All posts by Luke Geoghegan

South Downs businesses will benefit from access to international travel markets

April 11th, 2018

Accommodation providers; tour operators; people who provide experiences around food and drink, history, culture or being immersed in the landscapes; and vintage or other transport providers in the South Downs are among the local businesses that could benefit from a new international tourism programme based around nine English National Parks. Any business owners or managers […]

Have you seen this plant?

April 6th, 2018

Himalayan balsam may look pretty but it’s an invasive species which out-competes native species and, if left uncontrolled, will spread throughout our water courses and beyond. During spring and early summer National Park rangers and volunteers will be out working hard to clear it. The impressive sounding GB Non-native Species Secretariat (NSS) describes Himalayan balsam, […]

From the South Downs to Canada: the story of a geocache treasure

April 6th, 2018

A Canadian flag placed in a Geocache on South Downs heathland last May has travelled 14,655km to arrive ‘home’ to Alberta Canada. Along the way the flag has travelled through southern England, up to Manchester, across to the Netherlands and Germany before making it to Nova Scotia in Canada and then on to Alberta. Student […]

Teachers venture beyond the classroom

April 6th, 2018

It’s a sunny afternoon in early spring and a group of teachers are crouched in a circle looking for signs of dragons. Nearby another group are learning to recognise a tree while blindfolded and in the valley below a third group are stamping on the ground to charm worms. If the laughter is anything to […]

Sign of the times

April 6th, 2018

Over the eight years since the South Downs was designated we’ve often been asked why there are no signs telling people that they’ve arrived in the National Park. But what would they look like? Bespoke signage that creates a sense of arrival at the UK’s newest National Park is to be piloted in 19 locations […]

Watch our mini-documentary about Heathland in the South Downs National Park

April 3rd, 2018

Lowland heath, one of the rarest habitats on Earth, was created more than 6,000 years ago when Neolithic man began to clear the forests. The acidic sandy soil couldn’t be used for growing crops so was put aside for grazing and what emerged was a landscape of dry heath and wet bogs and within its […]

Eight reasons to love South Downs heathland

March 29th, 2018

The South Downs National Park celebrated its 8th birthday on 31 March and we’re marking the occasion with eight breath taking clips getting up close and personal to some special heathland wildlife. Lowland heath, one of the rarest habitats on Earth, was created more than 6,000 years ago when Neolithic man began to clear the […]