What’s On?

In our first regional event, Tony Whitbread will be giving a talk on the history of the Sussex Wildlife Trust and what its future holds. The event, which is for members of the Sussex Wildlife Trust, will be held at the Trinity Centre in Storrington.

The ticket price covers entrance and refreshments. Seating will be socially distanced, masks will be optional, the premises thoroughly cleaned before/after and sanitiser provided. With covid restrictions, seats are limited so make sure to book asap.

We will welcome arrivals from 6:30 PM, so please come early to meet the committee, see our displays, visit the 2nd hand book stall, get your refreshments and be seated for a 7:30 PM start.

There are approximately 40 parking spaces around the hall, but we encourage you to share lifts as some spaces are tight. If you have any additional needs for access and seating then please contact us in advance using the group’s email address.

Finally, with Tony Whitbread on the stage and this being the first group meeting, we are looking forward to a lively and interesting discussion session as part of this event. If you cannot join us or wish to ask a question in advance, then please send this to the group’s email address and we’ll either cover it on the night or respond separately if time does not allow.

The groups email address is: swtstorringtonregion@gmail.com

Our speaker is local resident Nicola Peel who is an inspirational speaker and climate change solutionist. Nicola will be telling us about the fantastic work that she has been doing with local communities in South America to improve their lives in a sustainable way.

For information about this and our other activities, or on becoming a member, please get in touch with Chairman Mick Denness on 01903 745971, or see our website: https://www.storringtonconservation.org.uk

Conservation Morning at Sullington Warren. Saturday 13th November 09:30 -12:00.

Led by the National Trust. Tools provided. Tasks will include scrub clearing and burning.

Please wear appropriate clothing and gloves.

Bring your own refreshments for short mid-morning break.

Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult unless by prior arrangement.

Meet on ‘The Green’.

Sandgate Conservation Society Talk: “Reimagining the Commons” by Tony Whitbread.

The talk will take place on Wednesday 24th November at 7:30pm at Storrington and Sullington Parish Hall, Thakeham Road, RH20 3PP. This thought-provoking talk by the President of Sussex Wildlife Trust will challenge what you thought you knew and help you see how a different model of ownership of natural resources could result in more sustainable use.

Free entrance. Sorry, no refreshments at this talk.

Storrington Conservation Society: Work morning at Riverside Walk

We will be clearing the lovley Riverside Walk to keep it safe and clear for people to continue to enjoy. Meet by the footbridge over the River Stor at Love Lane (just off Speirbridge Road) Tools and refreshments provided. Further details from Mick on 01903 745971

What Three Words photo.mush.unstated

Our website can be found at: https://www.storringtonconservation.org.uk/

Storrington Conservation Society Work Morning: Dyke Farm

Our task at Dyke Farm is to improve and enhance its wildlife value. Nicola Peel is encouraging the local community groups to come and use the site for various activities. Our work on the site on different visits will involve tree planting and maintenance, meadow management and Himalayan balsam pulling.

Tools and refreshments are provided

Sussex Wildlife Trust (Storrington and Arun Valley Regional Group) are pleased to announce our first regional online event of 2022.

With only around 50 butterfly species found in Sussex, it should be a manageable task to get to know this group of insects well. Let’s find out together, through the creative learning of a talk plus quiz format, just how much we know. No prior knowledge is needed – just join in the fun and allow this online experience to drive you forward.

It is free to join and you can book your place on the Eventbrite page. You can also scan the QR code on the image above. This online event held via Zoom. Details will be sent following registration.

It is with the kind permission of Storrington resident, Martin Kalaher and the Sussex Butterfly Conservation that it is possible to run this quiz. With grateful thanks.

At a critical time for declining numbers of pollinators generally, we will find out more of these beautiful insects. Anyone with even a small strip of garden can make a difference. If we stop using chemicals, actively encourage native plants and leave sections of our gardens wilder, we can already play a big part. Even without your own back garden, you can help our group in various ways: you can influence the management of road verges in urban settings, get inspired to help create a corner of wildflower meadow and join our Garden Pollinator project in 2022. These all help to stall the steep decline in our insect pollinators.

“If butterflies do not survive and hopefully thrive, over the next few decades,
then neither will we!“

Sussex Wildlife Trust Storrington & Arun Valley Regional Group are delighted to invite you to an online event on March 22nd during which George Reekie, one of our group members, will talk to us about his pre-lockdown visit to Costa Rica and show us some of his stunning photographs from this trip.

For anyone who has been to Central America this will bring back some fantastic memories and, for those that haven’t yet, this is a great opportunity to find out more about this part of our natural world.

Please register for the event using the link HERE. It is free to join and please only register once per household.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica has an amazingly abundant and diverse ecosystem. It sets a good example of managing its bio-diversity to the rest of the world. For the photographer there are wonderful opportunities.

This talk aims to give a flavour of the country and its wildlife. In Costa Rica one cannot fail to be overwhelmed by the colour and sheer number of different species. In this respect the talk covers numerous species but concentrates on the exuberant colour to be found everywhere you look.

George Reekie

George has been a serious amateur photographer for many years. He has won many national and international awards in salons of photography. He is involved heavily in the camera club scene, both as a judge and as a lecturer. He has used his photography to give talks to all kinds of local organisations, raising money for charity.

George has achieved Distinction level with the Photographic Association of Great Britain and is an Associate of British Photographic Exhibitions.

George’s interests in photography are wide ranging, but his favourite area is wildlife. This started while living in Zambia and he wishes modern equipment had been available at that time! More lately he has travelled to many countries in the world to photograph the local wildlife and has experienced much of the amazing diversity this planet has to offer.

Recently George has moved to West Sussex from Somerset and is enjoying exploring the area and photographing the wildlife.

The groups email address is: swtstorringtonregion@gmail.com
Website: Storrington & Arun Valley Regional Group | Sussex Wildlife Trust
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/SAVRG

“An Introduction to Insect Pollinators” – an online talk by Alice Parfitt, presented by Sussex Wildlife Trust (Storrington & Arun Valley Regional Group)

There are over 6000 species of Insect Pollinators in the UK including bees, flies, butterflies, moths and butterflies. Join us to learn more about the diversity of these insects, some tips on how to identify them, the threats facing them and what we can all do to help.  You need to register to attend this free event using the highlighted button above.

Our guest speaker is a local (Storrington based) ecologist and conservationist, Alice Parfitt, who has over 20 years of experience working for a range of nature conservation organisations such as Buglife, Sussex Wildlife Trust and RSPB. She is currently a Conservation Officer with Buglife working on a project called Changing Chalk on the Eastern Downs advising landowners, farmers, and communities how they can get involved with pollinator conservation. Alice is passionate about biological recording, and loves all invertebrates, especially hoverflies.

There will be time at the end of her talk for any questions, which Alice will be happy to answer.

Alice Parfitt

Sandgate Conservation Society Talk: “Water under the Bridge” by Tony Pratt (Wey & Arun Canal Trust)

The talk will take place on Wednesday 26th October at 7:30pm at Storrington and Sullington Parish Hall, Thakeham Road, RH20 3PP.

The talk is based on picture postcards from 1900-1930 plus press reports from the period, genealogy research and illustrated with contemporary video clips. All welcome.

Entrance is £2 for Society members, £4 for non-members.

Light refreshments after talk (expected to last about 1 hour).

Submitted to the Storrington Community Website using the Event contact form.

Storrington Conservation Society

Saturday 29th October 2pm at Storrington Village Hall.

Guest Speaker Thomas Parker of REPOWER Balcombe

SOLAR POWER FOR THE HOME, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD

A vital subject addressing the urgent need to provide clean energy.

The meeting includes our short AGM, information about our recent work and future plans

Entrance £3 – Refreshments provided.

All Welcome

Sandgate Conservation Society Talk: “Biomimicry and Nature’s Intelligence” by Nicola Peel

The talk will take place on Wednesday 23rd November at 7:30pm at Storrington and Sullington Parish Hall, Thakeham Road, RH20 3PP.

Billions of years of evolution have resulted in designs, systems and processes in nature that work and are sustainable. The talk is about how we can learn from nature to find solutions to some of our urgent problems. Nicola is an award winning solutionist, international speaker and educator on environmental matters.

The talk is expected to last about 1 hour and light refreshments will be available after.

Entrance is £2 for Society members and £4 for non-members.

Submitted to the Storrington Community Website using the Event contact form.

“The Story of Our Flower Meadow” an online talk by Sarah Abercromby, presented by Sussex Wildlife Trust (Storrington & Arun Valley Regional Group)

A local resident will share with us her journey of a wildflower creation at their home in Storrington, Pulborough. In the last 75 years a staggering 97% of flower-rich meadows have been lost. Across our landscape, we are fortunate that small fragments of wild meadows and grasslands still survive. Sarah is a strong advocate for the re-establishment of wildflower meadows in our area.
Please join us online to hear more of her personal journey with Q&As afterward.

Sarah Abercromby:

A couple of years ago, my husband and I were encouraged to sow a wildflower meadow on an area of land we had recently acquired, which had previously been used for grazing horses. We had no previous knowledge of botany, the local flora, or how to go about creating a wildflower meadow and we had a lot to learn in a short time. During the first summer of flowering, we were totally captivated by the sea of colour and its magnetic effect on both humans and wildlife, encouraging us to continue the development of the meadow and a variety of different habitats. This presentation will follow our story and then will be followed by discussion and a Q & A session hosted by people with proper knowledge of this topic!

I am delighted to share the story behind the creation of our wildflower meadow. My primary goal is to enlighten those folk who are considering a similar venture and help you avoid some of the pitfalls we encountered. I also hope to inspire uninitiated people like us who have a small area of unused land, to sow a wildflower area not only to benefit wildlife, but also to help them understand the value of nature to us all.

This is a free online event.

Thursday, 24 November 2022, 20:00 – 21:30

Please book your ticket here