All posts by jefftravis

Groundbreaking wildlife study in parish is a first for South Downs National Park

January 11th, 2024

A South Downs parish has produced its very own nature “health check” to show the state of wildlife in its boundaries and how biodiversity can bounce back. Kingston-near-Lewes Parish Council has published the report, which provides a detailed baseline of the state of the natural environment in Kingston Parish today. It’s the first detailed parish-wide […]

South Downs Dark Skies Festival is back!

January 11th, 2024

Are you ready to embrace the darkness? The National Park’s popular Dark Skies Festival returns from 10 to 18 February with an action-packed line-up of events across Hampshire and Sussex. Among the highlights will be stargazing sessions at 450ft, guided walks through the solar system, star parties, nocturnal wildlife, and celestial storytelling. Despite being located […]

Talking about climate change

January 11th, 2024

One of the most precious habitats in England, the chalk grasslands of the South Downs, are as rare and important as the Amazon rainforest and, like much of the environment, under threat due to climate change. The National Park’s former Writer in Residence, Sara Clifford (pictured above), and her company,  Inroads Productions, received funding from […]

Brilliant news for barn owls in South Downs!

January 11th, 2024

Six barn owl boxes and three little owl boxes have been installed in the Lower Ouse Valley, thanks to a grant from the South Downs National Park Trust. Sussex Barn Owl Study Group (SBOSG) were successful in obtaining a grant from the Volunteer Conservation Fund, which is administered by the Trust. The group are all […]

The high and lows of South Downs swifts

January 11th, 2024

Swifts have declined across the UK by more than 50 per cent over the past two decades. Tim Norriss, a Trustee for the charity Hampshire Swifts, writes about the highs and lows of this charismatic species and the volunteers’ valiant efforts to help populations bounce back. The highest-nesting swifts are in the tower of Winchester […]