Wildlife October 2018 by Sussex Wildlife Trust

The magazine of the Sussex Wildlife Trust

Issue 183

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Autumn/Winter 2018

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 12 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 in 2015 as Membership Services and Database Coordinator. In my spare time I play bass in an Elvis tribute band.

Helen Graham

When I joined the team four years ago I discovered just how passionate local people are about wildlife and the natural environment. I am now a Membership Officer, which is fantastic because I 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

2 Wildlife

hedgehog © Lisa Geoghegan

Wildlife and Countryside Survey 2018

For the past three years we have conducted an annual survey to gauge Sussex residents’ experience of local wildlife, and to ask your views on how we should prioritise our work. This year the survey was bigger than ever and we also promoted an online version. Almost 11,000 people from across Sussex took time to let us know their views on wildlife. Your responses gave us important insights which will be invaluable in helping us to plan our work and respond to future challenges. Headline results show that: • With bumblebee species in decline it’s great to see that 67% of our survey responders plant nectar rich plants in their garden for pollinators.

• 91% had seen a fox in the past year, but only 29% of people had seen a hedgehog.

• Very few people had heard of our WildCall wildlife information service. Do call us on 01273 494777 if you have any wildlife questions, it’s there for you.

• A large majority of responders want us to invest more of our time and resources into standing up for wildlife in planning and development decisions. Thank you to all the existing members who responded, and to all the new members (over 500 households) who joined the Trust at the same time.

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 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 email you each time it is published, so we will also need your email address.

Our promise

We are committed to keeping the personal details of our members and supporters safe. We store your details securely and 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. 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. Our full Privacy Notice explaining how and why we use your personal data can be found online at sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/privacy. Printed copies are available from the Membership team.

From the Chief Executive

It has been a fascinaXng and challenging first five months for me at the helm of the Sussex Wildlife Trust. I’ve met dedicated staff, trustees, members, guardians, friends and volunteers across a range of sites and offices, some familiar faces and many new ones. It's a very energising and dynamic environment to work in and I love experiencing first-hand the wonderful work of the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

I’ve been geYng out and about in our beauXful part of the country and have seen pyramidal orchids at Southerham Farm, Konik ponies in the Brede Valley, spoonbills at Castle Water and a sundew plume moth at Iping Common. I’ve encountered Nature Tots at Woods Mill, school groups at Seven Sisters, a health walk at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and purple emperor enthusiasts at Knepp. I’ve learnt about a range of future projects such as the proposed reintroducXon of beavers and a partnership project to enable local communiXes to be1er look a#er the marine environment.

I’ve spent Xme with my predecessor Dr Tony Whitbread and Chairman Carole Nicholson discussing how I can best take the Trust forward. I will be spending Xme making sure the organisaXon works as simply and eﬀecXvely as possible to enable us to deliver our Vision and Strategy.

A big challenge and opportunity is the creaXon of the new Rye Harbour Discovery Centre, which will be a key focus for the Trust in 2019. This will stretch the organisaXon and demand new skills from us all, but will provide Sussex with a wonderful new opportunity to tell stories about Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, seabirds, the sea and climate change.

Inside this issue… REGULARS

Wildlife News

Welcome to our new Chief Executive Officer Tor Lawrence and a call for Tor Lawrence © Miles Davies volunteers to join our Board of Trustees. News about the Arundel bypass and a report on the fire on Iping Common earlier this year.

Membership

WildCall

Reserves Round-up

How to make the most of your membership.

Charlotte Owen explains why leaves change colour and fall in autumn.

News and views from our Land Management team with good news about turtle dove © Mike Read turtle doves, nightingales and purple emperor butterflies.

Investing in Nature

Louise Collins welcomes new business partners and puts out an early call for volunteers to run the Brighton Marathon to support our work.

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

Tor Lawrence

Front cover: grey seal © Alex Mustard/naturepl.com

FEATURES

Golden Moments

Let the train take the strain

Barry Yates, Manager at Rye Harbour Nature Reserve promotes travelling by rail to visit some of the top nature beauty spots in our county.

A bug in the system

Graeme Lyons our senior ecologist explains why recording species is important and challenges our readers to record some bugs.

AGM Invitation

Your invitation to our AGM with guest speaker, ecologist and radio journalist, Hugh Warwick Hugh Warwick and a Beach Clean event.

Private Lives

Enter the fascinating underwater world of the tompot blenny.

Back Page

Rewild a Child

Our appeal to provide activities for local children to explore the outdoors – help us to make nature a part of growing up again. 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: Tor Lawrence

CBP000121190303155716

Wildlife 3

WildlifeNews

Meet our new Chief Executive Sussex Wildlife Trust has appointed Tor Lawrence as Chief Executive following the retirement of Dr Tony Whitbread.

Tor, who grew up in Lewes and now lives in Heathfield said, ‘It is an absolute honour to take over this important role from Tony who has championed Sussex and its wildlife over the past twelve years. My priority will be to work with the staff, trustees, members, volunteers and our other supporters and friends to deliver the lasting Vision he has created for Sussex.’

Tor Lawrence © Miles Davies

In her previous role as South Downs National Park Authority Countryside Policy Manager for the eastern Downs, Tor led on a range of issues including the Park’s landscape, education, volunteering, and health and wellbeing programmes, the Heritage Coast partnership and the

Cuckmere Estuary Group. She has also held senior management roles with London Wildlife Trust and East Sussex County Council.

Carole Nicholson, Chairman of the Sussex Wildlife Trust, said, ‘I am delighted to welcome Tor as Chief Executive and very much look forward to working with her.

‘Tony Whitbread has had an amazing impact on environmental issues across Sussex and beyond and fully supports the decision of the Council of Trustees to appoint Tor Lawrence.

‘I am certain Tor’s wealth of experience of partnership working and project management will be essential attributes for driving forward our ambitions embedded in our Vision and Strategy.’

ALL ABOARD!

Thanks to Southern Transit branded buses are in service encouraging people to ‘get closer to nature’ as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations.

The Route 3 service (on Thurs and Sat) provides an essential link between Shoreham and Horsham and stops outside Woods Mill nature reserve. Three Southern Transit buses are servicing this route displaying stunning nature photography thanks to support from ScottishPower Foundation.

IPING COMMON

Sussex Wildlife Trust looks after 32 nature reserves across Sussex, including Iping and Stedham Commons, near Midhurst in West Sussex.

On 28 February a fire broke out across the north-western section of Iping Common caused by a spark from a bonfire. Despite theefforts of staff and volunteers using fire beaters, the spread was not contained by the beaters or the internal fire breaks that were in place. The Fire Brigade attended and thanks to their prompt response the fire was extinguished.

Sussex Wildlife Trust commends the efforts of the Fire Service and thank them for their assistance. We also apologise for any distress or concern caused to members of the local community and visitors to the reserve, some of

woodlark © Derek Middleton

whom have let us know how upset they are by the drastic change of scenery.

As far as the effect on the nature reserve is concerned, we know from past experience elsewhere that the landscape will recover rapidly, and wildlife is already showing signs of re-colonising the burnt areas. Dartford warbler and woodlark have been seen since the fire, and plenty of suitable nesting habitat exists on the adjacent un-burnt sections of Iping Common. Burning is an ancient practice for managing heaths and is still used today. It allows heather to rejuvenate to the benefit of the wide variety of plants and animals that inhabit heathland. In order to restrict the build-up of woody, flammable, material on the reserve, management will

heath tiger beetle © Graeme Lyons

continue, including cutting, scraping, mowing, mulching and smaller, controlled burning of scrub and heather where necessary. Grazing by cattle, which began this summer, will control the growth to help keep the habitat as open heathland and prevent the build-up of dry grasses.

As a registered charity, Sussex Wildlife Trust can only achieve what it does with the immensely valuable support of its volunteers. The Trust is looking to continue to reflect key business skills through its board of Trustees, and is now seeking to recruit two additional representatives with a combination of significant project management, fundraising and communication skills and chartered accountancy experience.

dormouse © Derek Middleton

ARUNDEL BYPASS By Henri Brocklebank Director of Conservation

In May, Highways England announced their preferred option for the Arundel bypass (5a) and the passionate debates around the scheme started afresh.

Since the announcement, the challenges to Highways England have been set at a high level. Not one, but two judicial reviews have been called for. One is from the South Downs National Park Authority and one is from a local resident. Judicial reviews specifically look to see if the correct process has been followed and many of Sussex Wildlife Trust’s concerns would be picked up within this system. Meanwhile, criticisms of the National Park’s position have also been at a high profile with County Councillors and the local MP questioning the use of public money when one public body is challenging another public body. Public debate, which is now national as well as local, in the mainstream and social media has often been entrenched and harsh. So despite the to-ing and fro-ing of the debate the core issues still remain, as Option 5a destroys many hectares of irreplaceable habitat and fragments a living landscape. Sussex Wildlife Trust has been backing an alternative scheme that limits this impact.

Option 5a means wildlife will be destroyed, both ‘everyday’ species adding to the general background noise of declines in UK species, but also destroying key habitat for a suite of pro-

tected species – woodland bats and dormice for example. It is these charismatic species that will no doubt provide the main narrative for the destructive force of this scheme but they are just the poster species of something even more deeply insidious. If you look behind the distraction of polarised debate you find that aspects of this decision are starting to unravel. The cost benefit ratio for the scheme quoted by Highways England has been reduced from 2.56 to 1.51 (1.5 is where it becomes a low value for money). Even those supporting the scheme must surely be alive to what this means. Building schemes, from conservatories to shopping centres, are notorious for missing deadlines and budgetary targets and the current cost benefit analysis does not allow for a single deviation from plans.

The successful candidate will be familiar with the responsibilities of both governance and management for a charity and have experience in being a member of a Board of Directors or Council of Trustees; advising on effective strategic direction; business management; development and implementation of major capital projects and fundraising expertise including effective use of social media tools.

The role is voluntary and unpaid. If you have experience in any of these areas and would like to play your part in conserving the natural heritage of Sussex, then we’d 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 30 November 2018.

Calling for changes in national decision making and looking for 21st century solutions to our transport issues remains at the heart of this scheme and at a local and national level Sussex Wildlife Trust is working with others to promote a better approach. The story of the Arundel bypass has been unfolding for decades and this chapter still has a while to run.

Henri Brocklebank © Miles Davies

goldfinch © Bob Eade Wildlife 5

GoldenAnniversary

Golden moments Woods Mill nature reserve celebrates 50 golden years Sussex Wildlife Trust opened its nature reserve at Woods Mill to the public 50 years ago on 8 June 1968.

Over the past 50 years the nature reserve has been visited by tens of thousands of people from all walks of life and age groups. These include children pond dipping on school visits, people attending courses or events to identify birdsong , wild flowers and butterflies or in many cases, casual visitors enjoying the serenity of a relaxing stroll or the chance to picnic in a beautiful natural setting. Now, thanks to generous support from ScottishPower Foundation, Sussex Wildlife Trust is celebrating 50 years of inspiring

and educating visitors with a host of free activities up until March 2019. Thanks to their donation, more people will learn about wildlife and be inspired to take action to protect species and habitats for the next generation. Leading the programme of events is Woods Mill Engagement Officer, James Duncan. He explained, ‘Our events to celebrate the 50th anniversary are free of charge but numbers on each event are limited to ensure those attending get the best wildlife experience possible. Please do book your place via our website where all 50th anniversary events are listed as ‘Woods Mill 50’. ‘We have also launched a Sussex Wildlife

l/r Phil Duffield, Anita Longley and Sarah Mistry from ScottishPower Foundation with James Duncan 6 Wildlife

Trust Nature Table online. This Facebook group will share, discuss and ask questions about the wildlife at Woods Mill and the surrounding area with the page being updated daily with wildlife sightings. Sarah Mistry from the ScottishPower Foundation said, ‘The ScottishPower Foundation offers practical support to a wide range of worthwhile projects right across the UK, from Aberdeen to Aberystwyth to here in Sussex. These projects share our values, namely to advance environmental protection, education and community engagement. ‘Our hearty congratulations to Sussex Wildlife Trust for not only reaching its first 50 years at Woods Mill nature reserve but also for laying the groundwork to ensure many thousands more visitors can enjoy nature and learn about conservation for years to come.’

Woods Mill celebrates 50 years KESTRELCAM

It’s been a bumper year for kestrels at Woods Mill. As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations we installed a camera in the kestrel box in the meadow and what an eye opener that has been.

Six healthy chicks fledged from the box – a tribute to the adult birds who did an incredible job of supplying enough food for their ravenous developing young.

Followers of KestrelCam saw voles, mice and young birds being fed to the chicks but the surprise was just how many brown rats the adults captured. We think this made all the difference and the sheer volume of food available no doubt assisted the survival of the entire brood.

The kestrel is an amber listed bird in the UK with a 29% decline in breeding numbers in recent years. We are delighted with this individual breeding success and we hope it bodes well for the future, increasing the hope of steadily expanding our resident population.

Carole Nicholson, Chairman of Sussex Wildlife Trust said, ‘On behalf of Sussex Wildlife Trust, I should like to thank ScottishPower Foundation for their amazing financial support that is allowing us not only to celebrate the anniversary of 50 years at Woods Mill, but also to make transformative habitat improvements for wildlife. This will include restoration of the reedbed and enhancing the visitor experience by improving path access. The project will enable us to give more people wildlife identification skills so that they in turn become wildlife champions. Because of the support of ScottishPower Foundation we really will be able to take conservation into the next generation.’ For further details of the programme of events which will run regularly until March 2019 please visit: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/whatson

kestrel

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Let the train take the strain

by Dr Barry Yates Manager, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve

Who remembers the 1988 slogan to encourage people to use trains? Thirty years later there is an even greater need to encourage the use of public transport. At peak times, here in the crowded southeast, our roads are blocked with cars, and car parks are overflowing and we all suffer with frequent poor air quality.

The Climate Change Act of 2008 set a long-term framework for greenhouse gas reduction in the UK and requires the Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 from 1990 levels. So, as an environmental organisation we want to encourage more people to consider exploring the countryside by public transport, rather than by car. As the manager of Rye Harbour Nature 8 Wildlife

Reserve I am concerned that our recorded increase in visitors causes problems on our local roads and car parking on “peak days” – which are New Year’s Day, Bank Holidays, fine summer weekends and Boxing Day. Most visitors at peak times are coming for walks to the beach and not to see the wildlife. Our “peak months” are July and August. The estimated 362,783 visits in 2017 represented a 63% increase from 2001 (when car counting began) and a 9% increase from 2016! We want to promote travelling by rail and visiting at “off peak times” which are spring, autumn and winter. We have been working with the Sussex Community Rail Partnership to promote the Marshlink line (Ashford to Eastbourne) by leading guided walks to Camber Castle that start at Rye station. Visiting Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, situated in the far east of Sussex, can be straightforward by train. Arriving at Rye from London, Ashford, Eastbourne or Brighton in spring you should first listen out for turtle doves, blackcaps and nightingales from the platform! Then a ten minute walk through the town and you are at the northern part of the reserve, Castle Farm.

Walking the mile to Camber Castle through fields of sheep, you pass a 1940s Stanton Shelter. Then cross old shingle ridges to Henry VIII’s fort and then to the nearby hide overlooking Castle Water to see marsh harrier, bittern and great white egret. Follow the footpaths to the south and you pass other gravel pits that are great for wintering ducks. Walk east along the shore, great for seabirds, towards the river Rother, passing the Mary Stanford lifeboat house with its sad history and then visit some or all of the other four hides. In Rye Harbour village there is a range of facilities for refreshment before you walk back through Castle Water to Rye (or you can catch the hourly bus back – not Sundays). It’s about seven miles of walking, but it’s flat and full of wildlife at any time of year – you can see 60 species of bird, but in May nearly 100 is possible. See the footpaths from the map or leaflet on our website where you’ll also find details of monthly wildlife sightings and local facilities. So why not give it a try and let the train take the strain.

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ryeharbour sussexcrp.org

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There are many great wildlife sites in Sussex to visit by rail or bus, and here are just a few suggestions made to me by people who do just thisâ&#x20AC;Ś

Abbott's Wood, Ardingly Reservoir, Arlington Reservoir, Ashdown Forest, Beachy Head, Beacon Hill LNR (Rottingdean), Brooklands Lagoon and Park (Worthing), Castle Hill and Stanmer Park (Falmer), Chichester Harbour, Cuckmere Haven, Filsham Reedbed (St Leonards), Fore Wood (Crowhurst), Friston Forest, Gillham Wood (Cooden), Hollingbury Wild Park LNR (Brighton), Lullington Heath, and Newhaven Tide Mills (Newhaven Docks station), Malling Down and Southerham Farm (Lewes), Pagham Harbour, Pevensey Levels, Pulborough Brooks, Rodmell Brooks (Southease), Rye Harbour, Seaford Head, Shoreham Harbour, Widewater Lagoon & Beach (Lancing). When planning your trip this website may be useful traveline.info

brown argus ÂŠ Derek Grieve

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EcologyZone with Graeme Lyons, Senior Ecologist

A bug in the system Carpocoris purpureipennis © Derek Binn

by Graeme Lyons Senior Ecologist Sussex Wildlife Trust

I was recently asked ‘what’s the difference between bugs and beetles in one sentence?’ My reply was ‘bugs suck, beetles chew’. And that’s a good start.

With a syringe-like ‘rostrum’, bugs consume their food, whether it is vegetable or animal, through a drinking straw. There are lots of other differences including the 10 Wildlife

wing structure and life cycle too but what I’m really interested in is the recording of bugs. The true bugs or Hemiptera is a large group that covers shield bugs, water bugs, plant lice, scale insects, aphids, hoppers and cicadas. Here I am talking about the subset of these bugs known as the Heteroptera. This covers the plant bugs, shield bugs, ground bugs, water bugs, lace bugs and many more. There are around 600 species in the UK and we are lucky enough to have 463 of them in Sussex. East Sussex has slightly more than West with 416 and 379 species respectively. No doubt due in part to sites like Rye Harbour with a wealth of open ground that so many bugs require but also due to being that much closer to colonisation events from the

continent. In the past five years, bug recording has really taken off with almost double the number of records in the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre (SxBRC) now and the list is slowly rising. We have added three species so far this year already such as the attractive nationally scarce plant bug Adelphocoris seticornis recorded by Gordon Jarvis in spring 2017. Recording bugs using iRecord is a great help and I verify all these records as they come in if they are from Sussex. The role of verifier using photographs to aid the process is a particularly useful one in iRecord. Last year we received a record of the shieldbug Carpocoris purpureipennis from Derek Binns, the first record for East Sussex. This year, another record for this unusual species has also come in from West Sussex.

top: Adelphocoris seticornis © Gordon Jarvis below: southern green shieldbug © Graeme Lyons

There are around 600 species in the UK and we are lucky enough to have 463 of them in Sussex.

Shieldbugs are the most popular and wellrecorded group of bugs. They are large and readily identifiable in the field and evident throughout the summer months. With only around 50 species if you include the squash bugs, they are not too tricky to identify and online resources such as British Bugs are a real help. A few years ago we started talking about producing an atlas of shieldbugs but rather than go for a book, we thought an online resource would be more suited, that way it can evolve as the Sussex shieldbug recording community also grows. The

SxBRC with the help of Mark Robey put the atlas together and I added in some text and imagery. It covers all the Sussex shield bugs, squash bugs, rhopalids and a few more families in there as a bonus. You can click on the 10, 2 or 1 km square you are recording in and see what species, if any, have been recorded there and how many records have been made of them. You can also click on an individual species and read about them including a photo, how to find them and their status in the country and in Sussex. These distribution maps will grow with time as more records are made and a more complete picture of our county's fauna emerges. It’s already started to change my behaviour. I recently found myself in the 10 km square of TQ22 and found that only eight

species had been recorded there. Remarkably, I swept six species of shieldbugs in one sweep of the net and four of these were new to that 10 km square. So there are lots of records out there still to be made, especially some of the ‘partial’ squares around the edge of the county. The southern green shieldbug Nezara viridula is an introduced species from Africa that appeared in Rustington last year, the nymphs are striking animals but they can be a pest in gardens and allotments being very fond of beans. So why not get out there and record some bugs? brc.ac.uk/irecord/ sxbrc.org.uk/projects/shieldbugs.php britishbugs.org.uk/index.html

Wildlife 11

Membership

Welcome to our Benefactors

We are delighted to have welcomed over fifty Benefactor members this year, and look forward to meeting many of you at our special event at Woods Mill on 19 October. Benefactor membership is offered to members who are able to give £15 a month or more for their membership, whether individually, jointly or as a family. As a small token of our thanks Benefactors will receive a specially commissioned lapel badge, plus our exclusive tote bag, designed by local artist Mark Greco. You will also have the opportunity to take a closer look at our work, with an invitation to a special Benefactors event each year. If you would like to upgrade to Benefactor membership, or if you already give at this higher level and would like to convert, please contact the membership team.

marbled white © Bob Eade

MEMBERSHIP EVENTS

We have organised over 50 members-only events this year, from walks on our reserves, to talks about our work, and species-focussed events including bats and butterflies. We are planning an expanded programme for next year, and hope to meet many members keen to learn more about what we do. Our members-only events are advertised on our website (look for the Members Only category in the What’s On section) and new events are promoted in our members e-news, Wild News, sent every other month. If you don’t already receive our emails please contact the membership department to opt in to email communication, or complete the Update Your Details form on the members section of our website: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/members

EVENT DISCOUNTS

As members, we offer you discounted rates on all our courses, events, holiday clubs, Nature Tots and Wildlife Watch sessions.

Saturday Wildlife Watch groups meet in the mornings and are booking now at Woods Mill (Henfield), Seven Sisters (Eastbourne), Chesworth Farm (Horsham), Rye Harbour (Rye) and Stanmer Park (Brighton). Additional afternoon sessions are available at Stanmer Park. Numbers are limited so don’t delay.

Full details and costs: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlifewatch

Nature Tots (3-5 yrs) now booking October – December during term time at Ardingly, Brighton, Crawley, Henfield, Horsham, Seaford and Eastbourne.

sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/naturetots

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 as possible in Sussex 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.

12 Wildlife

CONTACTING THE MEMBERSHIP TEAM

If you have any queries about your membership, please contact the Membership team by phone on 01273 497532 or email membership@sussexwt.org.uk

It helps us if you have your membership number handy; this can be found on your membership card.

otter © Stephen Bray

NOT YET A MEMBER?

Sussex Wildlife Trust is the only charity working throughout the whole of Sussex to stop the decline of wildlife and restore a living landscape.

We couldn’t do it without our members, whose support helps us care for more than 30 nature reserves, ensuring that they remain havens for wildlife and people; allows us to improve conditions for rare and threatened wildlife such as the otter, the Adonis blue butterfly, and the black poplar tree; and enables us to educate and inspire thousands of local people and visitors about the wildlife of Sussex.

red deer © Andrew Parkinson/naturepl.com

If you are not already a member of Sussex Wildlife Trust, please join today. As a member you will receive this magazine twice a year, a membership handbook introducing our nature reserves, and discounts on hundreds of courses and events. You can join online at sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/join or tel 01273 497532. Wildlife 13

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.

by Charlo+e Owen

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 (9am to 1pm weekdays) or email wildcall@sussexwt.org.uk

Why do leaves change colour before they drop in the autumn? As summer drifts into autumn, we’re treated to a spectacular show of colour as the natural palette shifts from myriad shades of leaf green to a golden blaze of red and yellow. This dramatic display is incredibly beautiful but it also serves an important ecological function as deciduous trees prepare for the perils of winter. By shedding their leaves they can conserve precious water, which can be in short supply when the ground is frozen, and also reduce the risk of being blown down or damaged by winter storms. Growth is halted and the trees enter a dormant state to ‘sleep’ through the worst of the wintry weather.

Meanwhile, within each leaf, a wall of cells starts to form across the base of the stem. This process is triggered by a drop in temperature and a subsequent change in the tree’s hormone levels, and will eventually sever the leaf to send it drifting to the ground. But before this happens, the usual flow of sugars out of the leaf towards the trunk is blocked. With nowhere to go, the excess sugar is con-

verted into more anthocyanin pigments, producing an even deeper red blush. The autumnal colours are most impressive when there is a combination of low (but above freezing) temperatures, dry weather and plenty of sunshine. These conditions all serve to reduce chlorophyll levels and enhance the conversion of leftover sugars, producing more intense shades of red and a truly magnificent wildlife spectacle.

The reason the leaves change colour before they fall is linked to the production of chlorophyll, the green pigment that is vital for photosynthesis. Each leaf is like a miniature solar panel, using the energy from sunlight to produce the sugars that fuel new growth, and chlorophyll levels are regularly topped up throughout the spring and summer to make the most of the growing season. But as the days shorten and there is less solar energy available, chlorophyll production slows down and will eventually stop altogether. The green fades and the leaf pigments that were previously masked by chlorophyll are gradually revealed. The yellows and oranges are produced by carotene pigments, while reds, pinks and purples are created by anthocyanins.

weasel © Danny Green/naturepl.com 14 Wildlife

Wildlife 14

You are invited to the

56th Annual Members Meeting of the Sussex Wildlife Trust On: Saturday 10th November 2018 at 10:30am At: The Shoreham Centre 2 Pond Road, Shoreham-by-Sea, BN43 5WU Schedule

10:00 Welcome, registration and refreshments 10:30 AGM

11:30 Break

12:00 Linescapes – remapping and reconnecting Britain’s fragmented wildlife – A talk by Hugh Warwick 12:40 Q&A

13:00 Complimentary buffet lunch (booking essential)

14:30 Beach Clean. Please join us after the AGM for a local beach clean. Everyone is welcome, no need to book. We will leave on foot for Shoreham Beach at 14:30.

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 please email: swtceoffice@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone: 01273 497 526. 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 ecologist and radio journalist Hugh Warwick

Hugh is a regular contributor to environment and wildlife programmes on radio and television, has written for a wide range of newspapers and magazines and is also a photographer with a particular fondness for hedgehogs. He has written four books – most recently Linescapes in which he turns his attention to the landscape – seeing how the linear features we build – hedges, roads, walls, canals etc. all have an impact on wildlife. Sometimes these lines are connecting, sometimes fragmenting the habitat that is under such pressure already. He argues that we can use the lines for the benefit of both ourselves and the wildlife we share the landscape with if only we start to treat nature seriously.

Hugh Warwick

He lives in Oxford with his wife, film-maker Zoe Broughton – and two small mammals of their own making, Mati and Pip.

robin © Lisa Geoghegan

Let’s talk

Before the AGM starts why not have a chat with staff and find out more about what we do. Visit our displays at the back of the hall to learn more about our current projects.

You will also have a chance to visit our shop; an excellent opportunity to support our work and stock up on Christmas cards and gifts including our 2019 calendar featuring the work of wildlife photographer David Plummer. Our best selling ‘keepcups’, new to our shop in the summer to discourage single use plastic drinks bottles, will also be on sale. Wildlife 15

Notice of Meeting

Notice is hereby given that the 56th Annual General Meeting of the members of the Sussex Wildlife Trust will be held at The Shoreham Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea on Saturday 10th November 2018 at 10.30am precisely, for the following purposes:

1. To approve the minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 11th November 2017 (Appendix 1). 2. Presentation of the Chairman’s Report. 3. To approve the Accounts and Balance Sheet of the year ended 31st March 2018 and the Report of the Auditors thereon. 4. To approve the Report of the Council presented by the Chairman.* 5. To approve the proposed amendments to the articles of the Sussex Wildlife Trust by special resolution: To adopt the amended Articles of Association. For details and to view these documents visit sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/annualaccounts 6. To elect Sarah Bonnot-Tijhaar as Director and elect other Directors retiring at this meeting, but offering themselves up for re-election, namely Mike King, Simon

Linington, Crispin Scott and Chris Warne. Susan Walton is retiring at this meeting but having served three consecutive terms of three years is not offering herself up for re-election. 7. To elect Sean Ashworth as Honorary Secretary. 8. Any other candidates for appointment as Director must be duly nominated. (Please see Articles of Association – a). 9. To appoint RSM UK Audit LLP as Auditors for the ensuing year. 10. 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.

Nomination papers can be obtained from Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, BN5 9SD and must be returned by 2nd November 2018 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.

Susan Walton, Honorary Secretary Sussex Wildlife Trust Woods Mill, Henfield 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.

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 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 55th Annual General Meeting, Sussex Wildlife Trust

held at The Shoreham Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea Saturday 11th November 2017 at 10:30am The President of the Trust, David Streeter, took the Chair.

1. The President welcomed all attendees.

Trustee Claire Kerr sent her Apologies along with Kim Deshayes, Rhonda Martin and four members.

Approval of the Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 12th November 2016 was proposed by Alan Stewart, seconded by Chris Warne, 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, drawing on the strategic objectives of the new Vision and Strategy and its four main aims of: advocacy, persuasion and influence; direct impact; facilitating change and information, knowledge and evidence.

The Chairman highlighted that all bar one of the Trust’s reserves are now in favorable or improving ecological status. The Chairman continued by highlighting the work of the Trust in partnership with the Friends of Rye Harbour and the progressing plans for a new Discovery Centre at Rye Harbour.

The Chairman extended thanks to those the Trust has worked in partnership with, as well as the Trustees, staff and volunteers; specifically highlighting the incredi-

16 Wildlife

ble number of hours given by the volunteers to support environmental education and land management. She also thanked the members for their generous and loyal support; emphasising that membership income represented two thirds of the Trust’s funds.

3. The Honorary Treasurer presented the Accounts and Balance Sheet for the year ended 31st March 2017, together with the Auditor’s Report.

The Honorary Treasurer reported that the financial year had been very good with the Trust’s financial reserves increasing by 17%, allowing the designation of funds to a variety of projects. She continued by highlighting the importance of partnerships due to increasing competition for funding but reiterated that the Trust is well positioned to manage risks and engage with opportunities that support the new Vision and Strategy. 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. A resolution adopting the Accounts and Balance Sheet for the year ended 31st March 2017 was proposed by Sue Walton, seconded by Henri Brocklebank and duly passed. 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 Alan Stewart and AGREED by the meeting. 5. The President announced his retirement having served over 30 years. The President then noted that no other candidates had been nominated for appointment at present.

The Chairman thanked David Streeter for his immense contribution to the Trust and to nature conservation in Sussex; highlighting his recognition of threats to the natural world and his attendance at the Trust’s inaugural meeting on 21st January 1961, through to his work for the Ashdown Forest, Pagham Harbour, Rye Harbour and Seaford Head, the latter two now being under the Trust’s care. 6. To elect the retiring members of Council who offered themselves for re-election:-

David Green – proposed by Michael Joseph, seconded by Henri Brocklebank and AGREED

Emma Montlake – proposed by Simon Linington, seconded by Alan Stewart and AGREED Carole Nicholson – proposed by David Streeter, seconded by Emma Montlake and AGREED

Susan Walton – proposed by Simon Linington, seconded by Emma Montlake and AGREED David Green, Emma Montlake, Carole Nicholson and Susan Walton were duly re-elected to Council. 7. The President noted that no other candidates had been nominated for appointment.

8. It was proposed by Linda Clark, seconded by David Green and AGREED to appoint RSM UK Audit LLP as Auditors for the ensuing year.

9. It was proposed by Linda Clark, seconded by Henri Brocklebank and AGREED that the Council should be authorised to fix the remuneration of the Auditors.

The President thanked everyone for their achievements over the year and made a special note of thanks to Carole Nicholson for her continued dedication to the Trust. He closed by wishing the Trust every success for the future, stating that he hoped the Trust achieves its mission of making Sussex a home for nature’s recovery; a county where people and wildlife thrive together. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 11:38am.

Annual Roundup 2017-18

Â© Miles Davies

Annual Roundup

Speaking up for nature

l/r Tor Lawrence CEO, Dr Tony Whitbread retiring CEO and Carole Nicholson © Miles Davies

Carole Nicholson, Chairman of Council, and recently retired CEO Dr Tony Whitbread review our achievements during 2017/18 with new CEO Tor Lawrence.

18 Wildlife

May 2017 saw the publication of our vision and strategy – A Vision for Nature and Wellbeing in Sussex with the aim for Sussex to be the home for nature’s recovery. Ambitious targets were set to create a coherent ecological network across the county and for people to be inspired by, connected to and to value nature. As a result of careful financial management and thanks to the incredible generosity of our members and supporters, we are in a strong position to invest in the delivery of our vision.

flowering rush © Arthur Hoare

Plans were put in place to focus our work on specific areas and particular projects and the places where we can most directly deliver our vision is, of course, on our nature reserves. In conservation terms, these are now in the best condition they have ever been. Our careful management is now paying dividends with the appearance of rare species, often bucking the trend of general decline in our countryside. Species are appearing that have been absent in Sussex for almost 100 years –

Clockwise from top: Konik ponies grazing at Malling Down © Sam Roberts Volunteers at Filsham Reedbed © Sam Roberts Nature Tots © Adrian Clarke, common blue butterfly at Malling Down © Tom Lee velvet swimming crab © Sarah Ward

such as the very rare six-spotted potbeetle at Flatropers Wood and a rare wolf spider at Butcherland. We are also seeing meadow-rue, whorl-grass and floweringrush thriving at Waltham Brooks, red hemp-nettle has been recorded at Malling Down after an absence of 15 years and the uncommon parasitic plant coral-root discovered by our volunteers at Selwyns Wood is doing well. Improving the wildlife and wild places of Sussex is only possible if people are inspired to care about wildlife. A very

important part of our work is therefore to encourage the enjoyment and understanding of wildlife through life-long learning and promoting active citizenship. We aim to interpret wildlife and environmental issues and celebrate the richness of wildlife through activities such as educational programmes and wildlife events held at Woods Mill, Seven Sisters Country Park, Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and through our outreach work in communities and the Gatwick Greenspace Partnership.

These are extremely successful with over 11,000 children being taught by us over the past year. We have an extensive programme of courses and events, including our Forest School and Wild Beach teacher training, and we work with over 200 schools across the county. We also run 16 Nature Tots and Wildlife Watch groups so young children and their parents can learn about the natural world and gain confidence in outdoor play. It is encouraging to see so many young families wanting to spend time outdoors in nature.

Annual Roundup

Speaking up for nature In a nutshell…

Over 2,000 ha of land actively managed on our nature reserves

Over 7,000 ha of land receiving advice from our Living Landscape Officer

Nearly 400 active volunteers

Nearly 6,000 new members recruited

Nearly 6.5m biological records held at the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre Nearly 2% of the population are members of SWT (target for five years is 3% so well on track)

Over 40,000 followers on social media

Wildlife Watch © Miles Davies

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is an excellent location for engaging with nature, with over 300,000 people visiting the reserve every year. Our facilities there at present are rather basic so it is very exciting to see our plans for a major new Rye Harbour Discovery Centre come into being. This received planning consent in November 2017 and will be our first major visitor centre. This will be a fantastic opportunity for us to tell the story about coastal change – on a nature reserve that was voted Britain’s favourite nature reserve in 2016.

Over 20,000 subscribers to our e-news Our Living Landscape and Living Seas projects are targeting areas where we can deliver our vision most effectively. Our Sussex Flow Initiative is re-naturalising targeted river valleys to deliver multiple benefits for wildlife as well as achieving flood risk reduction. This has now become a national case study. Our Living Seas Officer contributes to consultations on Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) designation and management as well as bringing issues of marine conservation into the public domain. We now have six MCZs in Sussex marine and coastal waters and await the third tranche of designations in which we hope to see further MCZs along our Sussex coast.

It is vitally important that we influence the decisions and actions of other people for the benefit of nature conservation. One recent national development is the promotion of the ‘Natural Capital agenda’. The Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre has mapped the Natural Capital assets of Sussex, which means we can assess the services and benefits they provide to both the environment and to people, as well as understanding the threats to their survival. This approach helps alter mind-sets in decision makers; instead of ‘paying the cost of nature conservation’ (which may then be the subject of cost cutting) we instead encourage ‘investment in the benefits nature provides’.

To see our Trustees Report and Annual Accounts 2017/18 please visit our website – sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/annualaccounts

To receive a paper copy of this document please contact The Chief Executive Office – email: swtceoffice@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone: 01273 497526. Volunteers help with beach clean © Miles Davies

20 Wildlife

ReservesRoundup

A report from Reserves Manager Alice Parﬁ1 LONG-HORNED BEES ON THE MOVE

silver-studded blue © Bob Eade

CATTLE AT IPING COMMON

It’s taken many years of hard work to obtain the necessary permissions to fence Iping Common. Following a public enquiry where we successfully argued the benefits to wildlife of grazing the common, all the fencing was completed earlier this year. In June, nine British white cows started grazing the common for the first time since before World War II.

Cattle are an essential tool in the management of heathlands, often creating niche habitats such as light poaching of the land, which helps to reduce vigorous growth of purple-moor grass. The cattle won’t be on site all the time, but do look out for them if you visit.

Also at Iping and Stedham Commons, several new species of spider have been recorded increasing records to 210 just for these sites. Silver-studded blue butterflies have also had an exceptional year, no doubt in part due to the warm weather. At Stedham Common the rare sundew plume moth was recorded for the first time. This species has only been seen in Sussex in the past 20 years at our sites! Also at Stedham, over 70 plants of marsh club-moss were recorded this year showing the real importance of active management in conserving this and many other species.

A surprising find at our Pevensey Levels reserve in June was the discovery of both male and female long-horned bees, nectaring on areas of red clover. The males in particular are very distinctive as they have, as their name suggests, unusually long antennae. These bees were once much more common in southern Britain but due to the decrease in good flower-rich habitat, are now rare. We have never recorded one from the nature reserve before although they are known on areas of the Pevensey Levels. Another individual was also found for the first time on bramble flower at Marline Valley nature reserve.

Tuesday Hit Squad volunteers resulted in 39 adults, a good number for this small meadow. While on site we also recorded the lovely day flying moths Alabonia geoffrella and Nemophora degeerella.

BUTCHERLAND PROJECT

At Butcherland, our project to create future wood pasture is progressing really well. Every three years, vegetation is monitored to see how it is changing by recording all plants in a circular plot and measuring the woody

DITCHLING BEACON ORCHIDS

An amazing count of over 3,250 marsh (or dense-flowered) fragrant orchids were counted in just one area of Ditchling Beacon this summer by our senior ecologist Graeme Lyons and local orchid expert Dr Phil Cribb. The marsh fragrant orchid is slightly bigger, darker, and more densely flowered than the commoner chalk fragrant orchid, of which only ten were counted in the same time. While on site, the diminutive musk orchids were also counted. Only 18 were seen on the main slope of the reserve, but 75 were counted on a previous day in the quarry area.

turtle dove © Mike Read

purple emperor © Derek Middleton

vegetation. Some of the oaks have only grown a meter in over ten years as they have been nibbled by livestock and deer, but are all growing slowly and have all the hall marks of one day being wonderful veteran trees, just like in Ebernoe next door. We were delighted to record four turtle dove territories this year and nightingale records reached double figures. Purple emperors have also been seen regularly on site.

Become a woodland owner in Sussex

marsh fragrant orchid © Nigel Symington

CHIMNEY SWEEPERS AT BRICKFIELD MEADOW

The chimney sweeper moth, extinct in West Sussex, is known from Brickfield Meadow where its food plant, pignut, grows in abundance. A count by our

Wildlife 21

Investing in Nature

Louise Collins, Corporate and Community Fundraising Officer

To find out how your group or business could benefit from working more closely with the largest nature conservation charity in Sussex, please email: louisecollins@sussexwt.org.uk or telephone 01273 497522.

NEW BUSINESS PARTNERS

TLC World Travel – TLC World are supporting Sussex Wildlife Trust by donating 25% of profits from all holidays where the customer mentions Sussex Wildlife Trust when booking their unique holiday experience.

tlcworldtravel.com

Wildlife Travel – Wildlife Travel donate their profits to wildlife trusts to support conservation based on the areas their travellers live in. In the past five years £10,750 has been donated to Sussex Wildlife Trust. wildlife-travel.co.uk

Evergreen Insurance – Evergreen has partnered with Sussex Wildlife Trust and will support our work by donating a percentage of their commission. Phone this dedicated line 020 3907 1350 to qualify.

Brighton & Beyond Tours – Brighton & Beyond Tours will donate 50p to support our work from every ticket sold on its Seaford Head minibus tours.

brightonbeyondtours.com

22 Wildlife

Keep it clean Southern Co-op team © Louise Collins

Bracklesham Bay was given a deep clean in the summer by volunteers from Southern Co-op working alongside Sussex Wildlife Trust.

The Sussex beach was the fourth of five to be overhauled as Southern Co-op carried out a series of beach cleans across the south as part of Co-operatives Fortnight. Both staff and members of Southern Co-op joined in with the beach clean-up and scoured the area for rubbish. Gemma Lacey, Director of Sustainability and Communications at Southern Co-op, said, ‘We always try and do something during Co-operatives Fortnight which makes a difference in our local community as well as promoting working co-operatively. ‘We wanted to get involved in marine

conversation and combat issues around plastics. There have been a lot of local concerns about rubbish along our shorelines so we thought this opportunity was perfect. ‘We will also continue to raise awareness of the need to responsibly use and dispose of plastic items which will help to keep our beaches clean in the future.’ Sarah Ward, Living Seas Officer at the Sussex Wildlife Trust said, ‘Beach cleaning is a fundamental approach to reducing plastic pollution in our seas and on our beaches and it’s really great that the Southern Co-op is encouraging its staff to get involved. At the Bracklesham Bay beach clean we collected a total of 153 individual pieces of litter and over 45% was plastic – information we will feed into a national dataset on beach litter.’

COMMUNITY FUNDRAISING EVENTS Our thanks to ten-year-old wildlife enthusiast Ettiene Craknell and her brother Travis who held a cake sale raising £140.34 for Sussex Wildlife Trust. Ettiene made flyers and delivered them a few weeks before the sale to roads near her home, she baked cakes and made jam and then took trays of cakes to homes in the area and set up a stall on her front drive.

Thank you to Clarity Environmental, an environmental compliance business based in Brighton. They fund a charity called Restored Earth, which was set up to support community and environmental projects that promote the

conservation, protection and improvement of the environment. Each quarter they hold a committee meeting and ask for nominations for charities. They have selected our Chalk Grassland Appeal to receive a £2,000 donation from Restored Earth, via funds from Clarity Environmental. Thank you to Wiley in Chichester who raised £1,000 to support our work at their Charity Day, Equiniti in Crawley who raised £260 by holding a dress down day and community group Trail Running Sussex who raised £184 at the Weald Challenge from the sale of coffee and cake to family and friends.

Bracken bashers, from left, Duncan Grover, Craig Jeffrey, Ginette Leeder, Ludivine Bell, Iwona Uchto-Prochal, Mark Parrott, Philip Delgado and Brian Pierce

Bracken bashing boost for woodland flowers Woodland flowers are being given a fresh chance to thrive at Horleyland Wood in Gatwick thanks to a group of power workers.

Ten volunteers from UK Power Networks office in Hazelwick Avenue, Crawley, spent a day in Radford Road with the Gatwick Greenspace Partnership removing bracken from the woodland floor to prevent it smothering native plants. Ginette Leeder, who organised the challenge and works in the company’s asset management team, said, ‘We’re a local employer, we respect the environment and it’s good to look after these natural areas and give something back to our local community.’ Tom Simpson, Learning and Engagement Officer for Sussex

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

Matthews (Sussex) Ltd With over 40 years experience in demolition and earthwork contracts, the Matthews group of companies has grown to become one of the leading contractors of its kind in London and the South East.

matthewsgroup.co.uk

Envirospherejobs Ltd Envirospherejobs Ltd is a niche advertising platform for jobs, volunteering opportunities, events and courses. They create an environmental information hub where like-minded people can look for opportunities to enter the environmental field through courses or by volunteering.

Wildlife Trust, said, ‘The bracken dominates the woodland floor and blocks out light for wild flowers. It’s naturally occurring, but changes the soil chemistry, making it more acidic and perpetuating its own growth. It gets to the point where nothing else can grow. ‘We remove bracken to let more light hit the woodland floor and germinate the seedbank of wild flowers in the soil. We still want to retain some bracken as it provides good cover for deer and is a natural part of the system, but we try to reduce it.’ UK Power Networks delivers electricity supplies in the South East, London and East of England and encourages all its employees to spend two days annually volunteering in their local community. The company has a partnership with the nine Wildlife Trusts across the areas it serves.

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Brighton Marathon 2019

We would like to hear from anyone interested in running the Brighton Marathon 10k or the full Brighton Marathon to support our work. Both events take place on 14 April 2019. Contact Louise Collins – louisecollins@sussexwt.org.uk or call 01273 497522.

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Wildlife 23

MarineMatters

Tropical slugs!

sea slug © Paul Naylor

by Sarah Ward Living Seas Officer

Nudibranchs are commonly known as sea slugs, although they are not closely related to their terrestrial namesake.

They do, however share some physiological traits, leading to them sharing a name: they both generally lack the hard shell which is commonly associated with molluscs. They move by using a muscular foot on their underside leaving a trail of ‘slime’ in their wake. The word ‘nudibranch’ literally translates to ‘naked gill’, being made up of the Latin word, ‘nudus’ (naked) and the Greek word, ‘branchia’ (gill) – referring to the lack of protective cover on their gills. 24 Wildlife

Although terrestrial slugs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours, sea slugs have arguably more variation and are found in colours comparable to that of birds of paradise or tropical coral reefs. And yes, that includes the species we get here in the UK! As is often the case with marine creatures, the bright colours are present to indicate to other animals that the nudibranch is distasteful or even poisonous to eat. This acts as a form of defence from predators as, unlike other molluscs, nudibranchs do not possess a protective shell in which to hide. Some species even take this one step further by feeding on creatures with stinging cells, such as anemones or hydroids, which they then pass through their digestive tract and into spine-like projections on their body called cerata. If the nudibranch is disturbed or attacked it will discharge these stinging cells to deter its attacker. Nudibranchs are carnivorous themselves; their prey is varied and may include sponges, barnacles, anemones or even other nudibranchs! This said, they can be picky eaters and a species may be selective

to just one type of prey. Nudibranchs have poor vision so mostly rely on other senses to detect their prey and negotiate the world around them. They possess a pair of sensory tentacles on their head, called rhinophores, which are used for detecting chemicals in their surroundings. Nudibranchs can be found all over the world, mostly in shallow waters. This means that if you look closely enough you may even find them in a rock pool. Here in Sussex, we occasionally find them on our Shoresearch intertidal surveys, which is always a real treat. On the shore, we don’t always see nudibranchs in the flesh, but may find a clue that they are nearby: their eggs.

How to help reduce plastic waste

Invest in reusable drinks containers

Water bottles, coffee mugs and insulated flasks are affordable and can be used over and over again.

Refuse plastic straws

They have approximately a 20-minute lifespan before they’re disposed of. Or opt for a paper, bamboo or stainless steel version

Swap cling-film for reusable containers

Invest in reusable containers for storing your leftovers; they’ll keep your food fresher too

Nudibranch eggs vary in colour and form, from coiled flat ribbons to tiny, delicate little pearls. Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites, possessing both male and female reproductive organs; however they cannot self-fertilise, meaning a pair is required to

FREE DRAW

reproduce. When they mate, double copulation often occurs, meaning that both individuals donate and receive sperm. The next time you’re out rock pooling do keep an eye out for these fascinating creatures.

Be thoughtful about feminine hygiene

The plastic wrappings and applicators are frequently found on beach cleans: they should never be flushed down the toilet

Our thanks to Ivy Press in West Street, Brighton for gifting us some marine books to support our work. Seahorses gives a fascinating insight into the lives of these charismatic, magical underwater creatures which we hope will inspire you to care for them and their threatened underwater homes. Seahorses are small, shy and have heads shaped liked miniature ponies. They swim upright and spend days dancing in courtship. The male carries the female’s eggs in his pouch and ‘births’ the young in a spectacular explosion.

Keepcup

If you would like to enter our free draw to win a hardback, fully illustrated copy of Seahorses A Life-Size Guide to Every Species by Sara Lourie then please email: amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk with your name, postal address and the title of this book no later than 7 November 2018. Wildlife 25

All About Wildlife With Paul Naylor and Charlotte Owen

by Paul Naylor

Our study of these wonderfully charismatic fish through underwater photography shines new light on their fascinating behaviour but, first, a quick introduction...

A tompot blenny is the glamorous cousin of the shanny (also known as the common blenny), the small fish that’s a familiar sight in rock pools. Tompot blennies have a pair of striking head tentacles and a much more reddish colour, but are otherwise similar. Unlike shannies, tompots are rarely found on the shore and generally live just below the tidal zone. They are 26 Wildlife

common all along the south coast of the UK including Sussex, wherever there are suitable hidey-holes in rocky reefs. Manmade objects can be home too, with Brighton Pier a favourite spot. A male tompot blenny occupies a crevice territory where females visit to lay eggs, which he guards fiercely until they hatch. Males can retain the same crevice territory for up to four consecutive summer breeding seasons, staying there over the winter. Watching the reef for a tiny fraction of time, it’s clearly a busy place that would put the steamiest soap opera to shame! A male hosts several different females during the breeding season and a female visits several different males.

A blenny we had assumed was a female visitor to one of our long-term resident males turned up the next year as a male with his own territory! Males sometimes host two females simultaneously but there are further twists. A blenny we had assumed was a female visitor to one of our long-term resident males turned up the next year as a male with his own territory! The breeding system of tompot blennies leads to complex behaviour because both sexes are ‘choosy’. Females, as in all animals, devote a lot of effort to producing their eggs so it’s important that they leave them with the best males. Males have limited space in their crevice territories and care for the eggs with such devotion that they have a lot to gain from choosing the best females with which to share their efforts. Competition between females, as well as between males, is therefore to be expected and we have observed a prolonged bout of fighting between two females outside a male’s residence. The colour of individuals also changes depending on whether they are courting a potential mate or battling with a competitor! There’s still more behaviour we don’t yet understand. Outside their breeding season, in the autumn, we often observe strange submissive displays from one blenny to another. These sometimes occur in succession and suggest a pecking order. As well as demonstrating behaviour that’s so interesting from a biological point of view, tompot blennies are brilliant ambassadors for our marine life and the importance of healthy, wildlife-rich seas. People not familiar with our marine life are amazed that such exotic looking animals live right ‘on their doorstep’.

Paul Naylor is a marine biologist with a passion for showing people what beautiful and captivating creatures live around our coasts, with their intricate and diverse lifestyles his particular fascination.

Paul is a long-time supporter of The Wildlife Trusts through his underwater photography. For more information on Paul and Teresa Naylor’s marine education work please visit:

marinephoto.co.uk bennytheblenny.com

HELPING HEDGEHOGS by Charlo e Owen

These charismatic critters are undeniably cute, quirkily individual and happily at home in our gardens – but when was the last time you saw a hedgehog?

by Charlo e Owen, WildCall Oﬃcer at the Sussex Wildlife Trust When the clocks change, and the seasons are shifting, birds are on the move. Just as the first swallows are a sure sign of summer, an influx of redwings and fieldfares heralds the onset of frost and snow – perhaps not here just yet but certainly in their Scandinavian homeland, where temperatures are already starting to plummet.

Not keen on shivering through icy blizzards, these surprisingly delicate winter thrushes seek out winter sun – or at least less winter cold – in our milder climate, which also provides plentiful winter berries and other wild fruits to entice hungry travellers. The redwing is the smallest of our thrush species, named for the rusty red patches under each wing. These aren’t always obvious unless the bird happens to be flying and it can be easier to look out for the distinctive creamcoloured stripe, or supercilium, above each eye. Redwings migrate overnight and you can often hear the highpitched “tseep-tseep” contact calls of these nocturnal nomads as they pass overhead in the dark.

The fieldfare is larger with a slate grey head and much paler stripes above the eyes. The name means traveller-throughfields and that’s exactly what these birds do, often alongside redwings in large, mixed flocks. The fieldfare has a more upright posture than the redwing when seen on the ground and a harsher “chackchack” flight call. The same sound is uttered more softly when groups are gathered in trees, constantly chattering. Both species love to swarm along hawthorn hedgerows to gulp down the haws, which seem to be their first preference in the berry buffet alongside rowan, yew, dog rose and holly. As these start to dwindle, they’ll probe the ground for earthworms and other soil-dwelling invertebrates, pausing often to scan for danger, and when the ground is frozen they will venture into gardens for windfall apples and berry-laden shrubs.

Once a common sight, hedgehogs have undergone a drastic decline in Britain. The reasons for their disappearance are many and complex but changes to both urban and rural landscapes have made life much tougher for them. We’ve lost thousands of kilometres of hedgerows, which are of course prime hedgehog habitat but also serve as vital wildlife highways, providing safe passage through the landscape. Without a hedge to hog, travel becomes impossible, hedgehog populations remain isolated and suitable habitat cannot be colonised. Hedgehog foraging grounds are also in short supply, since the majority of traditional meadows have been put under the plough and any remaining pasture is often so intensively managed that it’s devoid of insect life. Gardens provide an important refuge but these have become less wildlife-friendly too, with many paved over or so securely fenced that hedgehogs can’t access them, and busy roads are often fatal.

Thankfully there are plenty of simple actions you can take to create a haven for hedgehogs in your own garden. Improve access by cutting small holes in your fence or digging shallow channels underneath to provide a way through, and resist the temptation to be too tidy – piles of leaves, stacked logs and patches of long grass all provide good opportunities for nesting and hibernation. If your local hedgehogs are still active, provide a bowl of meaty cat or dog food alongside a shallow dish of water – but never feed bread and milk, which can make them seriously ill. For more advice or to report a sighting, please contact me on 01273 494777 or email wildcall@sussexwt.org.uk

Wildlife 27

Seaford Community

Nikki Hills is becoming a familiar sight as she cycles around Seaford leading various community activities all with an environmental or wildlife led theme.

28 Wildlife

Following a generous Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Our Heritage grant of £97,500 we are delivering the Seaford Community Wildlife Project thanks to National Lottery players. The Mayor of Seaford, Councillor Linda Wallraven, attended the Project launch at Annecy Catholic Primary School. She met Paul Gallagher, Interim Deputy Headteacher at Annecy and some of the children who will be cycling or scooting with project officer Nikki to take part in nature-themed activities on the beach or at Seaford Head nature reserve. The Mayor was joined by her consort Liz Holland, Jim Howell, Chairman of Seaford Natural History Society, Ryan Greaves, Sussex Wildlife Trust Learning and Engagement Officer and volunteers Marion Lace and Tony Delaney who are working with Nikki to deliver the Project. After the cyclists had met the Mayor,

children from Emerald Class spent time outside in the school grounds learning how to whittle sticks to make bug hotels, how to use a bow saw to cut wood for insect homes and how to identify the ‘mini beasts’ they uncovered when looking through leaf litter and under logs in the school's wild area. In addition, thanks to National Lottery players, we will also be able to undertake conservation work on Seaford Head nature reserve, make improvements to local greenspaces in the town and provide new interpretation and information about the wealth of natural heritage to be found in Seaford. We are working with local schools delivering Wild Beach sessions, creating ranger groups for young people to engage in nature conservation and providing opportunities for local groups and the community to volunteer and take part in walks, talks and wildlife activities. Nikki said, ‘Children at schools like Annecy Primary are able to cycle with me and my volunteers to the beach or nature reserve to enjoy Wild Beach sessions. At the beach they will learn about tides,

MARLINE VALLEY

We are thrilled to have been awarded a grant of £5,629 from Sussex Lund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin, which is administered by the High Weald AONB Partnership.

Wildlife Project shingle, the plants and wildlife you can find on the strandline and also about the creatures living below the waves. ‘I am also working with people of all ages from community groups, helping them to find out about and encourage the wildlife living in their patch. I am helping to develop ‘wild’ areas within school grounds.’ Pete Crawford, Director of Learning and Engagement at Sussex Wildlife Trust said: ‘We are delighted to be the beneficiaries of this grant from HLF and we’d like to thank the National Lottery players who have enabled Sussex Wildlife Trust to take this project forward. People living in Seaford will learn more about the wildlife and history on their doorstep and there will be plenty of chances for them to take part in enjoyable activities to learn about and conserve their natural heritage for the future.’ James Corrigan from Seaford Town Council said: ‘This is excellent news and follows closely on from Seaford Town Council and Sussex Wildlife Trust entering into a long term lease at Seaford Head nature reserve to enable the Trust to properly manage this wonderful area.

Seaford Town Council is confident that this project will be beneficial not only for the nature reserve itself but also for the residents of Seaford. Well done to everyone involved.’

To find out more about Nikki’s community work in Seaford please ring her: 07943 504479 or visit: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk and search Seaford Community Wildlife Project

ABOUT THE HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND

The grant will support meadow restoration work at Marline Valley – our 44 hectare nature reserve on the edge of Hastings comprising unimproved meadows, ancient semi-natural woodland and a ghyll stream. The woodlands are full of bluebells and wood anemones in the spring and the ghyll stream supports many rare mosses and liverworts including the moss Fissidens rivularis. The meadow is home to plants such as burnet saxifrage, dyer’s greenweed, adder’s-tongue fern and carpets of common spotted-orchids, which in turn support a good range of invertebrates. Our project focuses on improving the meadows by enabling better access for both hay cutting and grazing. We will also be working with volunteers to manage areas of bramble and scrub on rotation to increase the amount of meadow vegetation and create a gentle transition between the wood and meadow habitat. Training will be given to volunteers to allow them to gain useful skills in fencing and meadow management which they can use in the future to ensure ongoing management of the site.

Thanks to National Lottery players, we invest money to help people across the UK explore, enjoy and protect the heritage they care about – from the archaeology under our feet to the historic parks and buildings we love, from precious memories and collections to rare wildlife. hlf.org.uk

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Wildlife Legacies and gifts in memory

Introducing Gemma…

Remembering Wendy

We were saddened last year to learn of the death of long-standing member Wendy Meadway of Hailsham. Wendy was a talented author and illustrator, and wildlife was just one of her many subjects. We were subsequently touched to learn that Wendy had remembered Sussex Wildlife Trust with a generous legacy in her Will, leaving a share of her estate to help support our work.

Wendy was also an active member of the local Sussex Wildlife Trust Group in Eastbourne, enjoying their varied programme of wildlife walks, talks and visits. The Eastbourne Group wanted to do something to commemorate their friend, and have generously supported the refurbishment of the bird hide at Woods Mill, which is now dedicated to Wendy’s memory. The hide has been re-roofed, we have installed a new information panel, and the exterior has been painted by local artist Jane Laurie with an illustration of a greenfinch in flight from Wendy’s notable children’s book Let’s Look at Birds. In addition, the bird hide is now a place where we can remember those for whom we have received in-memory donations with our Memory Birds.

We would like to record our thanks to Wendy and the Eastbourne Group for making this project possible, and to the other generous supporters who have recently left a legacy gift. These include shares in the estates of Lawrence Alder, Vilma Brittain of Patcham, David Coates of Rotherfield, Howard Davies of Wallington, Brenda Dickeson of Lindfield, Barry Frost of Three Bridges, John Harrison of Midhurst, Olive Martin of West Chiltington and gifts from Lesley Maddock of Oxford and Peggy Thomas of Brighton.

30 Wildlife

We are pleased to welcome (back) Gemma Pratt to Sussex Wildlife Trust, as Legacy and In-Memory Gifts Officer. Gemma knows Sussex Wildlife Trust well, having previously worked for our reserves team and helping with volunteer administration. After a spell at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust Gemma has re-joined the team at Woods Mill, and will look after donors who support us with legacy gifts and in memory donations. Gemma can be contacted on 01273 497566.

MEMORY BIRDS

We are rarely able to place benches on our land or plant trees in memory, but we are often asked whether there is any other way to commemorate loved ones on our nature reserves.

In response to such requests we have recently established a memorial in the bird hide at Woods Mill, which is now a quiet and peaceful space where families can remember those in whose memory we have received donations. For in-memory gifts of £400 or more we are offering small wooden plaques in the shape of birds, inscribed with the name and dates of the person being remembered. There are a number of bird silhouettes to choose from, and over time these will build to form a flock on the internal walls of the hide. The first in-memory birds, a barn owl, chaffinch, wren and robin, were placed in the hide this summer. The chaffinch was dedicated to Mary Pollard by her four children, and is especially appropriate as her maiden name was Finch. Mary and her family moved to Brighton in the 1960s and quickly fell in love with Sussex. They were interested to learn of the formation of Sussex Wildlife Trust in 1961 and Mary and her husband Arthur

became two of our founding members. Some of their favourite Trust reserves were Ditchling Beacon, Seaford Head and Woods Mill, and it is very fitting that Mary is now commemorated at one of her favourite spots. For more details of the Memory Birds, and to find out which species are available, please contact Gemma Pratt. Tel: 01273 497566 sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/inmemory

DONATIONS IN MEMORY

As an alternative to flowers at a funeral, many families now ask for donations to charity, and Sussex Wildlife Trust is often chosen as a beneficiary for such gifts. Giving a gift in memory is a lovely way to remember someone who loved wildlife and the outdoors, and such gifts make a valuable contribution to support our work in protecting the precious wildlife of Sussex. Most funeral directors are willing to arrange a funeral collection in lieu of flowers and send it to us on your behalf. We can help by providing envelopes for funeral collections, or we can receive donations directly at the Woods Mill office or through the In Memory page on our website: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/inmemory

Wild Flower Lawns & Meadows

BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

All in-memory gifts are recorded in our Book of Remembrance, displayed at our Woods Mill headquarters, and available to view by arrangement. The Trust is very grateful to have received donations in memory of the following during the first half of 2018:

• • • • • •

Lizzy Staniewicz Mary Reid Mary Pollard Susan Mobsby Neil Haynes Sally Varlow

• • • • • •

Harry Montgomery Gillian Hewitt Tom Bown Jean Moult Audrey Gibson Poole Michael Wickham

Unique wild flower seed mixes with wild orchids Wild flower turf with wild orchid seed – nationwide delivery Wild flower plants and plant plug collections Yellow Rattle seed and plugs Advisory service for creating and managing wild flower areas and much more… SEE THE WEBSITE below:

www.wildflowerlawnsandmeadows.com Tel: Colin 01435 810446 email: contact@colinreader.com

A PLEDGE FOR THE FUTURE…

Legacy gifts are an increasingly important source of income for Sussex Wildlife Trust and we are immensely grateful to all those who remember us with a gift in their Will.

We like to keep in touch with our legacy pledgers and invite them to a special reception each year. Our 2018 event was held at the Booth Museum of Natural History in Brighton

at the end of May, and we were delighted to welcome so many supporters for a talk, behind-thescenes tour and refreshments on a fine summer evening. If you have already remembered us in your Will, and would like to let us know please contact Gemma Pratt, Legacy and In Memory Gifts Officer. If you are interested in learning more about how your legacy could help protect Sussex wildlife and wild places for future generations we would be delighted to send you our free booklet; please contact Gemma to request a copy or arrange a visit on 01273 497566. sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/legacy

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by Alastair Fairley

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust, is one of the most biodiverse places in the UK, with over 4,327 different species of plants and animals living in its 1,100 acres.

The reserve, which lies near the very Eastern tip of coastal Sussex, is a fascinating tapestry of reedbed, saltmarsh, saline lagoons and coastal vegetated shingle. It’s host to thousands of migrating and nesting birds, a Tudor castle, Napoleonic and World War II defences, and over 300 rare and endangered plants and animals. No surprise then that it’s hugely popular with visitors – over 360,000 visits last year, many coming from across the UK and Europe. But for years, it has struggled with a tiny, dilapidated information room to tell its story, enable people to learn about its wildlife, and understand what we can all do 32 Wildlife

to help conserve our precious wild spaces. Now, all that is about to change. Supported by The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, plans are well under way to build a new, low-impact Discovery Centre at the Reserve on precisely the same location as the former Warden’s cottage which housed the damp and cold information room. It will be modern, have all sorts of facilities in it for visitors to enjoy, and is designed to blend in perfectly with its surroundings. The new Discovery Centre will enable us to transform the way we work with schools and colleges, giving us much-needed education space, enabling our staff to promote future generations of nature-lovers throughout the region. It will have a dedicated exhibitions gallery, with regularly changing exhibitions about wildlife, coastal change, plants, marine life, history – all manner of subjects – so that there will always be something different to see and learn about.

And, it will have a fantastic new viewing café for people to look out over the stunning coastal landscape that hosts some of our most precious wildlife: egrets, curlew, avocets and huge flocks of golden plovers. We will continue to update you on the Discovery Centre in Wildlife magazine. For further information please visit: sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/ ryeharbourdiscoverycentre

The Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is a charity whose 2,000 members support the Nature Reserve's work through subscriptions and volunteering. Since 1973 it has part funded the cost of staff, land purchase, large scale habitat creation, tools, vehicles and visitor facilities such as birdwatching hides and information centres. It provides events for its members throughout the year.

Saturday Squad by Sarah Quantrill

The Saturday Hit Squad is a friendly and welcoming group and I am always impressed by how much we get done in a day and the commitment shown to getting the job finished come rain or shine or mud!

You don’t need any previous experience to join us and everyone works at their own pace. We mostly use garden tools such as loppers and bowsaws and if you haven’t used them before we’ll show you how. We leave Woods Mill at 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning with six places available in the Land Rover. We can pick up from Southerham near Lewes but other volunteers prefer to make their own way to our chosen reserve. We aim to return to Woods Mill by 4pm. There is no expectation to come along every week and generally people volunteer about once a month. We attract a wide age range from 16 year olds to the more mature in their 70s.

We stop to look at wonderful butterflies, dragonflies, fungi and flowers. Sometimes we are joined by the resident cattle or ponies, curious to see what we are up to.

Our work is varied, although in the autumn and winter it tends to be mostly ‘scrub bashing’ (removing unwanted vegetation which invades more valuable habitats) but we also do fence repairs, path clearance, bracken control, and raking up grass after mowing. All good fun and great for physical and mental health. We provide all the tools and gloves, you just need to bring your food and drink for the day. We work in the most fantastic locations often with spectacular views over the Sussex countryside. We stop to look at wonderful butterflies, dragonflies, fungi and flowers. Sometimes we are joined by the resident cattle or ponies, curious to see what we are up to. I’d like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all the volunteers who have come along on a Saturday over the past five years for doing such a fantastic job helping to look after the Sussex countryside.

If you would like to join us please visit our website and register as a volunteer. I will then contact you to arrange a trial day so that you can see if you like it. If you have any questions do email me: sarahquantrill@sussexwt.org.uk or call 07824 151935.

Desmond Gunner

On 20th of February 2018, at the age of 93, Desmond Gunner, much loved husband, father, uncle, grandfather, great grandfather and a good friend to many, passed away peacefully after a brief illness with family around him. Many will know him as part of Uckfield’s local veterinary practice, others as a pioneer of farming methods but most, as one who cared passionately for the environment and for the people in it. His work with FWAG (Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group) and his consideration for the farming community and the farmed environment was recognised in 1996 with an MBE for services to agriculture and conservation. He continued to the end as a staunch advocate of the planting of trees and the importance and care of woodlands.

Desmond was active in many other countryside organisations, often on the board and sometimes as chair. He helped, supported and advised so many people. He was gentle, compassionate and caring; always interested in others; a true gentleman. Wildlife 33

Letters meetings. Beryl joined the Chichester local Wildlife Trust Group but felt that Selsey needed to be represented in their own right and so the group was formed. It ran very successfully for many years holding indoor meetings, wildlife walks and two coffee mornings per year. In spring one was held in Muriel Bushby’s garden and in autumn at the Pagham Visitor Centre, where Beryl still works as a volunteer one morning a week.

At the end of March, the Selsey Group of the Sussex Wildlife Trust sadly closed.

Much of the success of the Group was down to Beryl James.

Beryl lives in Selsey having moved there from Horsham with her husband Charles. She is a long term member of the Sussex Wildlife Trust and a keen volunteer with the Horsham Natural History Society, where amongst other roles she booked speakers for their weekly winter

A very keen bird watcher, Beryl’s knowledge of birds is amazing and she has certainly encouraged many to become interested in the wild world around them. As one close friend said recently ‘Beryl lives for wildlife!’

Our thanks to Beryl and her dedicated helpers for all they have done over the past years supporting the Selsey group. Maria Wildman Chichester Group

www.jackinb ri g hto n.co m PRES EN TS

How do you thank someone for 27 years of dedication?

In July, Dr Tony Whitbread spent his last day of 27 years working for the Sussex Wildlife Trust. Ironically Tony’s last day was spent at a meeting discussing the national revision of the Ancient Woodland Inventory. This is a full circle as it was the creation of the original Ancient Woodland Inventory in the early 1980s that brought Tony to Sussex in the first place!

Tony has steered the Wildlife Trust away from a nature reserve dominated focus to a wider Living Landscape perspective, and tackling not only the issues around the decline of wildlife in the Sussex landscape, but also the decline of people’s engagement with wildlife. He has upheld the ecological integrity of our organisation and made us all confident in the direction and impact of our work. He has inspired organisations, groups and decision makers across Sussex with his vision for

all of these 27 years and Sussex is a richer place for his efforts. I recently travelled with Tony across East Sussex and as we drove through the landscape he pointed out endless sites and locations for campaigns he had worked on, wildlife he had fought for and damaging developments that he had helped stop. An incredible legacy.

As a proponent of natural processes Tony will now be found rewilding himself, away from the constraints of managing an organisation. I imagine that he is most relieved that there are no more meetings on health and safety or GDPR or HR issues. We expect him to fully immerse himself in deep ecological thought and relaxation. Tony is one of the best advocates for wildlife that I have ever met and we hope we hear and see lots more of him in the future. Henri Brocklebank Director – Conservation Policy

Panto support

Brighton’s GIANT family panto is back and two performances (Dec 27) will be helping to raise funds for Sussex Wildlife Trust!

With a little help from a few magic beans, this spectacular new production of Jack & The Beanstalk promises a West End cast, lavish costumes, dazzling special effects – not to mention Daisy, the tap-dancing cow! Join Jack in this hilarious tale as he tries to outwit the evil giant and win the hand of the girl he loves.

Venue: Hilton Brighton Metropole Book now: jackinbrighton.com

FREE PANTO TICKETS

Your chance to attend our benefit performances on 27 December. We have four free tickets to this fabulous show, courtesy of E3 Events. To enter our free draw, please email

amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk no later than 10 November 2018.

34 Wildlife

BookReview THE FLORA OF SUSSEX from the Sussex Botanical Recording Society

Sussex with its long coastline, chalk downs, rivers, woods and heaths possesses an unusual diversity of habitats.

This comprehensive Flora has been compiled by the Sussex Botanical Recording Society to update, expand and revise the Sussex Plant Atlas published in 1980. It is the first major account of the county’s flora since Wolley-Dod’s work of 1937.

The text is fully illustrated with photographs of characteristic Sussex plants and habitats and is an essential work of reference not only for botanists and ecologists but also for conservation organisations, local authorities, planners and landowners – a must for all those interested in the natural history and countryside of Sussex and the south-east. Available from the Sussex Wildlife Trust online shop for £35 (plus p&p). sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop

OLD SNUFFLEGRUNT’S PRICKLY NIGHT OUT

FREE BOOK DRAW

The story traces a night's foraging of a mature hedgehog after winter hibernation. He needs food and drink, and confronts a series of dangers many hedgehogs may face on a nightly basis. The story highlights measures that can be taken in gardens to make them safe for our prickly friends.

To win a copy of The Flora of Sussex, Freckles and Friends and/or Old Snufflegrunt’s Prickly Night Out send your name, address and telephone number to Amanda Reeves, Editor, Wildlife, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex, BN5 9SD by 8 November 2018. Alternatively, you can email (please include your postal address and title of the book) amandareeves@sussexwt.org.uk

By Nick Balmforth with illustrations by Dorothea Buxton-Hyde

Published by Xemxija Press retailing at £9.99 – available from the Sussex Wildlife Trust online shop. sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop

FRECKLES AND FRIENDS Written and illustrated by Amanda Davey

Freckles and Friends tells the true stories of wildlife that has lived in or nearby to a small English garden. The stories are tales of Freckles, a young robin with an adventurous spirit and a family of wrens called The Beakies. Published by Tilia Publishing UK retailing at £9.95 available from the Sussex Wildlife Trust online shop. sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/shop

We have three free draw offers this month.

Please include the title of the book you would like to win. You may enter the draw for all three titles which will be drawn separately.

The draw will take place on 9 November 2018 and the winner will be announced in the next edition of Wildlife. If you do not wish your name and the town you live in to be published please indicate clearly on your entry. Congratulations to Hazel Bockh from Horsham who won a copy of My Wood and to Susan Redshaw from Laughton who won a copy of The Wonder Tails in our Spring/Summer 2018 draw.

Wildlife 35

Rewild a Child

Sussex Wildlife Trust launched its Rewild a Child campaign in May from the top of Brighton’s newest attraction, the British Airways i360 on Brighton seafront.

Up to 70 people attended the launch, and from their birds-eye view from the top of the i360 watched their children taking part in Wild Beach activities on the shingle below. Rewild a Child is a unique opportunity to help Sussex Wildlife Trust provide activities for local children in Sussex to explore the outdoors, learn new skills and try something different. We’re working to make nature a part of growing up again. From imaginative play in woodlands to pond-dipping and getting wet and muddy, this builds confident, healthy and happy children and makes a connection with nature that can last a lifetime. Pete Crawford, Director of Learning and Engagement said, ‘Children’s contact with the natural world is in decline. Only 10% of children now spend time in wild places, compared to 40% of their parents when they were young. The increase in screen time, the pressures of school work, parental fears and a decrease in accessible green space have all contributed to a decline in ‘wildplay’, leaving our children divorced from nature in their formative years.

‘If children continue to be disconnected from nature they will not value and care for it in the future. Children who spend less time in nature also suffer in their health and wellbeing and miss out on opportunities to develop physically and mentally.’ At Sussex Wildlife Trust we have been inspiring local children for over 50 years, engaging young people aged between 3 to 18 years old on our nature reserves and taking our own special hands-on nature-led education into schools and communities all over the county. Some of this work is already funded, but we still need to raise an additional £60,000 this year to deliver our community programme and ensure 10,000 children in Sussex get outdoors and connect with nature. Contributions will be used to cover the costs of delivering nature education and engagement work with children and young people throughout Sussex. Your support could help a child in Sussex to discover a whole new world and be inspired to make nature part of their life.

If you would like to find out more about helping to put nature back into childhood please visit sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/rewildachild or telephone 01273 497532.