All posts by jefftravis

A huge funding boost will help restore precious wetlands across the South Downs region and help raise awareness about the vital importance of water in all our lives. National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded £1.7m to the “Downs to the Sea” initiative, which will increase and restore a network of vital wetlands across and around […]

The only urban biosphere in the UK, The Living Coast, is planning to increase in size to include half a million residents. The Living Coast has been a designated UNESCO Biosphere since 2014, stretching from Shoreham to Newhaven, from the South Downs to the sea. The biospheres are places of international best practice, promoting sustainable development […]

Almost 15 miles of hedgerow have been restored over the past three years in the western section of the National Park following a big community effort. “Hampshire Hedgerows” has drawn together landowners, farmers, young people and volunteers to help create and restore hedgerows that provide an essential refuge for wildlife. Supporting some 130 different flora […]

Ethan Purdy, Assistant Ranger, discusses the recent work of volunteers to help maintain the South Downs Way. Snaking its way along the very spine of the chalk, the South Downs Way is a 100-mile-long exhibition to one of the best natural galleries in the UK. Artwork by nature and toil adorn its path in vistas […]

Anooshka Rawden, Cultural Heritage Lead, takes a deep dive into the history of witches in the South Downs. When we think of Halloween, alongside ghouls, ghosts and zombies, the figure of the witch comes to mind. All reflect ancient links to a time of heightened superstition, a need to remember the dead, and the turning […]