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Keep Sussex special

WHAT’S ON 2018

WILDLIFE TRAVEL

If you’re thinking about a wildlife-themed holiday next year, do take a look at the trips offered by Wildlife Travel. Covering destinations in the UK and overseas, the company was set up with the express aim of supporting nature conservation, and profits are donated to the Wildlife Trusts. Holidays are led by experienced UK leaders, including former Sussex Wildlife Trust staff member Mike Russell. wildlife-travel.co.uk

PASS IT ON

When you have finished reading this copy of Wildlife why not pass it on to a friend, or to your local doctor’s surgery for their waiting room? We want as many people in Sussex as possible to know about our work, and to support their local wildlife charity, and anything you can do to spread the word would be very much appreciated.

The magazine of

Issue 181

the Sussex Wildlife

•

Autumn/Winter

Wildlife 1

Trust

2017

THE WONDER TAILS

Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserves feature among the locations for The Wonder Tails, a beautiful new book by local author and Sussex Wildlife Trust member Nickhola Susanne La Brooy. The Wonder Tails is a collection of stories for 5-9 year olds, about how certain beloved British wild animals came to look and behave the way they do. They have a flavour of Kipling’s Just So Stories, but rather than discovering How the Tiger got his Stripes, you can learn Where Did That Starling Get Her Stars?

We are delighted that Nickhola will be making a donation to the Trust for each copy sold, and you can purchase The Wonder Tails for £10.99 from our website: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop

Nickhola will be reading from her book to some of our Wildlife Watch Groups this autumn, and has a number of readings arranged at bookshops throughout Sussex. For dates and venues, please see her website thewondertails.com

brown hare

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ReservesRoundup

A report from Reserves Manager Alice Parﬁ1 STAFF CHANGES

At the end of April we said goodbye to James Power, Head of Land Management. James has led work on our nature reserves for the past 11 years, overseeing the growth of the amount of land we look after, as well as the team of officers who manage and care for it. He was also instrumental in the acquisition of Graffham Common, a former pine plantation that has since been restored to heathland.

LONGHORN BEETLES AT GRAFFHAM COMMON

Graffham Common continues to provide the excitement in this year’s invertebrate survey. Earlier visits have recorded the spider Uloborus walckenaerius previously only known in Sussex from Ambersham Common (close to Graffham and linked by some good habitat) and one other site. It’s encouraging to see species moving through the landscape and really does show the importance of linking sites up and working at landscape scale. On the latest visit, our senior ecologist, Graeme Lyons, found seven individuals of the longhorn beetle Stictoleptura rubra. It's only the third Sussex record – the first was recorded in 2014 at Iping Common.

MOTH TRAPPING AT BRICKFIELD MEADOW

The warm settled weather in June prompted us to carry out our first ever moth trap at Brickfield Meadow. While plenty of recording during the day has taken place, we were interested to see what might turn up over-

night in the moth trap. It was an excellent evening with over 90 species recorded and we added over 80 species to the reserves species list. Highlights included several notable species including festoon, waved carpet and great oak beauty, but some of my personal favourites were scallop shell, suspected and lilac beauty, none of which I see very often.

There was plenty of other wildlife on offer too with a woodcock roding over the meadow, young tawny owls making a lot of noise and glow-worms attracted to the lights.

GILLHAM WOOD BIOBLITZ

In May we ran a mini-bioblitz at Gillham Wood. As one of our smallest sites, it doesn’t get as much recording as other sites but in a couple of hours recording with assistance from the Friends of Gillham Wood, we noted 145 species. We recorded some ancient woodland indicators such as pignut, wood speedwell and butcher’s broom, but the highlight was the micro moth Spuleria flavicaput or yellow-headed cosmet, beaten from hawthorn on the southern edge of the wood. There have only been six records in the county, so it was a really nice find.

FLATROPERS WOOD DOES IT AGAIN

On a recent visit to Flatropers Wood an attractive beetle was picked up along one of the rides. It was provisionally identified as the very rare (RDB2) Cryptocephalus sexpunctatus or six-spotted pot-beetle. This identification

festoon moth © Graeme Lyons

woodcock © Lisa Geoghegan 14 Wildlife

tawny owl chicks © Mike Read

six-spotted pot-beetle © Alice Parfitt

was later confirmed by Peter Hodge, the county recorder for beetles, who told us they are called pot beetles due to the characteristic behaviour of the larvae once they have hatched. The female lays her egg and covers it with her own faeces. The larva then progressively enlarges the case with their own droppings, forming the larval ‘pot’ which they then carry around with them. The last confirmed record for this beetle in Sussex appears to be from the Hollington area of Hastings in the 1920s, and there are historical records from the Horsham area too. At present it has only been seen recently at two other sites in Britain.

You are invited to the

55th Annual Members Meeting of the Sussex Wildlife Trust On: Saturday 11th November 2017 at 10:00am At: The Shoreham Centre 2 Pond Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5WU Schedule

10:00 Welcome, registration and refreshments 10:15 Children’s activity starts 10:30 AGM

11:30 Break

12:00 Islanders – the wonderful

residents of Britain’s smaller isles

A talk by Patrick Barkham

12:40 Q&A

13:00 Complimentary buffet lunch (booking essential)

Parking and travel

Pay & Display parking is available in the car park behind the Shoreham Centre but spaces are limited so please arrive by public transport if you can. Shoreham railway station is less than five minutes’ walk away and there are regular buses into the area. For further travel information please see traveline.org.uk

Lunch

Booking is essential, members only.

If you would like to join us for a buffet lunch after the AGM (at 13.00) please contact Maria Jonsson by email: mariajonsson@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone: 01273 497526. Please email if you can as our phone lines are often extremely busy.

Please note booking is essential to reserve your complimentary lunch. Please let us know of any dietary requirements at the time of booking.

Our guest speaker is wellknown columnist and author Patrick Barkham. Patrick is a natural history writer for the Guardian and has reported on everything from the Iraq War to climate change.

His first book, The Butterfly Isles, was published in 2010 and was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje prize. His second, Badgerlands, was hailed by Chris Packham as ‘a must read for all Britain's naturalists’ and won the best general non-fiction prize at the East Anglian Book Awards in 2014. Coastlines was published in 2015 and explores our changing relationship with the seaside through explorations of the 742 miles of coastline protected by the National Trust.

Patrick Barkham

His new book, Islander, published in October 2017, describes his journey around Britain's small islands, meeting their human and non-human residents.

WildPlay

We are delighted to be able to offer, once again, craft sessions using natural materials. Please register children on arrival. Our leaders will be waiting to welcome them. We will be running these activities for children aged between 7 and 11 years old. Just before lunch the children will have an opportunity to come into the main hall to show their creations to everyone.

Places are limited so booking is essential.

Email: mariajonsson@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone: 01273 497 526 for more information and to book.

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Notice of Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the 55th Annual General Meeting of the members of the Sussex Wildlife Trust will be held at The Shoreham Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea on Saturday 11th November 2017 at 10.30am precisely, for the following purposes:

1. To approve the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 12th November 2016 (below). 2. Presentation of the Chairman’s Report.

3. To adopt the Accounts and Balance Sheet of the year ended 31 March 2017 and the Report of the Auditors thereon.

4. To approve the Report of the Council presented by the Chairman.* 5. To elect the President.

6. To elect Directors retiring at this meeting, but offering themselves up for re-election, namely David Green, Emma Montlake, Carole Nicholson and Susan Walton.

7. Any other candidates for appointment as Director must be duly nominated. (Please see Articles of Association – a).

8. To appoint RSM UK Audit LLP as Auditors for the ensuing year. 9. To authorise the Council of Management to fix the remuneration of the Auditors.

*During item 4, there will be an opportunity to take general questions from the floor.

Susan Walton, Honorary Secretary Sussex Wildlife Trust Woods Mill, Henfield BN5 9SD Under the Articles of Association of the Trust:

a. A candidate for election as an Honorary Officer or a Director must be nominated in writing signed by a member of the Trust entitled to vote at the meeting. Nomination papers can be obtained from

Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, BN5 9SD and must be returned by 2nd October 2017 to the Honorary Secretary at the same address.

b. Every member (other than junior members) whose subscription is not in arrears and who attends the Meeting is entitled to vote. Corporate members and affiliated members have one vote per membership. Every member entitled to vote has the right to appoint a proxy under section 324 of the Companies Act 2006. Proxy forms may be obtained from Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, BN5 9SD. A copy of the Articles of Association of Sussex Wildlife Trust can be found on the website www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk in the “About us” section or call 01273 497526 for a hard copy.

By order of the Council of Management, Sussex Wildlife Trust Woods Mill, Henfield

Minutes of the 54th Annual General Meeting, Sussex Wildlife Trust

held at The Shoreham Centre, Pond Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, Saturday 12th November 2016 at 10.30am The President of the Trust, David Streeter, took the Chair.

1. Trustees John Parry and Phil Belden sent their Apologies along with 12 members and Sussex MPs Simon Kirby and Maria Caulfield.

Approval of the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 24th October 2015 was proposed by David Green, seconded by Barrie Watson, AGREED by the meeting.

2. Presentation of the Chairman’s Report. The Chairman gave a speech on the achievements of the Trust over the past year and detailed future plans of the Trust as set out in its new Vision and Strategy due for publication later in the year.

The Chairman thanked her fellow Trustees for their support during her first year as Chairman and extended her thanks to all Trust staff and volunteers. She also thanked the members for their generous and loyal support. Phil Belden and John Parry both retired as Trustees at the AGM having served nine years on Council and the Chairman thanked them for their immense contribution to the Trust and to nature conservation in Sussex during their time on Council. The Chairman also shared the news that the Trust in partnership with the Friends

16 Wildlife

of Rye Harbour is planning the building of a new visitor centre at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and invited the members present to join her in a thank you to the Friends for their very generous donation of £1.5m to the project.

3. The Honorary Treasurer presented the Accounts and Balance Sheet for the year ended 31st March 2016, together with the Auditors’ Report. A resolution adopting the accounts was proposed by Michael Joseph, seconded by Carole Nicholson and duly passed.

The Honorary Treasurer reported that the financial year had been a very good one, with legacies and membership income increasing allowing the Trust to designate funds to a variety of projects and further membership recruitment. The Honorary Treasurer thanked the management for their exceptional effort in responding to the budget and reiterated the Chairman’s thanks to the staff and volunteers of the Trust. 4. The Chairman of Council presented the Report of the Council.

Acceptance of the Report of the Council was proposed by David Green, seconded by John Patmore and AGREED by the meeting.

5. The President was re-elected – proposed by Roy Wood, seconded by Rhonda Martin and AGREED by the meeting.

6. To elect Sean Ashworth, Linda Clark, Claire Kerr, Rhonda Martin and Alan Stewart as Directors and the retiring members of Council who offered themselves for re-election: Sean Ashworth – proposed by Penny Green, seconded by David Green and AGREED

Linda Clark – proposed by Carole Nicholson, seconded by Rhonda Martin and AGREED

Claire Kerr – proposed by Simon Linington, seconded by Petra Billings and AGREED Rhonda Martin – proposed by Roy Wood, seconded by Linda Clark and AGREED

Alan Stewart – proposed by Barrie Watson, seconded by Penny Green and AGREED David Streeter – proposed by David Green, seconded by Alan Stewart and AGREED

Sean Ashworth, Linda Clark, Claire Kerr, Rhonda Martin and Alan Stewart were duly elected to Council. David Streeter was duly re-elected to Council.

The President offered his thanks to Phil Belden and John Parry who retired at this meeting.

7. The President noted that no other candidates had been nominated for appointment as Director.

8. To elect the Honorary Secretary, namely Susan Walton, retiring at this meeting but offering herself for re-election, proposed by Rhonda Martin, seconded by Alyson Beaumont and AGREED.

9. To elect the Honorary Treasurer, namely Linda Clark, proposed by Carole Nicholson, seconded by Peter Martin and AGREED. 10. It was proposed by Linda Clark, seconded by David Green and AGREED to appoint RSM UK Audit LLP as Auditors for the ensuing year.

11. It was proposed by Linda Clark, seconded by Susan Walton and AGREED that the Council should be authorised to fix the remuneration of the Auditors. The President thanked Carole Nicholson for her hard work in her first year as Chairman. The year had been very successful due to the strong, conscientious leadership offered by the new Chairman. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 11.35am.

Annual Roundup 2016-17

bearded tit Â© Mike Read

Annual Roundup

Speaking up for nature

Derek Bates, a volunteer lookerer at Filsham Reedbed, with three of our Konik ponies © Miles Davies

Carole Nicholson, Chairman of Council and Dr Tony Whitbread, Chief Executive talk about our achievements in 2016/17.

18 Wildlife

Perhaps the greatest problem facing wildlife today is the disconnection between people and nature. For over 99% of our evolutionary history humans have been active in nature – working in harmony together. But in our current short, fleeting moment of human history we have become a generation which is inactive, often alone and

disconnected from nature. This is a crime against society. As well as driving social, mental and physical problems this could also result in a society with a reduced expectation of nature – maybe we won’t care anymore.

Furthermore, looking after our natural world is not cheap. The future of EU funded ‘agri-environment’ schemes is therefore a concern. The uncertainties following the Brexit vote bring challenges, but might also reveal opportunities. There may be less EU funding

Dartford warbler © Mike Read avocet © David Tipling/naturepl.com top right: Hit Squad volunteers

available, but this might stimulate the development of better systems of public payment for public benefits. Both conservation management and sympathetic farming would score well in this situation which could benefit conservation bodies and Sussex farmers alike.

Brexit also brings challenges regarding environmental safeguards. So much environmental legislation is wrapped up in EU (and other international) background that it is hard to see how this will develop into the improved protection that the vast

majority of people want. We are living in challenging times when it comes to the protection of nature. Governments seem to be in a “predict and provide” phase, where demand is king and environmental issues are pushed aside.

The inadequacies of our economic system underpin many of our wildlife issues. When economic policy does not value many of the things that matter to our everyday lives it becomes inevitable that wildlife is lost in the name of economic growth. On the plus side there are increas-

ing attempts to overcome this and some government initiatives now try to incorporate the value of ‘natural capital’ into decision making. The Wildlife Trusts have endeavoured to influence this thinking – we do not want this to reduce to a level of just ‘putting a price on nature’, but if done well it will mean the hidden value of nature will be properly recognised.

This is the backdrop to our new strategy, “A Vision for Nature and Wellbeing in Sussex”. This envisages ecological networks across Sussex, through Living

Wildlife 19

Annual Roundup

Speaking up for nature ...over the past year we have reached more than 10,000 school children in a bid to excite, inspire and educate the next generation about the wonders of nature.

Landscapes and Living Seas, providing a home for nature's recovery as well as providing a place where wildlife and people can thrive together.

We have always needed nature; now more than ever for its inspiration, health-fulfilling properties and the sense of hope it can give us for the future of our planet. That is why over the past year we have reached more than 10,000 school children in a bid to excite, inspire and educate the next generation about the wonders of nature. Our strategy is for deep, continuous engagement, rather than just one visit a year. We also engage with many hundreds of adults through courses and various volunteer activities – we had some 40,000 hours of volunteering last year, equivalent to 24 full-time staff. This is a record that we are proud of. And along with our partnerships with Woodland Trust, National Trust, RSPB, Local Authorities and others, we are reaching a good number of people. With a

population of over 1.5 million here in Sussex, we may still have a long way to go, but it gives us a great opportunity to extend our reach. After all, there are still children in Sussex who cannot identify a blackbird, and children in Hastings who have never been to the seaside! Projects like Forest Schools, Nature Tots, Paying For a Child to go Wild, 30 Days Wild and many others are vital to light that spark of interest in the natural world.

The work of our nature reserves managers, with their volunteer help, means that our

reserves are in the best condition they have ever been. Our grazing project has been very successful in supporting this and we are increasingly offering a commercial conservation grazing service to other bodies. We have had numerous successes on our reserves this year – 62 pairs of breeding avocets at Rye, bearded tits at Filsham, a rare grass (cut grass) turning up at Waltham Brooks and Dartford warblers breeding on a nature reserve in West Sussex. It is successes such as these that inspire us to even greater efforts.

To see our Trustees Report and Annual Accounts 2016/17 please visit our website – sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/annualaccounts

Tru stees’ Report & Annual Account s

2016-17

To receive a paper copy of this document please contact Maria Jonsson – email: mariajonsson@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone: 01273 497526.

otter © Andy Rouse/naturepl.com

20 Wildlife

WildCall by Charlo*e Owen

WildCall Officer Charlotte Owen runs our dedicated wildlife advice and information service. If you would like to report an interesting wildlife sighting, find out more about the creatures that live in your garden, raise concerns over planning issues or have any wildlife related enquiry, then Charlotte is here to answer your questions or put you in touch with someone who can help.

Regular calls come from people who have discovered sick or injured wildlife. The Trust does not offer a rescue service or take in injured or sick creatures but Charlotte will be able to put you in touch with exactly the right person to help. If you would like more information on any of these topics contact Charlotte on 01273 494777 between 9am and 1pm or email wildcall@sussexwt.org.uk

Watching the house sparrows on my garden feeders I can tell which are males by their black bibs – but why do some have much bigger bibs than others? The black throat patches or bibs sported by male house sparrows do vary in size and act as a status symbol, conveying important information about their age, social rank and quality as a mate. Males with larger bibs are more dominant in aggressive interactions with other males, secure a mate earlier in the season and defend better-quality breeding territories. Female sparrows actively select males with larger bibs, and bib size is thought to be an honest signal that provides reliable information about the male’s quality. There is a cost associated with a big bib, since males must invest energy in producing the black melanin-based pigment, and only the fittest males can afford to make a significant investment. Several enormous white fungi have sprung up in my garden overnight, what are they? Giant puffballs are distinctive fungi with a spherical shape rather than the usual open mushroom cap. Like all fungi, the parts we can see are the fruiting bodies of a much more extensive organism that exists as an underground mesh of threadlike hyphae, known as a mycelium. The giant puffball is a grassland species and often appears in garden lawns or compost heaps, where fruiting can be triggered by a spell of mild, wet weather. The

house sparrow © Lisa Geoghegan

resulting puffballs grow rapidly to the size of a football or even bigger, with really large ones sometimes mistaken for sleeping sheep, and will eventually disintegrate to release trillions of microscopic spores.

Should I cut back my garden plants now they’ve finished flowering or is it better to leave them until after the winter? Although it’s tempting to tidy up the garden at the end of the summer, doing so will deprive many creatures of food and shelter during the winter months. Seed heads are a great source of food for small mammals and birds, particularly greenfinches and goldfinches, whose favourites include teasel, thistle, knapweed and evening primrose. Hollow plant stems provide a warm, dry home for a variety of helpful garden insects, including ladybirds, and fallen leaves make ideal bedding for hibernating hedgehogs.

Wildlife 21

Investing in Nature

Anne Thwaites, Corporate & Community Fundraising Officer

BUSINESS MEMBERSHIP

No matter what your business focus or the size of the team, there is a membership option to suit you and your budget.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS

Another great way to support the Trust is to organise a fundraising event such as a quiz night, sponsored challenge or dress-up day. Events can be a great way to engage your employees with their company and the work of the Trust. You could also consider matching any donations your employees make.

TEAM BUILDING DAYS

Sussex Wildlife Trust holds team building days on our beautiful nature reserves, with indoor meeting room facilities at Woods Mill. We provide highly trained officers to lead the group through practical conservation tasks while the team enjoys the ideal environment to learn and grow together. There are many opportunities to get involved and benefit from supporting Sussex Wildlife Trust To find out more please email: annethwaites@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone 01273 497522

22 Wildlife

Opening ceremony: Jenny Mark-Bell, editor of Sussex Life (centre), Barry Hatton, Director of Asset Management at UK Power Networks (right) with Emma House, a volunteer from UK Power Networks who worked on the garden (left)

Eco-friendly garden

A new eco-friendly garden has been created at Woods Mill nature reserve in Henfield to inspire visitors to adopt ecofriendly lifestyles.

Our garden, complete with an eco-hut, was possible thanks to a £10,000 grant from UK Power Networks and was built by the Trust from scratch with the help of dozens of volunteers from the electricity company’s offices in Crawley. Barry Hatton, the company’s director of asset management, joined staff and volunteers from Sussex Wildlife Trust to open the new garden and eco-hut with Emma House, one of the volunteers who worked on the project. Jenny Mark-Bell, editor of Sussex Life cut the ribbon to declare the garden and eco-hut officially open. Barry said: “Our employees thoroughly enjoyed working on this new garden and they should be proud of what they have created with the experts at Sussex Wildlife Trust. It is a living classroom where people can pick up ideas to support the environment in their own homes and gardens. We hope people will enjoy visiting the garden for years to come.” Pete Crawford, Head of People and Wildlife at the Trust said, “The eco-hut is a great educational resource and the wildlife garden integrates native species and familiar garden plants as a showcase of pollinator-friendly planting.” An information board explains what is in the garden and simple ways to recreate it at home.

The timber eco-hut has a living roof planted with drought-resistant plants to attract insects. Drainpipes connect the roof to water butts to show rainwater harvesting in action. A solar panel on the roof powers a variety of lightbulbs inside the hut, from old energy-hungry varieties to energy efficient types and ultraefficient LED lightbulbs. One side of the hut is insulated with different materials such as sheep wool and recycled paper, with transparent peep holes to see the different types of insulation. The other side of the hut doesn’t have insulation, allowing visitors to compare temperatures. In the garden area there is a mini-meadow with wild flowers for bees, butterflies and hoverflies, log piles for mini-beasts, a hedge for birds and insects and a pond for amphibians. There is also a mini-vegetable plot to encourage people to 'grow their own' and reduce food miles. Three volunteer groups from UK Power Networks’ offices in Hazelwick Avenue, Three Bridges, have worked on the project over the last year. One of the volunteers, Emma House, said: “It was really nice working on this project. It was good to see everyone come together and work on something lasting.” UK Power Networks has a partnership with the nine Wildlife Trusts across the areas it serves in the South East, London and East of England. All staff have two days paid leave each year to volunteer or fundraise in the community and many work on wildlife trust projects.

Brighton Marathon 2018

Sussex Wildlife Trust was one of Brighton Marathon’s local charity partners in 2017, flying the flag for nature and wildlife in Sussex.

STEP UP FOR NATURE

After a successful Christmas campaign last year at John Lewis, employees and customers raised thousands of pounds for the Trust through instore token schemes. One employee even decided to join our runners in the Brighton Marathon.

The Eastbourne Archery Club raised over £3,000 from their fundraising events in July and several running clubs, the Brighton & Hove mayoral walks and cycle rides as well as university bars and pubs have recently raised significant funds for us. We are extremely grateful for their support.

If you have an idea for a fundraising event, or want to nominate Sussex Wildlife Trust as your local charity, please get in touch with Anne Thwaites. We can support your fundraising with marketing materials, collection boxes to help raise awareness of our work and boost your fundraising target. annethwaites@sussexwt.org.uk

WELCOME

Sussex Wildlife Trust extends a warm welcome to new business member Oasis Empire from Worthing, West Sussex.

The company will work closely with us to develop new retail ranges for our online shop over the coming months.

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop

Russell Gardham, a runner from Eastbourne, managed to do the whole distance in a full length badger suit and made the front page of The Argus Marathon supplement. We had twelve people running for us with every team member finishing the race, raising over £6,500 for Sussex Wildlife Trust. Would you like to join our team of runners in 2018? If you do, please sign up now. To register your interest for

Marathon runners © Anne Thwaites

a place at the 2018 Brighton Marathon simply send an email to Anne Thwaites, annethwaites@sussexwt.org.uk, share your running experience to date, and why you’d like to support us.

Entry to our team is £40 with a fundraising target of £500 per runner. We will, of course, support your fundraising efforts, and have a dedicated physiotherapy team available to help with your training.

SUPPORTING WILDLIFE

Look out for your Vine House Farm Wild Bird Food catalogue included with this mailing. We have been in partnership with them for 10 years and during that time donations totalling £53,020 have been received towards our conservation work. Every purchase made from the catalogue from anyone living in Sussex (you don’t have to be a member of the Trust) generates a percentage of the order as a donation direct to us (at no cost to you). If you would like some catalogues to pass to family or friends please contact our membership department or visit: vinehousefarm.co.uk Wildlife 23

MarineMatters

For the love of shingle shingle beach © Barry Yates

by Sarah Ward Marine Officer Shingle. Love it or hate it, it’s what makes up a large proportion of our beaches here in Sussex.

Whilst it may not be as attractive as widestretching golden sands, or as exciting as a rocky shore covered in crevices and tidal pools, shingle provides a number of benefits and is absolutely more interesting than many people would imagine. So, what actually is shingle? Essentially, 24 Wildlife

it’s a collection of sediment between 0.2 and 20cm in size and can comprise a number of different materials. Around Sussex, shingle is mostly flint-based, having been eroded from chalk cliffs. If you think back to geography lessons in your school days, you may remember the Wentworth scale, which categorises sediment by particle size: shingle is considered hard, mobile sediment, and falls in the middle of the scale between sand and boulders (with mud and bedrock at either end of the scale). By nature, shingle is unstable and freedraining, making it too much of a challenge for most of our more familiar marine and coastal species to colonise. Burrowing creatures, such as worms, which frequent sandy environments are unable to dig themselves a home here, whilst a lack of

stable surfaces and rock pools mean there are no rocky shore organisms such as limpets, barnacles or anemones. Consequently, organisms found on shingle beaches tend to be specialised to live in this unique environment. There are a number of plants which are robust enough to survive, including a few particularly specialised species, such as sea kale and sea holly, which are mostly restricted to shingle habitats. As you might expect, these plants tend to attract various associated invertebrate species, but there are also a number of detritus-feeding invertebrates which have adapted to live in the small spaces between pebbles. Additionally, shingle provides an important nesting habitat for some coastal birds, such as terns. Shingle’s instability makes it very susceptible to being moved around. Again,

Shoresearch

When the tide is low, you’ll find an exposed strip of the beach, which spends around half its time underwater, called the intertidal zone. bumblebee and sea holly © Pete Holmes

By nature, shingle is unstable and freedraining, making it too much of a challenge for most of our more familiar marine and coastal species to colonise. cast your mind back to those geography classes and you may remember a process called long-shore drift. This is the net movement of sediment along the beach caused by wave action on the shoreline. Along our coast, the prevailing wind is south-westerly, causing a movement of the shingle from west to east. Shingle is a great natural defence against the sea as it absorbs a lot of the energy from waves as they reach the shore. Because of this, there are various management measures in

place along our coastline to ensure we keep shingle where we want it – these include groynes, which act as a physical barrier to movement, and active ‘feeding’ or ‘recharging’ of beaches, which is where shingle is replenished in areas where natural processes are causing it to be eroded. Whilst it’s found on nearly all of our beaches here in Sussex, shingle is actually somewhat scarce on a wider scale, and is globally restricted to just a handful of places (the UK, New Zealand and Japan make up the majority) – mostly places which have historically been areas of glaciation. So here’s to shingle, our locally prominent but globally rare coastal environment! It may not be comfortable to lay on or easy to walk on but we can embrace it and celebrate it none the less!

The intertidal zone is a fascinating place where the sea meets the land and where you can find a huge variety of habitats and species. Even beaches which look rather barren often reveal a great deal of life when the tide goes out. Sussex Wildlife Trust coordinates a number of surveys throughout April to September where we go down to the beach and take time to thoroughly explore and examine the intertidal zone, recording the habitats and species found. The project, known as Shoresearch, is a volunteer scheme which harnesses the joy of rockpooling to collect useful data about our coastline. We welcome volunteers of all abilities to take part on Shoresearch; you don’t need to have any prior knowledge or experience to come along. Taking part on a survey is a great way to learn and participants have a range of experience levels. Regular volunteers include those with expert understanding to those with no prior knowledge – from students to retirees! The schedule covers a range of different beaches across Sussex, from Chichester Harbour in the west to Pett Level beach in the east. In recent years, our focus has been on Sussex Marine Conservation Zones. There are ten designated and recommended Marine Conservation Zones in Sussex, four of which are on the coast. The data we collect can be used to strengthen the case for their designation as well as providing a long-term data set and keeping an eye out for invasive species and climate change indicator species. Most importantly, Shoresearch is fun, social and a great way to get out and enjoy the coast! If you would like to learn more and join our team in April then please visit: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/ living-seas/sussex-shoresearch

Wildlife 25

NatureReserves

Waltham Brooks A walk around…

with Jane Willmott, Reserve Manager

Almost opposite our Amberley Wildbrooks nature reserve, just across the river, lies the grazing marsh of Waltham Brooks. In winters of very heavy rainfall almost the entire reserve becomes a giant lake.

Fortunately the river banks of the Arun floodplain have been built up for flood defence creating a good elevated walk-way to view the reserve. Wildfowl such as teal, shoveler, wigeon and pintail take advantage of the sanctuary and the feeding opportunities the flood waters offer. In summer the lake can almost dry out leaving muddy margins important for breeding waders such as lapwing and redshank and the occasional passage migrants such as green and wood sandpiper. There is a network of ditches throughout, and as at Amberley, these support a variety of water plants and insects. The line of the old Wey and Arun Navigation canal can be made out, still retaining water in the southern part where it used to connect to the river itself. About half way 26 Wildlife

along by the bridge, the remains of the old lock and lock keeper’s cottage can be seen. The north side of the railway line is drier acid grassland with tormentil and heath bedstraw, but still has some wetter areas where southern marsh-orchids thrive. The whole of the reserve is grazed seasonally by cattle, but you may also see Konik ponies all year round. The Konik ponies originate from Poland and are a hardy breed adapted to wetlands. We have created a circular route around the reserve to improve visitor access and help with management. Although the reserve is also a Common with open access, please keep to the paths so as not to disturb the wildlife. In spring, there is often a ‘fall’ of swallows and martins because the Brooks is one of the first stop-off points after their long migration from sub-Saharan Africa. In summer, the reserve comes alive with the song of warblers: hear the descending song of the willow warblers; test your skills at separating sedge and reed warblers around the water’s edge; marvel at

The Konik ponies originate from Poland and are a hardy breed adapted to wetlands. the gun-barrel fire of the Cetti’s warbler; watch the whitethroats display as they fly out and back from their bramble patch and the beautiful tones of blackcaps and garden warblers can be heard from deep within the scrubby woodland. The variety of flora varies depending on season and the density of grazing so the landscape is constantly changing colour, and in some years the reserve turns purple with purple loosestrife or yellow with yellow iris. The ditch flora is rich and many common dragonfly species can be seen as well as rarer species like the scarce chaser and the white-legged damselfly. In winter the reserve is good for wildfowl and often there is an influx of shorteared owls from the north which can be seen hunting during the day.

GETTING THERE… Grid ref: TQ025161

Nearest postcode: RH20 1LS

Lat/long: N50.935136 W-0.542310 Situated two miles south of Pulborough, south of Brook Lane, Coldwaltham. The car park (not owned by the Trust) at Greatham Bridge is closed. There is alternative parking along the road verge further west near the railway bridge. From here you can pick up the footpath and a circular route around the reserve and along the river flood bank. Access is via stiles. Views across most of the reserve can be had from the circular path and a spur continues across the railway track to Watersfield (please remember to look both ways when crossing). The site can be flooded in winter. Please keep to the path to avoid disturbance to nesting and overwintering birds. sedge warbler © Lisa Geoghegan

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Wildlife 27

WHAT’S ON 2017

For details of all Sussex Wildlife Trust events and courses please visit:

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk /whatson

30 Days Wild Act of Wildness by Lisa Cullingworth

If you are unable to access a computer and would like a copy of our courses and events leaflet please tel: 01273 497532.

GROUP EVENTS

The Trust has local groups based in Eastbourne in East Sussex and Chichester and Selsey in West Sussex. They hold local events for members and non-members. All three groups offer varied programmes with wildlife themes including illustrated talks, seasonal walks to search for fungi, butterflies or wild flowers and visits to nature reserves. If you would like to find out more about your local group contact details are below.

Eastbourne

Janet Nott, Secretary Tel: 01424 777291 or 07946 753135

Email: secretary-swteastbourne @hotmail.co.uk

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ eastbourne

Chichester

Maria Wildman, Secretary 12 Harbour View Road Pagham PO21 4RG Tel: 01243 262833

Email: wildthings2@waitrose.com

We’ve been working with the University of Derby to prove that spending time in nature is good for you. In June 2017 we once again took part in 30 Days Wild – encouraging people in Sussex to take a little bit of time every day in June to carry out random acts of wildness to help them feel happier and healthier.

We encouraged everyone to shut their eyes and listen to birdsong, or take a walk during their lunchbreak, something as simple as just lying down in the long grass and looking at the sky or maybe choose some hedgerow ingredients to mix a wild cocktail. Thousands of people took part including Lisa Cullingworth who so enjoyed her 30 days in June that she joined Sussex Wildlife Trust as a member on the final day and recently wrote a guest blog for us about her experiences.

When I joined up to 30 Days Wild last April, I also connected with the social media community. The first thing that struck me about the group was the diversity of its members and how willing everyone was to help others by sharing information and experience. By the time June arrived I was receiving a constant feed of beautiful photographs, nature stories and comical posts which brought a smile to my face on a daily basis. 30 Days Wild has reignited my passion for nature and wildlife photography and daily acts of wildness have become second nature now, it is amazing how much more observant of the natural world I have become. I found that I was subconsciously challenging myself daily. I went on wild walks, chose different paths to work and lay down with nature to see life from different perspectives, I found my creativity making sun prints from found items and researched fauna and flora to increase my knowledge. One of my more memorable acts of wildness was joining a guided walk with the Sussex Wildlife Trust at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve. Having lived in this part of the country all of my life I have just recently started to see how much of the natural world around me I have yet to fully explore. Living on the coast it is easy to focus your attention on the sea and beaches but I am also very privileged to be surrounded by amazing countryside and conservation sites, one of which is only a short drive away. It was an opportunity to get away from the usual chores and spend an informative and interesting day out in the countryside. The walk brought to my attention the work of the Trust and highlighted how much of the work is reliant on donations, so in my last act of wildness for June I paid for my partner and me to become joint members. This membership is the start of us getting out more and will open up opportunities for exploration of the wonderful county we live in. You can check out Lisa's nature and wildlife photography on her blog, ‘A Reflection of Your Heart’ areflectionofyourheart.wordpress.com

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ chichester

Selsey

Contact details as Chichester

28 Wildlife

VolunteerVoice news from the volunteers

Never volunteer?

Think again says Peter Burton Working as a volunteer can be a rewarding experience, especially if your volunteering takes you to the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

I started there in August 2003 after encouragement and some persuasion (i.e. arm twisting) from two friends, Gordon and Maurizio who had both been volunteering at Woods Mill for some time. Woods Mill first entered my consciousness in the early 1970s when Charlie Coleman was Warden. Rosemary and I used to take our four children there to ‘wear them out’ on the Nature Trail. Since returning as part of the volunteer team I have witnessed some changes. Contractors have created a pathway to allow wheelchair access and walking the path can take anything from 30-90 minutes depending on how much you want to see and how fast you travel. Views are very open and exposed in winter but as the season turns into spring, new growth will appear and quiet visitors may surprise a heron or possibly a roe deer. There are two aspects to my work as a volunteer. On Wednesdays I am part of ‘The Hit Squad’ volunteers who travel by Land Rover to one of the Trust’s reserves in Sussex to carry out a variety of conservation tasks. On Fridays I work with a small group on general maintenance at Woods Mill itself. We do anything from reed and hedge cutting and gutter clearance, to

Stanley Burton April 1926 - March 2017

A tribute by Colin Booty, Volunteer Reserve Manager, Ebernoe Common

Ebernoe Reserve lost a remarkable and skilled volunteer with the death of Stanley Burton in March this year, aged 90. He first heard about the reserve from a friend in Horsham Natural History Society and started volunteering in January 1988. His construction skills were to prove invaluable in building many of the bridges and flights of steps. Alf Simpson MBE, former volunteer reserve manager, said 'When Stanley built the steps down from the church to Furnace Pond he insisted on using a spirit level – they had to be level!' Iris Simpson recalled that 'he took people

Hit Squad volunters John Holden and Peter Burton

bench labelling, leaf sweeping – and of course tea drinking! So, what is the attraction of volunteering for the Sussex Wildlife Trust? What is it that actually gets me out of bed at 7.30am on what are often cold, wet Wednesday or Friday mornings? Nothing more than good company, good conversation, interesting locations, doughnuts (on a Wednesday!) and the ever hopeful possibility of seeing the blue flash of the kingfisher skimming across the lake. It is quite simply one of the best things I have done since retiring.

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer If you volunteer for the Sussex Wildlife Trust and have interesting wildlife experiences to share please contact the editor Amanda Reeves email: amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk tel: 01273 497523.

under his wing' and this was illustrated by one of the current volunteer team who said that on her first day he took her on a guided tour before the day's task. She said 'His love of Ebernoe was immediately apparent'. 'A gentleman' was the term used by many to describe Stanley. Before going into hospital for an operation Stanley was determined to do one last big project – the building of a replacement bridge over one of the woodland streams. I put a small team together to help with its installation but the planning and construction were carried out with his usual meticulous care and attention and determination to get it right. He cut the tape to mark its opening in June 2015. Mark Monk-Terry, Reserves Manager for the Trust, said 'His legacy will live on for a very long time. I think of him every time I go over the bridges.’

Barbara Shaw has been a volunteer with Sussex Wildlife Trust for 30 years. She is also involved in marine projects in Worthing and the surrounding area. She recently travelled to America and sends in this report of her ‘Wild Experiences in the Wild, Wild West’

Visiting LA Natural History Museum we encountered the Head Gardener in a Community Wildlife Garden, similar to that at Woods Mill but much larger! He touted two large cages aiming to catch feral cats wreaking havoc with rare hummingbirds and vibrant butterflies. Our visit to Yosemite National Park was without snow. This incomparable ‘Temple of Nature’, with towering granite cliffs, has four geographic areas. We headed in pouring rain for a giant sequoia grove in Merced of about 20 trees. Disturbing to think that these spectacular and famed conifers are endangered relics of once vast forests! So much grandeur, framed by the luminous yellow and subtle peach autumn glory of big maple and dogwood, made this a magical walk. A week in Arizona took us to the breathtaking landscape of the Grand Canyon and Colorado Plateau with renowned massive geological features, and to intriguing archaeological sites of paleobotanical interest. From Paleo Indian hunter gatherers, to Ancestral Puebloan peoples, the traditional use of natural materials in relation to local ecology by Native Americans is an absorbing story. Especially interesting were the Sinagua people who developed dry farming techniques in volcanic terrain harvesting corn, squash and beans: these ‘Three Sisters’ became the backbone of settled cultivation. Back in California I followed a concern for marine conservation and sustainable fishing. At home in Worthing I organise an annual Marine Conservation Society Great Beach Clean and Litter Survey. This helps inform about, and reduce the impact of, marine pollution. Californian marine activities included a whale watching trip from Long Beach. We were rewarded by first class views of humpback whale, a pod of over a hundred dolphins, Californian sea lions with pelicans and shearwaters everywhere. A later walk along Malibu Beach, bisected from the coastal hills by a big motorway and heavy polluting traffic, led us to Malibu Lagoon, a salt marsh nature reserve. Here we observed a belted kingfisher and western grebes. On the beach small flocks of snowy plovers skittered, ebbing and flowing with the waves, searching for tiny worms and crustaceans in wet sand.

Wildlife 29

Sussex Wildlife Trust spent the day with 70 children from six primary schools in Brighton & Hove in July finding out more about the unique wildlife and habitats in the City.

The children were specially selected to represent their school as eco-councillors, bike champions or science leaders and arrived accordingly, by bike or public bus. The day was part of the councilfunded Brighton & Hove environmental educational project (BHee) which helps schoolchildren embed sustainability in their schools and discover more about ‘The Living Coast’ – a world-class environment area including the downs, towns and coast – a UNESCO World Biosphere Region. The children started their day at Beacon Hub on Beacon Hill Nature

Reserve, Rottingdean, discovering the flowers, butterflies, invertebrates and birds that live on chalk grassland, including fragrant orchids, gatekeeper butterflies and meadow grasshoppers. They watched and listened to the skylarks singing and made skylark kites. On the beach at Ovingdean, they explored the rockpools, discovering a huge array of marine species including a lobster, compass jellyfish and various types of crab. They finished the day with a two minute beach clean after leaders explained the detrimental effects of plastic and rubbish on the marine environment. Katie Eberstein who leads the BHee project for the Sussex Wildlife Trust said, ‘The teachers and the children all love exploring and discovering the wealth of wildlife on the downs and the coast, working as a team and meeting new people.’ Rich Howorth, Biosphere Programme Manager – The Living Coast said, ‘It was an incredibly valuable experience for our local children to connect with the world on their doorstep, to understand firsthand its richness and their relationship to it, so that they can become its active guardians in the future.’ www.bhee.co.uk

INSPIRATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Our members in the Brighton and Lewes Downs area may be interested in a new interactive online map for ‘The Living Coast’ developed by Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre (SxBRC) in partnership with the Biosphere programme.

For the first time, the map puts information on the location of countryside habitats and urban greenspaces onto a publicly accessible website, alongside information on public rights of way and public access land – so you can explore The Living Coast from the comfort of your own home and plan your excursions to the places which make this area so special.

You can also locate local greenspace volunteering opportunities through the ‘Greenspace Groups’ layer, including links to access more information on each group to find out how to get involved with their important work.

The map was made possible thanks to a grant from Brighton & Hove City Council’s Environmental Sustainability Fund. Clare Blencowe, manager of SxBRC, says, ‘This is the first time that SxBRC has developed a tool like this, designed to make environmental information more accessible to local people. We would really appreciate your feedback.’ info@sxbrc.org.uk thelivingcoast.org.uk/explore

Ten years ago, The Wildlife Trusts started working together in partnership with Vine House Farm Bird Foods. During the past decade, Vine House Farm has donated up to 5% of its bird food sales to The Wildlife Trusts – an amount in excess of £1.25 million. Thanks directly to the volume of sales in our county, Sussex Wildlife Trust has benefited from a donation of £53,000 towards its nature conservation work.

What makes this partnership so dynamic is that the company’s founder and owner, Nicholas Watts MBE, is very much driven by a philosophy of nature conservation and methods of wildlife-friendly farming. He said: ‘Farming this way is a way of life for us and it gives me great pleasure to see wildlife thriving. I have always enjoyed feeding birds and now I am feeding more than I could ever have imagined with the help of our customers!’ Fourth-generation farmer Nicholas has been working the land at Vine House Farm in Deeping St Nicholas, Lincolnshire, yellow wagtail since he was © Vine House Farm a boy.

His bird watching hobby became part of his work in 1992, leading to an MBE for his wildlife conservation work and wildlifefriendly farm management. Over the past 20 years, thanks to wildlife-friendly measures put in place at the farm, barn owl and whitethroat numbers have quadrupled, and tree sparrow and lapwing numbers have increased ten-fold. Vine House Farm is one of the UK’s most successful wild bird food businesses. In addition to sunflowers, Vine House Farm grows 240 acres of red millet, white millet, naked oats, oil seed rape and canary seed, all of which are delivered directly to customers across the UK, through

Nicholas Watts and grandson

their mail order business from the familyrun farm. Nicholas’ daughter Lucy and son-in-law Robert now manage the business and 2,500 acre farm, which also grows potatoes and sugar beet. To find out more about Vine House Farm and to buy food direct from their conservation award-winning farm visit: vinehousefarm.co.uk

Wildlife 31

WildlifeNews

A pioneering lease with Seaford Town Council, passing the care and management of Seaford Head nature reserve to Sussex Wildlife Trust, will ensure its future for the next 25 years.

The lease includes an annual payment from Seaford Town Council to Sussex Wildlife Trust to ensure that funds are in place to properly manage the reserve. Sussex Wildlife Trust Ranger, Sarah Quantrill, will continue to manage this site working closely

Shaking hands L-R Carole Nicholson and Linda Wallraven 32 Wildlife

with Seaford Town Council to ensure the rare wildlife and specialist habitat is protected and enhanced. Seaford Head nature reserve includes rare species such as the potter flower bee and moon carrot. The beautiful green winged orchid flowers in May and during the spring and summer the songs of stonechat, skylark and whitethroat fill the air. The reserve is visited by thousands of people every year, many of whom are passing through to walk the Sussex Coast or Vanguard Way or to visit South Hill Barn. People come from all over the world to enjoy the spectacular view of the world famous Seven Sisters and Coastguard Cottages – best seen from the nature reserve. Linda Wallraven, Mayor of Seaford said, “This is another step in the right direction for the

Town Council and the service it provides to the people of Seaford. Whilst the Town Council will continue to play a role in the running of the nature reserve and the rest of Seaford Head, Sussex Wildlife Trust will bring a wealth of experience to ensure the flora and fauna are managed in the correct manner.” Carole Nicholson, Chairman of Sussex Wildlife Trust said, “I am delighted that this iconic site, with its breathtaking views and important chalk grassland habitat, will continue to be sympathetically managed to protect its rare wildlife. Seaford Head nature reserve will benefit both people and wildlife and this partnership with Seaford Town Council is a prime example of shared endeavour.” seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk/ Seaford-Head-Nature-Reserve.aspx sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk

Wellbeing in the Wild

by Huw Morgan, People and Wildlife Oﬃcer Our fantastic ‘Wellbeing in Wild’ course for adults with mental health challenges has come to an end. Run in partnership with Recovery College, the eight week programme offered a wide variety of activities such as coppicing, green wood working, cooking on an open fire, planting wild flowers, pond dipping, natural art and exploring the local landscape. Based at our site in Friston Forest, we work with those suffering from a range of mental health challenges and offer new experiences and a new environment to appreciate the calming and therapeutic qualities of the natural world. The group loved being outside and to see their confidence develop was wonderful. The dynamic within the group was fantastic as they learnt together and developed new friendships. The iconic landscape of Cuckmere Haven provided a wonderful backdrop on walks to explore the local wildlife and the group delighted in the glimpse of a kestrel or a fishing cormorant.

UP AND RUNNING

by Huw Morgan, People and Wildlife Oﬃcer

The Brighton Hit Squad celebrated their first six months together recently by returning to our Deneway nature reserve to continue planting the butterfly bank and the creation of a marsh garden.

DISCOVERING WILDLIFE

We have been delighted that so many of you have been in touch to request a complimentry copy of the new guide to our nature reserves and the work of the Trust. If you haven’t been in touch yet, please visit our website and complete the online order form or contact the membership department tel: 01273 497532 sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/discoveringwildlife

CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Turn to the back page to see details of how to order our Christmas cards and fabulous 2018 wildlife calendar with pictures by wildlife photographer Lisa Geoghegan. Don’t delay, place your order now.

The Deneway has a thriving copse of the famous Brighton elms and the white-letter hairstreak butterfly can be seen here feeding on elm – its food plant.

Speckled wood, large white, comma butterflies and hoverflies were all out in force enjoying the sunshine and the nectar-rich native plants the group planted to increase the biodiversity of the site. The Hit Squad has also helped greatly in developing the site for Forest School delivery by a local school.

With Brighton & Hove becoming a focal hub of Trust strategy and with an obvious local demand, the Hit Squad was created to offer weekend volunteering opportunities for practical conservation work. The focus of the group is on Sussex Wildlife Trust’s reserves within the city but work also takes place on many other green spaces. Recently they helped repair the gate and fencing at the Sheepcote Valley pond and future projects include helping in the wildlife area at Moulsecoomb allotments. The group meet monthly on a Saturday morning and new members are welcome. If you’d like to get involved please contact Huw Morgan on huwmorgan@sussexwt.org.uk for more details or to register as a volunteer please visit sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ volunteerform

Wildlife 33

Fabulous Frogs and Toads

by Fran Southgate Sussex Wetlands and Living Landscapes Advisor The earliest known frog appearance on earth was about 190 million years ago and toads, as we know them, evolved roughly three million years ago.

These intriguing chaps have been around for a while, survived a lot of things, and populated vast areas of the globe. All in all, they have been quite successful. There is one main species of frog native to Sussex, the common frog, and one toad, the common toad, although there are others which have either become extinct or been introduced from elsewhere, such as the marsh frog. Human influence on frogs and toads unfortunately hasn’t been the most positive. The once common toad and common frog are unfortunately no longer that common in Sussex and we do need to record sightings to help protect them and their remaining habitats. Can you help? In early spring please look at your local pond or patch of water, and see if you can spot the tell-tale signs of their breeding frenzies. It’s easy to recognise spawn as frogs lay theirs in big clumps whilst toad spawn comes in long chains like a string of pearls draped over pond weed.

It helps if you can tell us how many clumps of frog spawn you find too. Also, it’s really helpful if you can send in records of past sightings, as it helps us to keep track of some of the old migration routes and haunts of our amphibian friends. To increase the number of volunteers looking out for frogs and toads, we are encouraging people to submit records they find for frog and toad spawn (or tadpoles/juveniles/adults). You can use iRecord online or on a phone, by creating a log in, then click on ‘Record’ and ‘Enter a casual record’ and hopefully the rest will be self-explanatory. Alternatively there is a national PondNet Spawn Survey being hosted by the Freshwater Habitats Trust. Thanks for your help spotting frogs and toads.

Maurizio d’Arienzo

Maurizio d'Arienzo, one of our longstanding volunteers, passed away suddenly at the beginning of March 2017. Maurizio had volunteered for us for over 18 years, turning out regularly in all weathers to work at Woods Mill with the Friday group, as well as other Hit Squads working on our reserves all over Sussex

He was well-loved by both the volunteers and staff and will be greatly missed.

We were delighted to welcome his daughter Simonetta, his grandchildren and other members of his family to a celebration at Woods Mill in the summer. They came to present a cheque for almost a £1,000 – money donated to the Sussex Wildlife Trust in his memory following his funeral.

34 Wildlife

After presenting the cheque, his family were joined by other volunteers and Reserve Manager Steve Tillman for a walk around the nature reserve where Maurizio had carried out a variety of conservation tasks over the years.

BookReview

THE BUTTERFLIES OF SUSSEX by Michael Blencowe and Neil Hulme

Sussex boasts a diverse range of habitats set within beautiful iconic landscapes and has always been recognised as one of the best areas of the country in which to watch and appreciate butterflies.

Based on an intensive five-year survey, The Butterflies of Sussex provides original insights into the county’s butterfly fauna, including details of their current distribution and status. Lavishly illustrated with beautiful photographs, this is an essential book for any butterfly lover, from beginner to expert.

The book includes details of all 53 resident and migrant butterfly species found in Sussex during the survey, has sections on habitats, climate and history of butterfly recording in Sussex and tips to help you get the most from butterfly watching.

This hardback, full colour book, features 60 sites, and is the first published guide to where to watch butterflies in Sussex. Published by Pisces Publications, 36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury, RG14 5SJ. Priced at £28.95 + £4 p&p. Order online: www.naturebureau.co.uk/bookshop/

WILLIAM THE HEDGEHOG BOY by Robert A Brown

FREE BOOK DRAW

We have two free draw offers this month.

To win a copy of The Butterflies of Sussex and/or William the Hedgehog Boy send your name, address and telephone number to Amanda Reeves, Editor, Wildlife, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9SD by 12 November 2017. Alternatively, you can email (please include your postal address and title of the book) amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk Please include the title of the book you would like to win. You may enter the draw for both titles which will be drawn separately.

The draw will take place on 13 November 2017 and the winner announced in the next edition of Wildlife. Books will be dispatched in time for Christmas. If you do not wish your name and the town you live in to be published please indicate clearly on your entry.

William the Hedgehog Boy is the debut children’s book by Robert A Brown, raising awareness of the dangers faced by hedgehogs, particularly around Bonfire Night, when the animals often make their dens in unlit firewood.

“Nationally, hedgehog numbers are in serious decline and with a number of threats, they face a perilous future,” says Robert. “I hope that my book will help to protect one of our most endangered species.” When William comes across a group of boys hurling sticks at a defenceless hedgehog, he bravely chases them off and takes the injured animal to the vets. After nursing Lucky the hedgehog back to health, William is heartbroken when the vet explains that he must release her back into the wild. As Lucky journeys back to her den, she has many adventures but finally finds a large pile of firewood, perfect for hibernation. Will William be in time to save her?

William the Hedgehog Boy is published by Troubador Publishing, 9 Priory Business Park, Wistow Road, Kibworth, Leicester, LE8 0RX and is priced at £7.99. A special discount has been arranged for members of the Sussex Wildlife Trust. Order online using the code LUCKY to receive a £2 discount. P&P applies. www.troubador.co.uk

Congratulations to Anne Bryen of Bexhill-on-Sea, who won a copy of Simon King’s Nature Watch in our Spring/Summer 2017 draw.

Wildlife 35

2018 Calendar and Christmas cards now available from our online shop Our 2018 calendar features 12 stunning full colour

images from the por0olio of Sussex wildlife photographer Lisa Geoghegan and includes fun facts and reminders of key UK dates. Limited stocks so please order early to avoid disappointment.

Only £8.99*

Christmas cards

We have four brand new designs this year. Fox, yellowhammer, robin and mallard duck. Packs contain 10 cards each and start at £3.99*

MulW choice packs (2 each of ﬁve diﬀerent designs) are also available from £4.99* All prices include VAT.

*p&p applies – see online for details of card sizes and design mix.

Order online today at: www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop or call: 01273 497532 Registered charity number: 207005 starling © Lisa Geoghegan