Bruce Middleton from the South Downs Joint Committee ran an introductory training session at the Village Hall last Saturday morning and many popped down to find out more about this really interesting project. The idea was for those able to attend this quick training session, once shown, to be able to do the proceeding work entirely on their own and more importantly, at their own pace.
 
Having divided the parish into about 15 areas of about 2 square kilometres each, these will be allotted to participants in the scheme, hopefully every body will end up getting a convenient area but we do need to cover the whole parish from Langley to Nyewood said Stephen Allberry. Stephen, the Rogate Parish’s new consultant on Habitation & Byways as well as the tree warden man, recently asked for voluntaries to help him map out the parish,  he said that the work would be a lot easier if it is done in pairs. (So you can argue about the difference between acid and improved grassland—that being probably the most difficult decision you'd have to make)

Saturday morning saw a small group of enthusiasts turn up to start their training. A walk around the area followed a brief talk in the village hall and all reported really enjoying finding out about the local flower & fawner and the various different types of grassland we have.  More volunteers will always be welcome and if we get enough we can reduce the size of the patches, said Stephen, so do please ask your friends to help. 

Putting Rogate on the Map

A Parish Biodiversity Mapping project is now underway for Rogate.  For anyone not ‘au fait’ with such a thing, it’s quite simply finding and mapping out what and where our most valuable natural assets are.

 

The South Downs Joint Committee, the organisation responsible for conservation of the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are keen to work with local people to build up a more detailed picture of the natural environment of the area and, in this quest, are providing support, training and equipment for the project.

 

Co-ordinating the project for our Parish is Stephen Allberry, who, with a small team of willing and able volunteers, set off bright and early one Saturday morning in May for a rigorous training session.  Since then, these new recruits have taken to the footpaths, armed with their recently acquired knowledge, to begin the first phase – a survey of the parish to identify the habitats and areas of particular biodiversity importance.

 

Essentially, this involves some pleasant hours spent out and about on our lanes, paths and bridleways, looking at the habitation and vegetation and logging the different varieties found, which will lead to telling us where the more interesting things are.

 

The information gathered from the survey will then be converted into a colour-coded map.  The map will identify each type of habitat, for example, woodland, grassland, heathland, hedges and swamp, together with rare or local species, such as sand lizards, water voles and so on.  

 

Other parishes that have already carried out Habitat Mapping have found that volunteers developed a much better understanding of their home environment.  Stephen, who also works two days a week as a conservation volunteer with the South Downs Joint Committee, believes it is no bad thing for people to know what is of value in their surroundings and the more of us involved in looking after and understanding the environment, the better.  He is keen to publish the results of the survey, when complete, for the benefit of everyone in the parish who is interested.  “It’s great, if you enjoy going out for a walk, to know what it is you are seeing and understand why it is like it is” he said.

 

Parish Biodiversity Mapping also identifies areas for action to protect and to enhance biodiversity through local community involvement.  It can also help to inform planning decisions.  It is anticipated that once the survey is completed for Rogate, it will lead to various community projects being undertaken.  These might include regeneration of the disused play area at Canhouse Lane and attention to the somewhat overgrown and nettle-ridden Garbett’s Wood, to help them reach their full biodiversity potential.

 

As we are all now beginning to recognise, the naturally beautiful places on this planet need understanding if they are to be preserved.  Rogate is no exception.

 

If you would like to find out more, or indeed to join Stephen and his band of merry men and women as they forage about in the hedgerows of the parish, please get in touch - contact details below.

 

Country Life

Besides co-ordinating the mapping project, Stephen also holds the position of Rogate’s newly appointed Parish Tree Warden.

 

Tree wardening is about protecting and valuing trees, this is particularly necessary in urban areas where they are scarce and generally under threat all the time.  Of course, here in Rogate, trees are not exactly scarce; in fact we have rather a lot.

Nevertheless, the tree warden scheme is still appropriate for the parish, for example, in understanding the importance of preserving hedgerow trees, which due to their linear nature, provide a good habitat for plants and animals.  They have been preserved because farmers can simply flail them however, this does not allow new trees to grow as they cannot self-seed.  In the past they were planted by hand but, as this doesn’t happen any more, we don’t tend to have young trees growing in our hedges.  A Tree Warden can work with land owners to allow this to happen.  This is just one of a couple of initiatives that may have applications in Rogate.

 

One of Stephen’s aims is to identify and build a database of significant trees in the parish – huge old trees and rare species, and then to monitor what happens to them over time.  He would be interested to hear from anyone who has such a tree on their property.

 

Trees can prompt pretty emotive responses – some people don’t want to lose trees at any cost whilst others are keen to have a clear view of the South Downs from their sitting room without obstruction.   Stephen says it is early days for him in this role – it’s a learning process and he is still finding his feet but he is very keen to get others involved and hear the views of any parishioners on the subject.

 

Stephen Allberry. Tel: 01730 821 998. e-mail: s.allberry@btinternet.com

Do you like a nice walk, do you enjoy getting away from it all, have you heard about the Rogate Parish Habitat Map, NO, well read on:-
 
Bruce Middleton from the South Downs Joint Committee will be running an introductory training session at the Village Hall on the Saturday morning of 19th May.

Why not pop down and find out more about this really interesting idea. I do hope you will be able to attend as this is the only time specific commitment you will need to make, afterwards you will be able to do the work entirely at your own pace.
 
I have divided the parish into 15 areas of about 2 square kilometres and I will be allotting sections to participants, hopefully every body will get a convenient area but we do need to cover the whole parish from Langley to Nyewood.  I am advised that the work is a lot easier if it is done in pairs. (So you can argue about the difference between acid and improved grassland—that's probably the most difficult decision you have to make) So you can find a partner bring them along.

More volunteers will always be welcome and if we get enough we can reduce the size of the patches, so do please ask your friends. The session will involve a presentation in the hall followed by a short walk round the parish pointing out the sort of things we are looking for. Please come appropriately shod.
 
Thanks again for your help and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the 19th.
 
Regards, Stephen Allberry.

South Downs focus

Welcome to ‘South Downs Focus’ which updates you on the varied work* carried out by the South Downs Joint Committee in conjunction with all relevant partners.

It is sub-divided into two parts: the strategic centre (focused on HQ) and the integrated Countryside Management Service, operating throughout the two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Sustainable Land Management, Rural Economy.

Rural Economy & Sustainable Tourism

Work has continued in developing the Interreg IVB ‘Collabor8’ bid (previously named ‘Aspire’). Overall the project has been shrunk from £20m to £10m, partly through the reduction in time from five years to three and a half years and partly by the removal of some elements of the bid.

The SDJC part of the bid has in turn reduced from £3m to £1m. A further bid to South East England Development Agency

 is being developed with Tourism South East and the South East Protected Landscapes to develop car-free itineraries.

Sustainable Land Management

SDJC has been working with its current INTERREG IIIb ‘Lifescapes’ partners to develop a future proposal incorporated into a 'City Breath' project being led by the City Council of the Hague in the Netherlands. SDJC is at an early stage, but it may provide the opportunity to include branding, innovative financing and urban fringe activities, all core to the South Downs Management Plan. This is a development of the 'Living Landscape' ideas developed previously, and could include working with the High Weald AONB, Kent Downs AONB and Natural England (Thames Gateway).  The proposal is currently geared to increasing the positive links between urban and rural areas and the management of the urban fringes/greenspace……… IF you would like to read the full report/view the whole magazine in PDF format, CLICK THIS LINK to it, enjoy.