On the ground in October 2018
November 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 with our volunteers in October 2018:
- Removed scrub and parrots feather (a non-native invasive plant) at Burnthouse dew pond.
- Led three walks as part of the Eastbourne and Lewes Walk Fest
- Cleared scrub at: Mill Hill Local Nature Reserve, Willingdon Down Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), from a Scheduled Monument cross dyke at Telscombe Tye, at Westmeston SSSI.
- Installed a new gate, resurfaced and constructed a gully to create a new disabled access route as part of a series supported by Gatwick airport
- Took the National Park events van to Mill Hill LNR and talked to local people, in particular dog walkers, before sheep are introduced to the site next month
- Cleared a SSSI bridleway in Upper Beeding to improve chalk grassland and access
- Joined Butterfly Conservation to brushcut at Kithurst to improve the habitat for rare Duke of Burgundy butterflies and replaced a vandalised gate at the car park
- Completed water vole latrine surveys on the River Meon for the 2018 breeding season and showed that water voles are breeding and established on more than 30 sites along the whole of the River Meon from sea to source. River habitat surveys will be feedback to landowners with advice on how to improve their section of the river
- Copiced hazel and laid hedges at Norton Farm