Our group is progressively investigating all local woodlands to discover whether they have a dormouse presence. This was started many years ago and has been progressing each year with a further one or two woodlands annually having temporary dormouse tubes fitted. Where a presence is found permanent boxes will be fitted. This year, having fitted some boxes already in previously researched locations, we have continued the investigation and included a further two woodlands in the project. Approximately 50 tubes have been installed in each woodland and these will be checked throughout the summer and autumn. A dedicated team of volunteers have been undertaking the work and choosing the most suitable mounting locations in each area. The task takes a lot of time for both the installation and subsequent monitoring but will hopefully result in assisting the species to survive as they are now endangered.

 

Volunteers mount dormouse investigation tubes in more woodlands.

 

Following the discovery of a dormouse presence in local woodlands as a result of an investigation using dormouse tubes, permanent wooden boxes have been fitted. This investigation has been going on for many years to establish how many of our local woodlands still retain a dormouse population as the species is in serious decline. They mostly now only exist in the south-east of England. Once the presence was known grant funding was obtained and boxes purchased. These were painted with wildlife friendly paint to extend their life as they are very expensive and labelled with the group name and a box number. A volunteer working party then mounted them in two woodland locations. They will be checked monthly each year from April until November and the findings recorded. It is hoped that a number of woodlands will be found to have a population remaining and then measures to assist their survival can be implemented in these locations

 

Dormouse boxes were mounted in woodlands by a team of volunteers.

 

The locations chosen were carefully selected and mapped for easy identification on return visits when the undergrowth will be increasingly thick.

Restoration of the meadow at Pond Lye SNCI resumed in March. Volunteers gathered to complete the clearance of blackthorn and bramble to re-establish the boundaries of the original meadow. They worked hard and over the weeks that followed achieved the result that we sought. The work required to dispose of the huge piles of cuttings created is continuing with bonfire parties attending weekly to tackle the task.

Other volunteers have turned their attention to improving the quality of the cleared meadow where blackthorn and bramble regrowth requires attention. When this is completed the meadow will be left to flourish during the summer months with the annual meadow cut scheduled to begin at the end of the summer season. This requires many people to cut the meadow, rake the cuttings into stacks and dispose of them in preparation for the following year. In this way we will progressively improve its quality and hopefully create the right conditions for some of the former distinctive flora species that were originally listed when it became an SNCI, to return.

 

Volunteers resuming the brush clearance.

 

Huge piles of  brush cuttings are created for eventual burning.

To: The Woodland, Flora & Fauna Group Supporters and other interested parties.

We wrote to our supporters and other interested parties in January appealing for support to help us in the Community Matters Scheme run by Waitrose Supermarket in Burgess Hill where we were one of the beneficiaries. We are as you are aware, a voluntary organisation that charges no fee for membership as we feel countryside issues should include every interested person regardless of income. All our income to support our nature conservation work comes from grants and supporter’s voluntary contributions. This means we seek as many funding opportunities as we can.

We are very pleased to announce that we obtained £275.00 from their Green Token Scheme to support local groups. This is a welcome boost to our funds and we wish to thank all of you who contributed in this way to help us and of course Waitrose Supermarket for providing us with this opportunity.

Our conservation costs are continuous and without the generosity of our supporters and others we would not be able to protect our local countryside and wildlife in the way we do.

Thank you to all who helped us with this funding opportunity.

Michael Nailard.

Chairman.

 Waitrose Supermarket Community Matters Scheme Funding.

The arrival of warmer weather has prompted breeding activities in our local population of common frogs. This has prompted them to travel to find suitable mates to source the next generation of the species. This is a natural event and occurs annually.

 

A Common Frog (Rana temporaria).

This year however, the migration of frogs in one area of our countryside has caused much concern for their welfare. In High Hatch Lane in Hurstpierpoint, the movement of frogs between 3 local ponds has caused many to travel across the lane to reach a pond on the other side. In doing so hundreds have been squashed by passing vehicles leaving a carpet of mutilated bodies on the road surface. One of our supporters named David Waterhouse spotted the carnage being inflicted on their population and contacted Chairman Michael Nailard urgently to seek a remedy to help their plight. We are very grateful to him for his vigilance and prompt action.

 

A few distinguishable carcasses amongst the scores of mutilated frogs killed in the lane.

Michael visited the location to see the problem for himself and witnessed the devastation being caused over a distance of almost 100 metres. Quickly some temporary road signs were constructed and landowner agreement obtained to mount them on the verges outside their properties. They were immediately erected beside the lane so that they would be seen by passing vehicles to warn motorists of the frog presence and to slow down.

 

A hastily created sign being erected to help prevent further deaths.

The landowner of a local Nursery was very co-operative and offered to monitor the period of breeding activity and to advise Michael when the signs could be removed. We cannot remedy the demise of those already killed but hopefully this action will prevent further frog lives being lost.  All wildlife species are precious and we as a group work to help them in an increasingly hostile and shrinking natural environment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warning signs were erected at both ends of the 100metre stretch of lane to warn motorists and encourage them to slow down.