In this issue: 3 AGM News 4 The return of Ratty 9 Silver-Studded success 10 The river flying squad 12 Following in the footsteps 14 News from the Authority 16 Our people ...and much more! News for the South Downs Volunteer Ranger Service Issue 61, Aug-Sept 2013 Going native at Birling Gap Something exciting is happening on the cliff top at Birling Gap: Outdoor classroom Eastern VRS teams have been beavering away to make an A walled area at the rear of the garden is interpretation garden. The garden will showcase our beautiful being transformed into a multi-functional native chalk downland plants and will be used as an educational seating space. tool to raise awareness of native species. Inspired by the spiral ammonite form, the design incorporates a long wrap-around Driftwood sculpture Other native plants have been locally bench. This and other benches around the sourced from Colin Reader of Wild garden are being made by Ron Wells and his Driftwood collected from the beach and Flower Meadows and Lawns, who seems crack team of volunteers! hauled up the steps, with much puffing completely unfazed by my challenging plant We have chosen to use Elm from the and groaning, has been transformed into requests! It’s great to know that the plants Cuckmere valley, which has been the victim dramatic garden sculptures rippling across have a local provenance. the garden like waves on the shore or the of Dutch elm disease and will now be reborn soft curves of chalk downs. Fish mesh and gabions as beautiful sculptural seating. Well done volunteers for all of that bark stripping! Banking with Kew Local sculptor Christian Funnell, or Iron Man as he is affectionately known around Building this garden has been an amazing Each border in the garden will represent here, has crafted a beautiful new barrier journey for me. I would like to say a huge distinct habitats found locally. Native plants to protect visitors from falling over the thank you to all of the volunteers who have that thrive on the shingle beach, species cliff. We can now enjoy our National Trust made the design come to life. Without your that brave the cliff edge and species that coffee and cake in a spectacular cliff-top tremendous effort, skill and tenacity, through thatch together to form our incredible chalk setting, with Christian’s delightful metal fish rain, wind and snow, this garden would still grassland will all tell their story. We are even swimming across our sea view! be just an idea in my head. You have made trying to represent the paradox of rare it happen, and it is a special place that chalk heathland… Tricky! Iron Man has also been at work building everyone can enjoy. Well done team, I am metal cages – Gabions – which the so proud of you! We are receiving some fantastic support volunteers have filled with a chalk flint from the experts at Kew. Stephanie Miles Gabby Tofts, garden designer and sandwich to evoke the cliff edge. These volunteer, Eastern Downs and her team have advised us and the structures divide the seating area into more Millennium Seed Bank based at Wakehurst private sheltered areas for eating. They Place are growing some unusual plants Volunteers hard at work building the new garden at are planted on top with Thrift, Rock Sea Birling Gap. ©Gaby Tofts appropriate to our location, such as Moon Lavender, Wild Thyme and Biting Stonecrop. Carrot and Round-headed Rampion. Tell us your story. Email your Downland Thymes articles to the editorial team [email protected] DOWNLAND THYMES AUTUMN DOWNLAND THYMES AUTUMN Update from the VRS Team It has been a long time coming, but at the of the pages is broadly the same as before. end of June we held the first of the new I look forward to more of the new facilities Introductory Training days for recently we have talked about being rolled out over recruited Volunteer Rangers. 26 VRs came the next couple of months. along to the days, including four of the You should all have received information Mosaic champions. We are reviewing the about the draft South Downs National feedback from those sessions and planning Park Partnership Management Plan and the © Ron Wilder © Ron Wilder how we will update the day before the next consultation process going on between now Chairman’s session in late October/early November. and 16 September. I would encourage you Thanks to those of you who have got back The Noar Hill walkers managed to find over 5 different species Pyramidal Orchid at Noar Hill. to get involved in this process: look at the to us. From what I have heard so far, of wild orchid and numerous butterflies and moths on the reserve. Corner draft plan and feed back your comments I think we will probably look to broaden and views through the management plan I had thought we might have a different the coverage of the day a little next time survey. For more information, see the News Chair writing this piece, but due to and approach more of our colleagues from the Authority page in this issue of a recurring illness, Nick Egerton has and/or partners to help deliver the day. We Downland Thymes. unfortunately had to resign. The VRS are planning to run three of these days each committee have therefore asked me to year from now on. We are also looking at Finally, the VRS AGM and get together continue as Chair again this year. other training packages we can put together on Saturday 20 July was a really excellent I’m pleased that this year the Committee to run on a regular basis and it is likely that day and, as always, both informative and has moved forward with several initiatives one of the first of these will be looking at enjoyable. Thanks to both Margaret Paren seeking to benefit as many members supporting ‘public facing’ volunteers – those and Trevor Beattie, SDNPA Chair and as possible. The project to run our own attending events and people who talk to CEO, for coming along to talk to Volunteer ecology courses, using instructors from the public on behalf of SDNPA in other Rangers. Thanks also to the Hampshire VRS Sussex Wildlife Trust, has been extremely situations. Committee members for putting together the event and to Vicky Wakefield-Jarrett for popular and well received. We will As I write, the new staff/volunteer intranet co-ordinating attendance. continue with other courses and seek has just gone live. The look and feel of the to include some weekend dates in the system seems much improved and the Ian Hartle, Volunteer future as well. These courses are thanks scope for adding new material and functions Co-ordinator, South Downs © Ian Hartle © Ian Hartle to the hard work of Russell Cleaver and is enhanced, although initially the content National Park Authority Alastair Stewart of the Western Downs. Margaret Paren and Trevor Beattie answer questions during the business part of VRs had the chance to visit Gilbert White’s House during the day at Selborne. The Committee also decided to the day held in Gilbert White’s House Field Studies Centre. allocate funds to each individual area, for volunteers to spend on group activities they themselves wanted to organise. This Long service awards funding is possible because some of our Congratulations to activities have attracted donations from all of those who News from this year’s AGM appreciative organisations and individuals. received long service This year’s AGM was hosted by During the day, annual accounts were Park Authority, gave a short talk praising the We would love to receive and consider awards at this year’s the Western Downs at Gilbert approved and I was elected to be Chair work and value of the VRS to the National applications for the travel fellowship fund, VRS AGM. of the VRS Committee again this year. Park and Margaret Paren, Chair of the White’s House in Selborne, Next year, the Committee will review Authority, joined him to answer questions. but so far we have received very few From left to right: Hampshire, on 20 July. the VRS Constitution – all volunteers are enquiries about how to claim it. The fund Volunteer Rangers Jean Following the AGM, a very interesting and encouraged to contribute to this. is for VRS members to help subsidise Hicks, Nick Darby, Mike illuminating talk on the life of Gilbert White visits to other National Parks to see how Rowe and Pam Craggs As part of the event, I highlighted was given by Rosemary Irwin, Chair of the with SDNPA Chair they do things and then tell us about it. achievements of the year and confirmed Trustees at Gilbert Whites House. After Margaret Paren (centre) Of course we can only provide services and their silver badges that the very successful ecology training lunch, volunteers split into groups to take a like this if the Committee has active for ten years work with sessions would continue. I also thanked Phil self-guided walk, visit Gilbert White’s House volunteers who are willing to undertake the VRS. Belden for his stalwart support of the VRS and Gardens or go on a guided walk of such organisational tasks. So, if you like and for securing substantial donations from nearby Noar Hill Nature Reserve, led by what we have been doing, please think the closure of the SDJC accounts. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. about standing as a Committee member Following VRS business, Trevor Beattie, Chief Ron Wilder, VRS Chairman for your volunteer area.