Sussex Wetlands Project
Our achievements April 2014 – March 2015
Working with Others to Restore Wetlands and Wildlife
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Background 3
Introduction 4
Summary of Project Achievements 2014 - 2015 6
Advising Landowners ...... 7
New Project Officers to help Sussex Wetlands...... 9
Creating a Living Landscape for Sussex ...... 10
Catchment and Landscape Scale Project Work ...... 11
Habitat Surveys and Mapping ...... 17
Species Work ...... 22
Habitat Restoration ...... 24
Policy and Advice...... 26
Linking People and Water...... 28
Press, Publicity and interpretation ...... 31
Other Wetland Projects...... 32
Public Liaison and Partnership Work...... 33
Finance and Fundraising ...... 35
Working with Volunteers ...... 36
Looking to the Future...... 37
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Background
Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) is dedicated to supporting local communities to create a healthy living landscape which is beneficial both for people and for wildlife, and to helping communities articulate the true value of nature. We are a leader in the field of landscape scale land management, the creation of ecological and natural service networks, re-wilding and the restoration of natural processes. As well as managing our own nature reserves, we support and fund a range of projects which provide specialist support and advice throughout the rest of Sussex.
Our Wetlands Project has been delivering wetland habitat and species conservation across the County for over 14 years, as well as providing advice to landowners and others on the benefits and conservation of water and the wetland environment. As a part of SWT’s Living Landscapes Team, with the Living Seas and the West Weald Living Landscape Project, Living Wetlands is helping to create a place for water in our landscapes, and to help people to realise the value of water and wetlands.
The Living Wetland Project’s main aim is:-
To promote the sustainable management of river catchments and their landscapes, and the restoration of wetland habitats for the benefit of both people and wildlife.
We work to actively apply the Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) Wetland Strategy, within which we aim to deliver the six guiding principles of a Living Wetland Landscape to Sussex. These are :-
1. Enabling Core Wildlife Areas to Thrive
2. Thinking and Delivering at the Landscape Scale
3. Making Green Infrastructure a reality
4. Influencing the Current and Future Agenda for Wetland Landscapes
5. Inspiring People about Living Landscapes
6. Gathering the Evidence needed to Inform Intelligent and Targeted Habitat Restoration
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Introduction
Water is fundamental to the survival of all life, and to the function of all our ecosystems. Wetlands are rich in biomass and species, and they perform essential ecosystem services such as water purification, flood storage and climate stabilisation. Within Sussex, our wetland resources have been heavily damaged and altered. Almost none of our remaining wetlands can be called natural, healthy or ancient. Nonetheless, many of our remnant wetlands such as chalk streams and wet heath, are unique in and extremely valuable Nationally and even Internationally.
The aim of the Sussex Wildlife Trusts’ Wetland Project is to provide the foundations from which our most valuable wetland resources are recognised and, where appropriate, restored, enhanced and re-naturalised; with a view to creating a healthy, functioning wetland ecological network for the County and the Region. Many of our wetland resources affect, and are affected by things which happen over broad geographical areas. Therefore a key element of our work involves partnerships and cooperative working with local people across catchments and living landscape areas, and across a broad spectrum of different stakeholders.
This year has seen the landscape scale approach to enhancing Sussex Wetlands go from strength to strength. We have secured further funding for the Trees on the River Uck (TrUck) Natural Flood Management (NFM) project, which has enabled us to expand the project to cover the whole of the River Ouse catchment. The project, now known as the Sussex Flow Initiative (SFI) – River Ouse, will now continue to provide advice across Sussex and beyond about how our natural landscapes can be used and assisted to reduce flood risk to people and property.
This year has also seen the momentum of the Arun & Rother Connections (ARC) Project accelerate, with new staff and new projects enabling us to help local people to improve their river catchment by tackling landscape-scale issues such as flooding, wildlife decline, water quality and invasive species. We continue to gather evidence to convince others of the essential natural benefits that our rivers and wetlands provide for the people of Sussex.
Local volunteers learning to search for endangered Great Crested Newts in the ARC project area
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It has been a milestone year with our work on endangered wetland species. We have celebrated 20 years of working on a voluntary project with Kew Gardens (Wakehurst) to secure the future of the endangered Black poplar tree. We have digitally mapped over 8,000 trees which we have planted across Sussex and the UK over the last 20 years, and we are working with the millennium seedbank to see if it is possible to reproduce Black poplars from seed. Otters have been sadly absent from the County this year, but we have worked closely with the ARC project to set up toad and water vole patrols in the Arun & Rother Valleys, and we have helped with surveying and mapping large areas for dragonflies and invasive wetland plant species. We maintain and update County databases regularly with wetland species records, and follow up many of those sightings with advice and site visits.
We have continued to support landowners across the County with free advice across thousands of acres of land, cultivating many new relationships and partnerships in the process, and we are working with many of these landowners to achieve our maxim of ‘bigger, better and more joined up’, by continuing to restore and enhance wetland habitats across the County including chalk streams, wet heath, floodplain meadow, floodplain woodland, ponds and fens. We are still working to put all our valuable wetlands ‘on the map’ by funding surveys of key habitats, including several hundred hectares of floodplain surveys in the Arun and Rother Valleys this year.
We are actively involved in catchment partnerships as the joint catchment lead on the Cuckmere and Pevensey Catchment partnership, and as a key stakeholder and deliverer of the Ouse and Adur Pilot Catchment, the Eastern Rother Catchment partnership, and the Arun & Western
Streams Catchment. These catchment partnerships are We have now grown and planted over 8,000 working to deliver the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in young Black poplar trees in Sussex and beyond, with the help of landowners and partnership with others to create beneficial changes on the Wakehurst place over the last 20 years. This ground on a whole range of issues including fish passage, will ensure the survival of the species for future generations. invasive species and diffuse and direct pollution.
We hope that you will be as pleased as we are with our achievements this year. We hope too that you will support us in our efforts to protect and enhance our rivers and landscapes for you and for wildlife, both now and for the future. Who knows, perhaps today you are watching a kingfisher, a marsh harrier, or a brown trout by a river somewhere, or watching clean water pour out of your tap, and you are appreciating some of our efforts to sustain the water environment?
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Summary of Project Achievements 2014 - 2015
HABITAT DELIVERY
Total Habitat restored: Floodplain Woodlands = 3 ha (SFI & ARC) Total Wet heath restored = approx 2 ha Total Rivers & Streams restored = 3 km (ARC & Knepp) Total Floodplain Meadow restored = 0.5 ha (ARC) Total Ponds restored = 6 (ARC) Total Floodplain surveyed = 263.2 ha
SPECIES DELIVERY
Total Black poplars distributed = 619 Length of watercourse surveyed for otters = 25 km Length of watercourse surveyed for water voles = Over 30km by Volunteers + 20km SWP Total new species records submitted to SxBRC = Over 8,900 Total length of streams surveyed for invasive species = Minimum 20 km
ADVISING LANDOWNERS
Area of land with advice given = 14,537.2 acres / 5,885.5 hectares Unique landowners visited = 59 visits (31 new landowners)
ADVISING OTHERS – PUBLIC LIAISON & PARTNERSHIP WORK
Local Groups & Organisations worked with = 95 Minimum Total number of Wetland events = 16 No of people attending events = 833 Min no press releases and articles = 20 Total Blogs = 10 Press coverage figures = 286,550 Minimum Total enquiries dealt with (conservative estimate!) = Minimum 5,000 Unique visitors to website = 4,075 + 2,000 First time web page visitors = 3,811 Total visitors since website creation (2008) = 86,858
FINANCE (Subject to final audit)
Total core funds received or c/f (Wages,travel etc) = £ 36,640 Total core fund expenditure = £ 36,640 Project funds received / carried forward this year = £ 83,194 Project funds spent 2014/15 = £ 72,840 Unallotted project funds available 14/15 = £ 10,354 (incl £8,474 TrUck funding)
VOLUNTEERS
Volunteer hours = 728 Total volunteer days = 104 Estimated value of volunteer hours = £ 11,500 Total volunteer contributions including ARC & SFI = 700+ days worth £ 79,000
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Sussex Wildlife Trust, Wetlands Project – Our Work This Year
Advising Landowners
Each year we spend time with landowners throughout the County, giving them free advice on a wide range of issues related to land and water management. Below is a summary of the land on which we have given advice over the last year. It shows the depth and geographical range of influence of the Sussex Wetlands Project, and the thousands of hectares which have visited or supported with free advice. The overall land coverage of the project’s advice since the project started in 2001 is considerably greater than shown. R = Revisited site
Chichester Coastal Plain Ouse Watersmeet & Deepsprings – 17 acres R Banks Farm, Barcombe – 57 acres R Buxted Park, Buxted – 205 acres R Arun & Western Rother Chailey Common – 366 acres R Warnham Nature Reserve – 111 acres R Huggetts Furnace & Hastingford – 141 acres Graffham Common – 89 acres R Ouse Estuary Nature Reserve – 388 acres R Waltham Brooks – 104 acres R Twyford Farm – 195 acres Pulborough Brooks – 526 acres R Birchpiece / Cockhaise Farm – 795 acres Orfold farm – 175 acres R Cinder Hill Farm – 477 acres Bignor Park – 949 acres R Terridell farm – 11 acres Lavington Plantation – 87 acres R Jessters – 5 acres Barlavington – 200 acres (floodplain) R Newsted ghyll, Colgate – 1 acre Harrisons – 100 acres (floodplain) R Seaford College and Botany Bay – 400 acres R Cuckmere Chesworth Farm – 91 acres R Place Farm, Chiddingly – 1,425 acres Merrywood Lane, Thakeham – 12 acres Parsonage Farm, Chiddingly – 25 acres Wey & Arun Canal – 10 acres R Forge Meadow, Cowbeech – 1 acre Church Farm, Climping – 519 acres R Mill pond house, Iping – 0.5 acres Pevensey & Eastbourne Levels Chestnut Tree House Hospice – 4.5 acres West rise school, Eastbourne – 120 acres Stedham Common – 87 acres R Anderida Park – 156 acres Loxwood Farm – 7.5 acres Pebsham Farm – 580 acres Theale Farm – 32 Ebernoe Common – 388 acres R Brede, Rye & Pett Coombe Cottage (Burpham) – 12 acres Oaklands Farm, Ninfield - 232 acres Midhurst common - 148 acres E Rother, Romney & Tillingham Fyning Moor – 31.5 acres R Pigstrood Farm (Mayfield) – 37 acres Arundel Wildfowl & Wetland Trust – 57 acres R Dingle Dell & Trulls Hatch (Kent) – 20 acres? Norfolk Estate – 2,500 acres R Scarletts, Ashurst – 5 acres Storrington Meadows – 5 acres Fairfield (Kent, Romney) – 25 acres? Okehurst – 79 acres R Moat Farm – 220 acres Chithurst Monastery – 91 acres R
Mole Adur St Margarets, Ifield – 1 acre Knepp estate – 1,000 acres R
Knowlands Farm – 306 acres R Medway Henfield Common – 32 acres R Broadwater Warren – 447 acres Blackstone lane – 30 acres
Washington Triangle – 2.5 acres TOTAL AREA WITH ADVICE GIVEN 2014/15 Twineham place – 551 acres 14,537.2 Acres 5,885.5 Hectares Warren Pond, Ferring – 0.2 acres Minimum 59 unique visits and 31 new visits Ferring Lagoons – 7.5 acres
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New Project Officers to help Sussex Wetlands
We have the pleasure of welcoming two new members of staff this year onto the ARC Project :-
Arun & Rother Rivers Trust (ARRT) Project Development Officer
We have recently welcomed Vee Moore onto our ARC project team as the new ARRT Project Development Officer. Vee is working with the Rivers Trust and the ARC project to ensure that work to improve the Arun & Western Streams Catchment is supported and continued beyond the end of the ARC project. Her role involves building relationships with communities and landowners, developing and implementing practical habitat restoration projects and helping to access funding to continue the work of the Rivers Trust.
Vee Moore pictured centre, front row.
You can contact Vee at [email protected]
ARC Volunteer Officer
We are grateful to the Heritage Lottery Fund for approving our application to employ a full time Volunteer Coordinator on the ARC project, in collaboration with the South Downs National Park and the Rivers Trust. Interviews will take place in March, and we look forward to finding out who the successful applicant will be. The new Volunteer Co-ordinator will help all the organisations in the ARC partnership to co-ordinate their volunteer groups, to generate volunteer work parties and evens, to train up ‘Riversearch’ river champions and to support all our existing volunteers.
For more details about the ARC project see www.arunwesternstreams.org.uk/projects/arc For more information about the project, please contact Rachel Carless on (01273) 763374.
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Creating a Living Landscape for Sussex
Nature conservation in Britain used to focus on the protection of special sites protecting key species, set aside as nature reserves or locally important wildlife sites. These nature ‘reserves’ were essential to slow the huge loss of wildlife across Britain and were successful to some extent in defending wildlife where it remained. But wildlife in protected areas is still declining, and so are the natural resources that people rely on for our survival such as water. We have realised over time that the traditional conservation approach of ‘protect and fence’ does not provide a means of supporting the natural environment across the wider countryside, bringing wildlife into our towns and cities, or addressing the challenge of conserving wildlife in the face of land-use and climate change.
Sussex Wetlands Project is one of Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Landscape-Scale projects, helping to create a Living Landscape for the County. In Sussex we are helping to ensure that:
• Biodiversity in both urban and rural areas is maximised and connected • Large scale environmental management helps people and wildlife adapt to a changing climate • Our living landscapes, seas and wetlands continue to be rich in wildlife • Our water and our land are managed sustainably to benefit wildlife and people
Living Landscapes was developed by the Wildlife Trusts, so that we think big and collaborate on a larger scale than ever before, in order to improve the landscape of Sussex to the benefit of wildlife and people both now and in the long term future. This involves creating a landscape-scale network of wildlife habitat that would survive long term, functioning as a healthy ecological network. Sussex Wetlands Project is helping wetlands to be part of this Living Landscape by providing advice across the County, and by setting up and supporting Living Landscapes Projects such as the Arun and Rother Connections & the Sussex Flow Initiative. This year we have also given advice and supported a range of other landscape scale projects including the West Weald, Gatwick Greenspace, Romney Marsh, Knepp Wildlands, the South Downs National Park, the Brede and Battle Landscape Project, Brighton Biosphere, ARPHA, Living Seas and many others,
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Catchment and Landscape Scale Project Work
The ARC Project - Arun and Rother Connections http://arunwesternstreams.org.uk/projects/arc
We are now half way through the ARC project and time is flying. Our team of 6 staff are working hard across the project area to help local communities tackle issues and to engage with their river catchment to improve it. We are completing and over achieving on most of our targets, and are helping to support new projects and ideas wherever we can. Thousands of people have now engaged in the project and are enjoying the local benefits that it brings.
Following the completion of our first project year in August 2014, we were able to take stock of many of the achievements that the project has made, and we’ve had a fantastic year. We are currently involved with over 60 individual project programmes, and we have recruited 369 volunteers who have collectively contributed 575 days of their time to the project. Through a number of courses, walks and events we have met hundreds of people to tell them about our (and your!) work to make the ARC area a great place ARC water vole surveyors out in the Arun valley for people and wildlife.
This year, we stepped up our war on invasive wetland plant species, our work on habitat restoration, and our training and education programme for a whole range of volunteers and community members in everything from toad patrols to river clean ups. We are also working closely with teams in Horsham, Pulborough and Littlehampton to put Rain gardens into places where localised flooding is causing problems for the local community.
We are grateful to all those involved. This HLF funded project is supported by the RSPB, Environment Agency (EA), Natural England (NE) South Downs National Park (SDNP), Arun and Rother Rivers Trust (ARRT), West Sussex County Council (WSCC) and Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) and aims to tackle landscape scale issues such as flooding, land
management and biodiversity loss across a 77,000 hectare catchment. 11
Sussex Wetlands Project and ARC
Sussex Wetlands Project provides Technical support to the ARC project 2 days per week. This year the project has supported the Wetlands Project Officer to create, support and be involved with the following pieces of work :-
• Coordinating the ARC Habitat Action Group including all species and habitat work in the catchment such as pond restoration, water vole, toad & dragonfly surveys, Arun & Rother valley floodplain surveys and chalk stream restoration work • Supporting the invasive species officer and the development of an invasive species strategy • A woodlands for water workshop • A wide range of community presentations and events including an ecosystem services conference attended by 180 different people from multiple community groups • A whole suite of landowner visits, site surveys and advice given throughout the catchment • The development of river restoration designs for a 13 km section of the river • Supporting the Arun & Western Streams Catchment Partnership & our Rivers Trust Project Officer
Romney Marsh Living Landscapes Project
We are pleased to announce that the Romney Marsh Living Landscapes Project were successful in their bid for Landscape HLF funds this year. Sussex Wetlands Project is assisting the project where possible, including on the development of a hydrological model of the Romney Marsh, and on the Romney & Rother Catchment Partnership.
Sussex Seascapes
The marine landscapes of Sussex and the UK have often been a ‘forgotten’ habitat. Despite their importance for supporting our fishing industries, stabilising our climate and as a cultural resource for people, the coastal zone has often been seen as too difficult to survey or protect from damage. The creation of three new Sussex Marine Conservation Zones in 2013 at Kingmere, Beachy Head West and Pagham Harbour has brought marine conservation in Sussex to the fore. We are now working with our new Living Seascapes officer Olle Akesson, and with help from catchment partnerships, we are trying to raise the profile and to document the importance of river estuaries – the hugely biodiverse zone where the land and the sea meet. Watch this space for what we hope will be some interesting developments.
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Sussex Flow Initiative (Previously Trees on the River Uck)
This year saw the completion of the second year of delivery of the TrUck pilot project, and its expansion and re-launch as the Sussex Flow Initiative - River Ouse (SFI). SFI is a partnership between the Woodland Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency which highlights the role that natural flood management measures (NFM) such as hedgerow planting and washland creation can play in helping communities to manage flood risk at a landscape scale.
Natural Flood Management Measures harness natural ecological and hydrological processes to temporarily store water in the landscape, so that we can reduce damaging flood impacts on human life and infrastructure. Most of the techniques employed also support wildlife and key ecosystem services.
This year, the SFI project has come into its own, and many landowners are now proactively contacting us in order to work with us on Natural Flood Management. NFM techniques include :-
• Reforesting hill slopes, planting trans-slope hedgerows and planting woodland in floodplains • Restoring old river channels and meanders and ‘un ditching’ streams • Creating washlands which allow target areas to flood more frequently / for shorter periods • Reducing land drainage and de-gripping (reversing drainage) of moorland and heathland • Using and managing Large Woody Debris in watercourses to manage flooding • Increasing surface water storage i.e. in ponds • Recycling roof and greywater run-off • Using swales, permeable surfaces and rain gardens to capture and store run off
Historic landscape clearance, along with urbanisation, land drainage, changing weather patterns and changing land use, mean that many of our rivers suffer from exacerbated flood peaks which severely affect local lives and livelihoods. Flooding is a natural phenomenon which has huge value for replenishing drinking water resources, stabilising our climate and increasing the fertility of floodplains etc. We can never completely prevent flooding, nor should we try to. Instead we are working closely with local communities and the natural environment so that we can help keep flooding in the right places, in order to have a minimal impact on people’s lives, whilst helping to create a healthy environment which supports people and wildlife. 13
Our project’s reputation is ever expanding and this year our SFI officer spoke at an international conference on Natural Flood Management. The technical expertise which we have accumulated is building, but we are amongst the leading NFM projects in the UK working with local communities on Natural Flood Management at a Landscape scale. This year the SFI project officer has achieved the following :-
Habitat and Species Delivery
• Floodplain Woodlands planted = 2.5 ha • Hedgerows planted = 1 km • Water storage dams created = 2 • Number of species records = Over 200
Partnership and Landowner Liaison
• Area of land visited and advised over 1,500 hectares • Landowners visited 50 landowners • Local Stakeholders & Groups worked with = 50 + • Total number of events held = 4 including Lewes Water fair and Bentley • Total number of people aware of Water & Flooding issues = 2000+ questionnaires (Lewes). And up to 50,000 via publicity • Total presentations about the project = 9 • No of people attending events = >500 • Min no press releases and articles = 8 • Total enquiries dealt with (conservative estimate!) = 400 • Unique website views = > 1,400 www.sussexflowinitiative.org • Total Facebook followers = 98 • 1 x new logo produce • New Website and Facebook pages produced www.facebook.com/sussexflowinitiative • 4 leaflets updated / uploaded
Volunteers
• Volunteer hours 500 + = 71 + days • Value of volunteer hours £6,550 approx.
The New SFI Facebook Page
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Cuckmere Living Landscape Project
Sussex Wildlife Trust has been working closely with local communities to try and find solutions to climate change, biodiversity loss, disengagement with the natural environment and other challenging landscape scale issues across the Cuckmere river catchment and Cuckmere Estuary. This year we submitted a funding bid to try and fund future work across the catchment, but unfortunately our bid was unsuccessful. We will continue to work with local people and Catchment Partnerships to try and fundraise and try and solve some of these issues.
Sussex Living Landscapes
When viewed as a whole across the Sussex landscape, we can see how our Living landscape projects are starting to coherently link up to create a Living Landscape across Sussex. If we overlay all the Sussex Wildlife Trust Living Landscapes, with the ARC & SFI project areas, and the South Downs National Park and High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, then we can see just how much of Sussex is being positively managed for people and wildlife.
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Habitat Surveys and Mapping
In 2012 we produced a ‘State of Sussex Wetlands’ Report which highlighted many of the rare and unusual wetland resources that we have here in Sussex, and the need for urgent action to restore, reconnect and recreate wetland habitats across the County. Te report was a baseline, with a view to continuously adding to our knowledge of (wetland) habitats in Sussex, and to getting some of our rarer wetlands both recognised and protected.
The State of Sussex Wetlands report was non exhaustive, and there are still many unique Sussex wetlands that we hope to ‘put on the map’ so that they can be restored and enhanced in the long term. This year we have continued to This mossy puddle is a pure survey and document unusual and important fragments of Sussex (wetland) spring source of the Arun river habitats, highlighting the gaps in our knowledge, and encouraging others to near Horsham. Fed by greensand, it supports unique consider the health of wetland networks at a landscape scale. wildlife. We are trying to get more of these ‘insignificant’ but important springs recognised The summaries below show some of the wetland habitat for their true value to river mapping work we have led this year. ecology.
Toads on Roads and Great Crested Newts (GCN)
This year we worked with the Sussex Amphibian and Reptile Group and the Freshwater Habitats Trust to train teams of locals to monitor and survey ponds for toads and GCN in the Arun & Rother river valleys. We have found a whole host of new toad breeding and road crossing sites, as well as recording new sites for the GCN
The ARC project is also helping to create and restore ponds and wetlands for amphibians across the Arun & Rother Catchments.
Non Native Invasive Species
We are continuing our work to survey and map non native invasive species, and particularly a suite of invasive aquatic pond and riverside plants such as Parrotsfeather, Giant hogweed, Skunk cabbage, Himalayan Balsam and New Zealand Swamp stonecrop. This year we have publicised the plight of many of our wetlands suffering from non native species invasion, and we are working with our ARC invasive species officer and others to support communities to eradicate them where we can. Hundreds of new records of invasive species have been submitted to us this year. Giant Hogweed
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The ARC Explorer App
We are very pleased to be able to announce the launch of our ARC explorer mobile app. The app is targeted at ‘techno savvy’ families and kids who might not otherwise get engaged with wildlife and the outdoors. The app lists hundreds of rare and common species and encourages app users to submit records of local wildlife in order to collect points and to move up a wildlife recording ‘leader board’. The app also encourages people to go out on local interactive walks in the countryside, where they can feed back information about what they have seen.
Launched by Chris Packham, the ARC app is already proving to be popular, and it has helped us to record hundreds of new local wildlife records from the Arun & Rother in West Sussex. For more information or to use the app see arcexplorer.org.uk.
ARC Water vole surveys
Over 25 people attended our water vole training day at Arundel Wildfowl and Wetland Trust this year, and by the end of the year, volunteers had surveyed over 40 km of ditch, stream and river for this rare and declining wetland mammal. With the combined effort of the Sussex Wetlands Officer and our enthusiastic volunteers, we have been able to help and advise many local landowners, the Environment Agency & Natural England etc.
Although nationally water voles have ‘fallen off the radar’ somewhat, and in many areas they are still declining, it seems that for the immediate future, their presence in Sussex can be guaranteed, in Water vole up a tree © C Staunton part through the hard work and dedication of our volunteers. 17
ARC Dragonfly Surveys
The Arun & Rother Connections Project and the Sussex Dragonfly Society funded a large-scale survey of the Arun & Rother river valleys for dragonflies and damselflies this year, which was coordinated by the Sussex Wetlands Project. The aim of the survey was to establish whether populations of dragonflies are surviving or declining across the area, and particularly to broaden the known range of the nationally rare
Common Club-tail dragonfly. Banded Demoiselles on the River Arun © D Sadler The key results of the dragonfly survey were as follows :-
• Over 60 km of river and wetland were inspected, some areas on multiple occasions. • A total of 27 species were recorded, including 11 damselfly and 16 dragonfly species. • The majority are likely to be breeding, although evidence of breeding was only observed for 16 species. • Notable species present were Hairy Dragonfly, Common Clubtail, Scarce Chaser and Brilliant Emerald • Overall 443 unique dragonfly and damselfly records were submitted, totalling over 6,800 individual records, • Unusual behaviours of key species were recorded such as mating and egg-carrying by Common Clubtails • Although Clubtails were only recorded on 3 far-separated reaches of the Arun and Rother, it is inconceivable that the species does not breed successfully both in between and beyond these sites. • Although some heathland specialists were noted such as Black Darter and Golden-ringed Dragonfly, we recommend that further specialist survey is carried out across heathlands, greensand streams, chalk streams and notable ponds for more specialist species • Notable differences in populations of species such as Scarce chaser were found between the Arun & the Western Rother.
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ARC NVC Surveys
Between 2010 & 2012 over 1,584 hectares of the Arun & Rother river floodplain were surveyed to a very high specification, to try and highlight areas of rare fen, reedbed, meadow and other key wetland habitats, and to help to provide detailed advice on land management for local landowners. This year, HLF funded the survey of an additional 263.2 hectares, bringing the total area surveyed to 1,847 hectares (4,562 acres).
A landscape scale survey of this scale is unprecedented in Sussex. Information of this depth and scale is not available for hardly any other landscape in Sussex, and we are already seeing the information being used by stakeholders, landowners and practitioners alike. Key highlights from this years survey were :-
• Thirty-two National Vegetation Communities (not including sub-communities) were recorded, including fourteen swamp and fen communities, two of which are uncommon lowland fen meadow. • The NVC woodland type W6 was recorded frequently along the Rother. This is a Priority Annex II habitat. • Of the vascular plants recorded 1 was a RDB species (VU), 1 Nationally Scarce, 2 were Sussex Scarce and a further 13 are declining locally or nationally. • A locally important population of Dactylorhiza praetermissa (Southern Marsh-orchid) of around 1000 spikes was found outside the Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) at Fyning Moor. • Only one area of priority reed habitat was observed of <0.1 ha in area. • The dominant habitat recorded was mesotrophic grassland, of which the most frequent NVC classification was MG7d (agriculturally improved pasture grasslands). MG7d and MG7, accounted for around 50 % of the fields surveyed in both catchments.
The map below shows the area of the Arun & Rother river valleys now with detailed survey information available.
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Species Work
Black Poplars
This year, the Sussex Black Poplar Project celebrated its 20 year anniversary of helping to conserve the rare native Black poplar tree. During this period, Sussex Wildlife Trust and its Wetlands Project have managed the Black poplar project, with Wakehurst Place (Kew Gardens) and a voluntary steering group to protect the remaining 38 mature black poplar trees in Sussex.
Over this period we have helped to develop 2 tree nurseries, maintained free of charge for over 15 years, to obtain genetic data for all our trees (5 genetic clones) and to distribute over 7,500 immature trees grown at Wakehurst Place to landowners across Sussex and beyond.
In 2014, we distributed over 600 Black poplar trees to over 26 landowners . Many trees are planted as part of the black poplars habitat, floodplain woodland. We now regularly see Black poplars which were planted up to 15 years ago thriving and recognisable as mature trees across the landscapes of Sussex.
This year we have consolidated our black poplar register, updating maps of mature trees to 10 figure Grid references, and uploading over a decade of historic black poplar planting information to digital mapping systems. The Sussex Flow Initiative, ARC and MORPH projects have also been helping us to plant Black poplars in new floodplain woodlands.
Our new map of mature and planted black poplars across Sussex 20
Water Voles
Water vole Surveys
This year our wetlands officer and volunteer teams have surveyed over 40 kilometres of watercourse for water voles, as well as spot checking a large number of other sites looking for signs of water vole presence. Whenever we can, we teach others how to survey for water voles, by using field signs such as those shown (left).
ARC Mink Control
This year the ARC project teamed up with the South Downs National
Park Authority to co-ordinate a catchment and National Park wide Feeding remains and water vole droppings are humane mink control programme across the Arun & Rother used as key signs of where water voles are. catchments and the South Downs National Park.
The mink control programme is aimed at eradicating this American predator of our native species such as water voles and kingfishers, and minimising its impact on our native wildlife. The hope is, that with the pressure of mink predation taken off our remaining water vole populations, they will have more opportunities to establish viable long term populations across the Sussex landscape.
National Water Vole Campaign www.wildlifetrusts.org/watervole-project
All our water vole work feeds into the National Water Vole Monitoring Programme, which is nationally hosted by the Wildlife Trusts and People’s Trust for Endangered Species. This year, a summary of the National Water Vole Mapping project was launched, showing the changes which have taken place across the UK in populations of this rapidly declining native mammal up to 2012.
As the report was launched, so too was a press campaign which questioned why the conservation of the water vole has ‘fallen off the radar’ with Government organisations and other stakeholders. The Wildlife Trusts challenged others to acknowledge that this species was still declining in many areas, and to support us, and others to help prevent its localised extinction by funding more water vole work and wetland restoration.
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Otters
There has been very little otter activity in the County this year. Limited clusters of otter sightings were reported on the Adur and Eastern Rother this year. This usually indicates some activity from a transient male, however no spraints or confirmation photos have been received, and we do not believe that there are any resident otters currently present in the County. We now have honest concerns that returning otters to Sussex are being persecuted, and are aiming to educate as many local groups as possible on the positive impacts of having a species which indicates good water quality and a healthy food chain in your river.
The Sussex Wetlands Project continues to concentrate its efforts on restoring otter habitat and improving the health of our river systems to encourage the natural re-colonisation of otters to the County. There have been reports nationally of otters being released, and the national Wildlife Trust is following up leads to find out who may be behind reported releases but it is suspected that they are coming from Wildlife rescue centres. The Wildlife Trusts do not support the release of captive otters into the wild , as invariably this leads to their demise, and it is counterproductive to natural recolonisation of this territorial mammal. Instead we continue our work on wetlands and water quality so that fish stocks and otters will recover naturally.
Otter © S Bray
A wetland mammal which indicates a healthy wetland environment
Otter Surveys
This year we have surveyed around 25 kilometers of watercourse for otter signs.
Otters and Fisheries
We have a range of information and advice for landowners and anglers on otters available on our website, and we actively encourage all fishermen who believe that otters predate their fishery to read this information.
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Invasive Species Work
Sussex Wetlands Project has been helping local people to monitor and develop eradication programmes for key non native wetland invasive species across Sussex. We have continued to survey and map around 10 key invasive aquatic plants, in a bid to create a realistic picture of their impact on our river catchments and in our wetlands.
This year we have been meeting with Hampshire and Surrey stakeholders to review the potential to remove key non native invasive plants from the Arun & Western Rother headstreams, such as Giant Hogweed, Skunk cabbage and Himalayan balsam.
The invasive non-native We have also be helping landowners to remove and control American mink from skunk cabbage which is catchments around the Arun, Western Rother and South Downs National Park in order infesting many of our river headstreams to help struggling populations of water voles recover from their predation pressure.
Non native species cost our economy billions of pounds a year, and cause immense damage to our native habitats and species. Their negative impact on river and wetland systems is being increasingly recognised through the Water Framework Directive and Catchment Partnerships. For many, there is no point in tackling some of these species, unless a co-ordinated, whole catchment approach to clearing them is instigated. We hope that this is the start of the removal of these alien invasives from some of our most precious wetlands and vulnerable sites.
I record wildlife Sussex Wetlands Project and the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre have been trying to encourage budding wildlife recorders to use the I record website to submit their wildlife records. This simple map based tool allows us to easily and quickly import wildlife records from all Female Emerald damselfly © D Sadler over the Country into national databases, which can then be shared with others to help protect and enhance our local and national wildlife.
Ragged Robin – an uncommon This year, the wetlands project has contributed over 8,900 species records wetland plant of wet meadows and many kilometres of detailed survey information to the National and found occasionally in Sussex Sussex Biodiversity Networks. We have particularly focused on non native invasive plant species records in the Arun & Rother Valleys, and on historic black poplar planting records. The information is available upon request to members of the public and landowners at www.sxbrc.org.uk and can be used to further the conservation of species and habitats in the County.
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Habitat Restoration
Every year, Sussex Wetlands Project gives advice and supports wetland habitat restoration across thousands of acres of land. We work closely with hundreds of people and a range of organisations to develop and deliver river and wetland habitat restoration projects across the County. The following are summaries of a few of the projects that we have been involved with this year :-
Waltham Ditch Restoration
With help from HLF funding, our Reserves manager was able to complete a further 750 m of ditch management and restoration on our internationally protected Waltham Brooks Reserve. The ditch management work will help to create varied profile ditches and wetland sanctuary areas for water voles and breeding waders.
Knepp River Restoration
The restoration of the main Knepp river was completed in 2013 by the Environment Agency, but the channel and the floodplain which was dug by heavy machinery was still in need of a helping hand to kick start natural processes and to create more natural habitat niches for fish and other wildlife.
Over two days this year, the Sussex Wetlands Project worked with the Rivers Trust, Wild Trout Trust, and a team of enthusiastic volunteers to install large woody material along a 1 km stretch of the river at Knepp. The natural woody features which were installed are already creating more natural structure and forms in the river channel such as riffles, pools, sheltered backwaters and runs. These natural river restoration works now form an intrinsic part of the re-wilding of over 2,000 acres of land across the Knepp estate in West Sussex.
See www.knepp.co.uk for more details.
Sussex Wildlife Trust, the Wild Trout Trust & the Rivers Trust come together to help restore natural river processes using large woody material24 harvested on site.
ARC Habitat enhancement
This year, Sussex Wetlands project has helped to find and implement a number of discreet habitat restoration projects across the ARC project area and across Sussex. This includes 700 metres of chalk stream restoration at Botany Bay in West Sussex, and meadow and woodland restoration at Stedham Mill.
Volunteers and South Downs National Park Rangers help a local college to restore its chalk stream and to dismantle abandoned infrastructure from an old trout farm.
Sussex Flow Initiative Habitat Restoration
The Sussex Flow Initiative has proved popular this year, with landowners in the catchment wishing to reduce flood risk by restoring habitat, planting hedgerows, and installing woody material in ditches. A 50m hedgerow at the bottom of a 1 ha field can store between 150 and 375 cubic metres of water during rainy periods, for slow release down slope during dry periods. Our hedgerow restoration work this year is therefore helping to reduce flooding and increase the drought resilience of our landscapes. EA volunteers help to plant thousands of trees 25
Policy and Advice
Water Framework Directive and Catchment Partnerships
Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Sussex Wetlands Project are advising and supporting all four Sussex Catchment Partnerships as well as others such as the Mole and Medway where required. These are :-
The Ouse and Adur Pilot Project (SFI partners) The Cuckmere and Pevensey Partnership (Joint lead partner) The Arun & Western Streams Partnership (ARC partner) The Eastern Rother Partnership
The Environment Agency supports Catchment Partnerships to get communities involved with river catchment management and the delivery of the Water Framework Directive ‘Better rivers for all’. Lead by different organisations, each Catchment Partnership approaches river catchment management in its own unique way, whilst endeavouring to address key issues such as fish passage, water resources, invasive species and nutrient pollution.
This year, Sussex Wildlife Trust has helped to support a number of catchment consultation events for the Sussex Catchment Partnerships, and to advise landowners and stakeholders across all four partnerships. More importantly however, our projects such as SFI and ARC form some of the main delivery mechanisms of catchment management plans.
As we move into the next phase of the South East River Basin District Management Plan, we are focussing our efforts on getting Catchment Partnerships to value their estuaries, and to establish what ‘Good Ecological Status’ of a Sussex estuary really is. We are also helping to bring the issue of invasive species to the fore.
We are working with catchment partnerships to develop landscape-scale solutions to river catchment management issues. .
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Water Companies and Wetlands
The South East of England is an ‘area of serious water stress’ and water resources will come under increasing pressure in the future due to population growth, housing and development and changes in climate. Water Companies play a key role in ensuring the health and conservation of important wetland habitats and water resources such as our chalk rivers and streams. Although in many areas Water companies ‘could do better’ we applaud the development of catchment based projects that we have been consulted upon this year including :-
• The Ems and Watersmeet Chalk River Restoration, Portsmouth Water • Portsmouth Water Biodiversity Action Plan
Planning Advice
Each year, Sussex Wetlands project is consulted on a wide range of planning applications and planning issues. Sussex Wetlands project is committed to helping planning authorities and others to manage and mitigate the impact of the built environment wherever possible, and to reduce the need for buildings and concrete. A design for a local rain garden which we are hoping to help install to reduce footpath and road flooding outside a supermarket in Pulborough. This year we have been working with the ARC project to develop and promote Urban Rain Gardens and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems, to increase flood resilience amongst local communities suffering from surface water and storm water flooding. We are designing and supporting urban rain gardens in Pulborough, Littlehampton, and Arundel, and are promoting sustainable solutions to flooding wherever possible. For more details on SUDS and Rain Gardens see www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/34598 .
External consultations
We have commented on a number of Local, village and Neighbourhood Plans including Thakeham, Henfield and Chichester. In addition to regular meetings and consultations, We have commented on a wide range of planning and local policies including :-
Lower Tidal River Arun Strategy Internal Drainage Board Consultations Lower Adur Tidal Strategy Neighbourhood and Local Plans (Multiple) Valuing ecosystem services consultation New Countryside Stewardship schemes South East River Basin District Consultation (WFD) Blueprint for Water Catchment Partnership plans, summaries and strategies
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Linking People and Water
Engaging and educating people about issues around water in our landscapes is extremely important to us. We have dealt with severe flooding, fracking and dredging debates to name just a few this year. Telling people about water and how it affects their lives positively as well as negatively is important, but it is more important to help people feel empowered to create positive changes in how water and our environment are managed. This year we have worked with a whole range of people to do just that.
Our new web pages
Our Living Wetlands web pages on the Sussex Wildlife Trust website are still popular, with people across the Country using and copying our resources. The website provides a snapshot of the work we do to improve wetland wildlife, tackle wetland issues and develop wetland partnerships, as well as a range of advice and educational resources for the public and landowners.
This year we had over 4,075 unique visitors to the website, with 3,811 first-time visitors , downloading over 6,653 pages of information. Overall, since the website was launched in 2008 there have been 86,858 visits and to the website.
In 2014, the Sussex Wetlands Project website was transferred in-house to the Sussex Wildlife Trust. Since then we have had an additional 2,000 unique visitors to the Wetlands web pages.
Sussex Wildlife Trust are updating their website in 2015, and the new wetlands web pages will be available to view by August 2015.
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National and Local Websites
We are also linked to, and have appeared on a number of National and Local websites including :-
ARC explorer app web pages arcexplorer.org.uk Arun & Western Streams Catchment Partnership arunwesternstreams.org.uk/projects/arc East Sussex Community Information Service www.escis.org.uk Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk National CABA website, Sussex catchments pages www.catchmentbasedapproach.org/south-east Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust www.oart.org.uk/resources/index.htm Ouse & Adur Catchment Partnership www.adurandousecatchment.org.uk RSPB www.rspb.org.uk Rye Wildlife http://projects.rxwildlife.org.uk Storrington Conservation Society www.storringtonconservation.org.uk Sussex Wildlife Trust website (over 171 366 visitors) www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk Woodland Trust www.woodlandtrust.org.uk The Wildlife Trusts www.wildlifetrusts.org TrUck and SFI websites & Facebook pages www.treesontheriveruck.org.uk www.sussexflowinitiative.org www.facebook.com/sussexflowinitiative
Knepp Estate. One of a range of projects around the UK and Ireland where natural processes are being restored by different organisations including the Wildlife Trust
Our National Wildlife Trust Office and organisations such as the Woodland Trust have also send out National Press releases crediting some of our local projects such as Knepp estate re-wilding and Trees on the River Uck project. We have contributed to County and National Press Releases for The Wildlife Trust including articles on Water voles, and we have contributed to Media and Press Releases on Catchment Partnerships.
National Save Our Waters Campaign
Sussex Wetlands also helped to promote the National ‘Save our Waters’ campaign. saveourwaters.org.uk
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Events
We have hosted and spoken at a number of events during the year, across a wide range of audiences. Some of our events included :-
Friends of Udimore Talk – 53 Buxted Park landowner event – 40 L&OVE Coastal communities event – 16 Dragonfly survey training – 18 Water vole training – 25 West Weald – 48 ARC Conference – 22 ARC Catchment event – 198 ARC mink training – 27 Ferring Conservation Society - 59 Woods for Water, Midhurst - 32 Lewes Water Fair - 150 Bexhill Museum – 51 W Sx Horticultural Club talk – 33 Local landowners and managers gather to learn about humane mink Hailsham Water Festival – 48 control for water vole conseravtion ARC amphibian training - 13
Total people attending wetland project events in 2014 / 2015 = 833 Total events held = 16
Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Wetland Project is helping to create healthy wetland landscapes across Sussex
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Press, Publicity and interpretation
We have written and had published over 20 articles, blogs and press releases this year on subjects as diverse as how soil helps to relieve flooding, toads on roads, sea trout, and putting the laughter back in our rivers.
Sussex Wetlands and its sister projects have also appeared on the radio, on the web and in numerous newspapers and publications, often on a repeat basis. Press articles and appearances by Sussex Wetlands project include the following. (Figures in bracket represent approx. circulation figures multiplied by number of appearances / articles) :-
Adastra 2014 (200) All about Horsham (11,000) Amberley Society Newsletter
ARC Newsletters Arun & Rother Rivers Trust publications Midhurst Observer (2,964) Midhurst & Petworth Observer (10,120) Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust newsletters Rye Observer (32,853 x 2) RSPB Twitter and Blog pages SWT Digest (Mar, Jun, Sept & Dec – 250) Sussex Flow Initiative (TrUck) blogs Sussex Wildlife Trust ‘Wildlife’ Magazine (over 19,100 households) SWT e-newsletter, Facebook and Twitter (12,400, 3,050 and 14,600 respectively) The Argus (Main, 22,399) The Argus (Web, 25,649) The Shooting gazette (14,012) West Sussex County Times (Main, 20,748 x 2) West Sussex County Times Online West Sussex Gazette (5,941 x 4) West Sussex Gazette Online West Weald Landscape Project Newsletter
Minimum circulation of Sussex Wetlands articles = 286,550 people 31
Blogs
Over the past year, there have been over 860 visitors to Wetlands blog pages. We have been regularly blogging with titles such as :-
• Clonely Hearts Column • Putting the laughter back in our rivers • Messing around on the river • How soil can help stop flooding • Scrumping!
Educational resources
New web resources have been updated and adapted for use on the Sussex Wildlife Trust and Wildcall websites. Our new look leaflets can be seen at www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/index.htm . A new addition to our leaflets was a Living Otter Holts advice sheet. We have had a number of requests from groups across the Country asking to use and adapt our leaflets and otter and water vole training manuals.
Sussex Wetland Enquiries
We deal with a phenomenal amount of enquiries every year, informing a whole range of audiences from local wildlife groups to people living abroad, on a range of subjects as varied as river restoration and invasive species. It is estimated that we deal with a minimum of 10,000 email, phone, mail and web enquiries a year.
Other Wetland Projects
We have been working to raise funds to support everything from chalk meadow restoration, permaculture farming and dormouse projects this year. At the moment we are fundraising for the Sussex Flow Initiative, the Black poplar project, greensand stream surveys and more. We have been investigating the ecosystem service benefits of rivers, and the potential for landscape Kids learned about riverbank mammal tracks and signs this year re-wilding for water voles and beavers. We have been encouraging kids to get out on the riverbank and to discover more about otters and water voles whilst getting their hands dirty.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE ADVICE OR SUPPORT FOR A WETLAND OR RIVER RESTORATION PROJECT, PLEASE CONTACT [email protected] 32
Public Liaison and Partnership Work
One of the project’s most valuable roles is linking with local people to enable practical wetland benefits on the ground. This requires close liaison with and the assistance of, a whole range of local and national groups and people. Over the years, we have liaised with thousands of people from multiple disciplines and from all over Sussex and the UK, to whom we have provided advice, support, training, talks, funding and events. The following are just some of the groups that we have had contact with in the year 2014 - 2015:-
Aquascience National Black Poplar Group Angling groups (multiple) National Tree Seed Project Arun District Council National Trust Arundel Wildfowl and Wetland Trust Natural England Arun & Rother Rivers Trusts (ARRT) Non Native Invasive Species Secretariat BASC Plumpton College Beaver Advisory Committee for England Operation Watershed Bexhill Museum Ouse & Adur Rivers Trust (OART) Birmingham University Parish Councils including Rogate and Pevensey Brighton Permaculture Trust People’s Trust for Endangered Species Brighton University Portsmouth Water Brinsbury College Romney Marsh Landscape Project Team Catchment Partnerships (Multiple) RSPB Chichester District Council South Downs National Park Authority Chichester College South East Water / Upstream Thinking Chithurst Monastery Southern Water East Sussex Flood Forum Storrington Conservation Society East Sussex County Council Storrington Meadows Group Environment Agency Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre (SxBRC) Forestry Commission Sussex Black Poplar Working Group Freshwater Habitats Trust Sussex Dragonfly Society (SDS) Friends of Cuckmere Sussex IFCA Friends of Warnham Nature Reserve Sussex Mammal Group (Mammal Society) Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust Sussex Ouse Meadows Project Gatwick Greenspace Sussex University Hailsham Water Festival Society Surrey Wildlife Trust Hampshire Wildlife Trust Sussex Wildlife Trust Hassocks Field Society The Wildlife Trust (National) Henfield Common’s Society Uckfield Flood Forum High Weald AONB Unit Wakehurst Place (Kew Gardens) Horsham District Council Water efficiency in buildings network (WatEf) Kent Wildlife Trust Wealden District Council Lewes District Council Weald meadows initiative L&OVE project West Sussex County Council Lifelong Learning Lewes / U3A West Sussex Flood Forum Littlehampton District Council West Sussex Horticultural Society Local & Neighbourhood plan groups (multiple) West Weald Landscape Project Low Weald Rangers Wey and Arun Canal Trust Manhood Peninsular Project Wild Trout Trust Medway Catchment Partnership Woodland Trust
NUMBER OF LOCAL & NATIONAL GROUPS WITH WETLANDS PROJECT CONTACT = 95 minimum For more detail about what we do for local and national groups that we work with see APPENDIX 1 33
Finance and Fundraising
Restricted funding
Each year, we manage and administer a number of restricted grant funds. These funds are allocated to specific projects, with identifiable outputs. The money donated must be used for the allotted project only. This year we have received £1,000 restricted funding for project work on Barn owls.
Core & unrestricted funding
In addition, we need to provide core income to pay project officer wages, to provide office space, and to pay for transport and other on-costs. A number of grant funders and stakeholders support the Wetlands Project in any way they can. This year, the following organisations supported our core costs :-
• HLF / Arun and Rother Connections project • Anonymous trust • Delves Trust • Eastern Rother & Ouse & Adur Catchment Partnerships • Woodland Trust • Sussex Wildlife Trust
TOTAL core funding received = £36,640 TOTAL Core Funding Spent = £36,640
Partnership Bids
We work closely with a number of partners to develop strategic funding bids to deliver specific wetland projects across Sussex. This year we have helped to put together bids on the Cuckmere and Adur catchments.
Funding Applications made but declined
Application to South Downs Sustainability Fund for Lewes Water Fair
Other Contributions to projects lead by us were made by :-
Free moss and bryophyte surveys by Tom Ottley Free river habitat workshops from the Wild Trout Trust Donating mink rafts and traps to mink control projects for water voles
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Working with Volunteers
This year, the project was given over 728 hours of volunteer time have been dedicated directly to the Sussex Wetlands Project . This time was dedicated to everything from water vole surveys, pond surveys and GIS mapping, to chalk streams and woodland restoration. In the Wetlands project, we do not include the volunteer hours that are being contributed to the SFI and ARC projects, but together, these projects are amalgamating hundreds of volunteer hours in addition to those mentioned above. The wetland project has received over 104 days of volunteer time, and over £11,500 worth of volunteer time respectively this year. With SFI and ARC volunteer hours included, it is likely that this figure is over 700 days of volunteer time valuing around £79,000 .
We would like to sincerely thank all those who have contributed funds and volunteer time to Sussex Wetlands Project work. Your contributions have been invaluable to the conservation of our rare wetland habitats and species.
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Looking to the Future
Sussex Wetlands Project was born of ten years of the Sussex Otters and Rivers Partnership. With our new focus on healthy and functioning living landscape networks and ecosystem services, we promise to continue to rehabilitate and enhance the environments and ecological networks in Sussex by :-
1. Continuing to support, enable and deliver projects to restore and rehabilitate Sussex landscapes 2. Continuing to engage and advise people about projects which tackle landscape scale issues 3. Increasing our knowledge of important water resources, wetland species and habitats in Sussex 4. Helping others to realistically value and protect the natural services that nature provides for us 5. Helping people and nature adapt and be resilient to landscape and climate change
Our main tasks will be:-
1. Reinforcing Core Wildlife Areas Nature reserves and protected areas are core areas of biodiversity interest, and should be at the heart of a wider network of wildlife sites within a functioning living landscape. We want to see important wildlife thriving, dispersing and recolonising from wildlife sites, whilst inspiring and influencing those in the wider countryside to protect and enhance environmental resources.
2. Delivering Landscape Scale and Ecological Networks: We will continue to support landowners and expand projects which deliver landscape scale habitat gains for people and wildlife i.e. Knepp Estate re-wilding. We will provide advice and support for others working on key landscapes such as the South Downs National Park and the High Weald. We aim to bring together landowners with a common conservation interest and a desire to carry out wetland habitat restoration work across multiple site boundaries.
3. Making Green Infrastructure a reality: Through the planning process and other legislative infrastructure, we will work with Local Authorities and others to expand and enhance Green Infrastructure through urban and suburban areas. This will include lobbying for increased planning gain for wetlands including the statutory inclusion of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems in all 36
development projects (including Highways Schemes), of water resource conservation devices (gray water recycling, water metering, water efficiency and sustainable building techniques) and of sustainable design in development schemes. We will endeavour to lead others by example by showcasing and supporting the development of innovative approaches to drainage, water resource conservation, flood risk management etc.
4. Influencing the agenda for Wildlife: Policies of UK and local government and other organisations impact our wetlands, water resources, wildlife and wild places. Through local, county, regional and national legislation, we will work with others to deliver Living Landscapes and Living Wetland networks. In particular we will work closely on the development and delivery of Water Framework Directive programmes and other key habitat, flood risk management and water resource policies. We will comment on, lead and inspire others on changes and developments in their policies, and we will develop and implement innovative approaches to the restoration of wetlands with others.
5. Inspiring people about wetland Wildlife: We will share the experience of wildlife, water and the environment with people of all ages. This will be a multi sector approach, involving health, education and social agendas. In particular we will educate all sectors as to the value of water, the value of wetlands and wetland wildlife, and the roles they can play in protecting and enhancing our wetland ecological networks, whether this be through creating a garden pond, fixing a dripping tap, or lobbying Parliament through our youth groups and local networks. We will lead by example, using key sites to showcase appropriate wetland management in appropriate locations.
6. Gathering the evidence: Habitat restoration at a landscape scale needs to be informed by research and survey of areas of both historic and current biodiversity interest, so that wise judgements can be made about the appropriate long term management of the countryside, and which areas of the current ecological network are the most intrinsic to the survival of the whole. We will endeavour to constantly update ecological, survey and mapping information on priority (wetland) habitats and species, and to digitise and electronically format it so that it is readily accessible to others.
7. Governance, Funding and Management To the best of our abilities we will fundraise and lobby others to implement keystone projects for wetland habitats and species. We will produce publicity materials and reports to enable transparency in viewing our outputs and achievements and to highlight key problems and opportunities in the management of wetlands. We will liaise with others, and bring others together to ensure that we are working with complimentarity and not in political silo’s.
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APPENDIX 1
Sussex Dragonfly Society (SDS) The local SDS newsletter is produced by the Wetlands Project and distributed to its ever increasing mailing list twice a year. We also co-ordinate the sale and distribution of the Dragonflies of Sussex book, and will be helping the group to launch a new website this year.
Brighton University We work with Brighton University to provide student support for research projects, field work and lectures. We have been working closely with hydrology, ecology and mammal experts to generate more local academic involvement with local wetland restoration projects including work on fisheries, water voles and beavers!.
Sussex Mammal Group (Mammal Society) We are a technical specialist for the Sussex Mammal Group which provides local advice, support and training days.
West Weald Project We work closely with the West Weald Landscape Project, providing practical, financial and technical support on floodplain woodlands, re-wilding and wetland restoration.
Sussex Black Poplar Working Group The Wetlands Project is the manager of the Sussex Black Poplar Working group, the editor of the Sussex Black poplar register, and the co-ordinator of all Black poplar planting records. We work closely with Kew Gardens (Wakehurst Place) to ensure the continuation of a 20 year project to protect this rare native tree, providing young trees free to landowners on an annual basis.
Sussex Wildlife Trust, Living Landscapes and Living Seascapes Sussex Wetlands Project is part of the Sussex Wildlife Trust Living Landscapes Project. We work closely with Living Seascapes to ensure that there is joined up thinking between conservation work on land and sea.
The Rivers Trusts The Wetlands Project works with the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust and the Arun and Rother Rivers Trust. We provide free advice, support and funding and work in partnership including on projects such as ARC .
Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre (SXBRC) We work closely with the SxBRC to survey and map priority and rare wetland habitats and species in Sussex, to document notable species and the spread of non native invasive species on our watercourses. www.sxbrc.org.uk . We are increasingly working together to produce habitat, landscape and ecosystem network models.
Sussex Ponds Project We provide advice, support, and funding wherever possible for local ponds. We help to survey and restore ponds and work closely with Sussex Ponds project http://sxbrc.org.uk/projects/ponds/ . South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA)
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The SDNPA have adopted chalk streams as one of their flagship habitats, and we are working with them to ensure the protection and rehabilitation of these rare habitats, and to involve the local community more in work to enhance them. SDNPA have supported a number of our surveys of wetland species and habitats, and they are a partner in the ARC HLF bid. We work in partnership with them on many of their sites and policies.
Gatwick Greenspace Project We work with the Gatwick Greenspace Project to improve urban greenspace and Forest Schools facilities in and around the Gatwick area.
Environment Agency We work with EA teams on a range of wetland, fisheries and river restoration projects across Sussex, and they are a key partner in the Sussex Flow Initiative project.
Woodland Trust We work closely with the Woodland Trust to promote appropriate tree planting across Sussex, and they are a key partner in the Sussex Flow Initiative project.
Sussex Wetlands Project works with a range of regional and national partners including :-
Freshwater Habitats Trust We work with the Freshwater Habitats Trust on their PondNET and million ponds project, as well as helping them to train up a team of national pond survey volunteers, and to restore and protect pond habitats.
Catchment Partnerships and the South East River Basin Management Plan (SERBMP) We are assisting at all levels with the implementation of, and consultations on the SERBMP. We do this through continued involvement in regional WFD meetings, catchment strategies and all four catchment partnerships, and by engaging with local people to generate projects which help restore water quality, fish passage and ecological diversity to rivers, and to limit the damage caused by invasive non-native species and pollution.
The Wildlife Trusts We form part of a nationwide network of wetland practitioners promoting key wetland issues and wetland restoration techniques. Our Wetlands Project liaises with the Wildlife Trusts’ Water Policy team on wetland issues and best practice landscape, catchment and ecosystem services management. www.wildlifetrusts.org/who-we-are .
Natural England We have been discussing wetland issues and the results of our wetland surveys with National experts, and are consulting on Site Improvement Plans, Natural Character Area designations and SSSI citations locally.
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