On the ground in May 2018

June 8, 2018

From meeting with farmers, offering training and support to local communities, leading walks, organising and training volunteers, controlling invasive species and supporting key species, South Downs National Park Rangers are out in the National Park every weekday and many weekends over the year.

Don’t forget to say hello if you spot them out working. Here’s a taste of what they achieved in May 2018:

Joined three Country Trust days as part of our continuing partnership with the Hampshire-based charity which brings children unlikely to experience the countryside onto farms to teach them more about nature and food production.
Trained eight new volunteers on water vole field sign survey techniques so that we can continue to monitor released populations along the River Meon and cut back invasive species at three keys sites along the River Meon to improve plant diversity alongside the river bank for recently released water voles.
Began butterfly surveys on three sites to monitor continued winter scrub clearance with farmers from the Winchester Downs Farm Cluster. Results will feed directly to Butterfly Conservation’s data.
Assisted with pearl-bordered fritillary releases in West Sussex woodland with Butterfly Conservation
Our spring/summer events season continued with: a successful first time stand at the Portsmouth Lord Mayor’s Rural and Seaside show; first time attendance at the Big Church Day out at Wiston; and the Gilbert White Nature Day at Selborne
Helped people face up to their fear of cows at the Heathlands Reunited ‘Meet the Cattle’ event at Liss Forest
Began the first of two yearly cut backs to improve access on the South Downs Way
Gave presentations to both Sheet Parish Council and Langrish Parish Council AGMs on project work in the area
Installed four kissing gates on access land
Replaced three fingerposts on the South Downs Way
Cleared vegetation around newly planted hedgerow at Steyning Downland Scheme and relocated a water trough nearby to protect an adder habitat
Carried out improvements to furniture at Graffham Down to improve access for users with restricted mobility and found four dormice during dormouse monitoring on the site
Continued lapwing surveys at South Stoke and Offham for the Arun to Adur Farmer Cluster Group
Started bracken scything at a number of heathland sites
Finished replanting around South Pond in Midhurst
Carried out orchid surveys in partnership with Natural England, looking at early spider orchid populations at Castle Hill
Agreed plans for wildflower planting at Newhaven
Took pupils from Lewes Priory School out for a day clearing a stretch of the South Downs Way
Carried out flint walling with 80 person days spent reconstructing 10-square metres of an important estate boundary wall, originally built by prisoners of the Napoleonic War
Working with police, local community and East Sussex County Council to tackle off-roading issue and damage to SSSI in Offham
Walked and surveyed a section of the coastal path
Continued work to enhance the chalk grassland at Mill Hill Local Nature Reserve – Butterfly Conservation have recorded large numbers of Adonis blue on the site this year
Carried out meadow management at Pheasants Field near Hassocks
Cut regrowth at Halcombe Farm Local Wildlife Site near Piddinghow and Anchor Bottom Site of Special Scientific Interest
Controlled invasive Himalayan balsam at Ditchling