Tag: nature

Tree Festival Week – 15th to 22nd June 2025

The Trees Committee of Friends of Lewes are organising guided tree walks during Tree Festival Week, 15th to 22nd June.

Southover Grange Gardens
Sunday 15th June  2.30 – 4.00 p.m.
Explore the gardens native and exotic trees including a venerable Mulberry and a magnificent Tulip tree.
Meet next to the café hatch in Southover Grange Gardens, Southover Road, BN7 1TL Book via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/southover-grange-gardens-guided-tree-walk-tickets-1255969190659?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_source=email&utm_medium=sparkpost&utm_campaign=postpublish

Railway Land Nature Reserve

Tuesday 17th June 11.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
Join us for a Nature Wander around this urban wildlife haven.
Meet at the Linklater Pavilion in the Lewes Railway Land Nature Reserve, Railway Lane, BN7 2FG
Free – no need to book.
Nature Wanders take place every Tuesday 11.00 – 12.30
Just turn up!

Southover Grange Gardens
Sunday 22nd June  2.30 – 4.00 p.m.
Explore the gardens native and exotic trees including a venerable Mulberry and a magnificent Tulip tree.
Meet next to the café hatch in Southover Grange Gardens, Southover Road, BN7 1TL

Book via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/southover-grange-gardens-guided-tree-walk-tickets-1256013884339?aff=oddtdtcreator

The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) Partnership Management Plan for the Future

There are many people who play a role in looking after the National Park. The Partnership Management Plan (PMP)  is a key document that sets out the priorities for the South Downs National Park for the next five years and how we will work together to achieve this shared vision.

The world is facing both climate and nature crises at a time when people have never needed access to green space more. The South Downs National Park is already being impacted and needs an ambitious vision for the next five years to meet these crises and to deliver for nature, climate, people and place. This is your National Park, and we need your input to decide what the shared priorities for the next five years should be. Over the coming months there will be different opportunities to get involved.

Resources for Change are working with the SDNPA to ensure we hear from as many voices as possible but to do that we really need your support. We think that your views around what the National Park does next are critical and so please do sign up or encourage others to do the same and help create a plan for the future that works for nature and for everyone.

Please see the table of upcoming events below and a link to the SDNPA website were you can complete a short survey.

Phase 2: Priority outcomes and action planning – Everyone is welcome to attend events listed below.

DateTimeVenue
Wednesday 5th March 
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE		7pm – 9pmONLINE
Thursday 6th March
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE		10am – 3pmStroud Village Hall
Monday 10th March
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE		10am – 3pmPulborough Village Hall
Tuesday 11th March
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE		7pm – 9pmONLINE
Wednesday 12th March
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE		7pm – 9pmONLINE
Friday 14th March
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE		10am – 3pmLinklater Pavilion, Lewes

Together for Nature, Climate and People – South Downs National Park Authority

Winterbourne Festival 1st – 9th March 2025

Instagram / Facebook / Love our Ouse Website

Sponsored by The Friends of Lewes

Community initiative Love our Ouse and local partners have been awarded funds to deliver a festival on the 1st to the 9th March dedicated to the Winterbourne Stream that flows through Lewes

Read the press release here:

Winterbourne Festival Programme releaseDownload

Lewes is now a Swift-friendly town!

In September 2024, Lewes Town Council formally approved a proposal from Lewes Swift Supporters to designate Lewes as a Swift-friendly town.

The aims of this initiative are: 

  • To spread the word about Swifts so that more people learn about these marvellous, red-listed birds.
  •  To encourage people to become “biodiversity champions” and take an action, however small, which will help to increase biodiversity across Lewes.

Swifts can be seen as an indicator of good biodiversity – where there is a rich mosaic of biodiverse habitats, there will be Swifts too! The population of Swifts has declined by 58% since 1995. They live in the air and depend on airborne insects and invertebrates for food, but Buglife research estimates that numbers of insects have fallen by 78% since 2004. 

Friends of Lewes have joined with other community groups to lend their support to this project. They have already given direct support through funding the purchase and installation of Swift boxes to expand existing colonies in De Montfort Road. One of these boxes was visited by Swifts in 2024. They also help by monitoring planning applications to safeguard existing nest sites. The trees and hedges planted by the Trees Committee provide food and habitat for a wide range of insects and invertebrates – in the evenings you may often see Swifts circling above trees to hunt for food. 

Find out more about how you may help Swifts:   https://e-voice.org.uk/lewesswiftsupporters/lewes-a-swift-friendly-town/

Coffee Time Talk: Laughton Greenwood – Our Local Community Woodland – 19 March 2024

Tuesday 19 March, 10.30 am, Eastgate Church Hall, Eastgate Street, Lewes, BN7 2LR

Steve Lewis of Laughton Greenwood

The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe. Trees bring us beauty, mindfulness and carbon capture. Within Lewes town we have the excellent work of Lewes Urban Arboretum, planting trees on the verges. But the nearest community woodland to Lewes is Laughton Greenwood, just beyond Ringmer. This is one of the few volunteer-run woods in Sussex. Whereas most of the surrounding woods have signs that say ‘Private – Keep Out’, Laughton Greenwood has signs that say ‘Welcome’. Volunteers try to manage the wood for three purposes. One, to develop the ancient trees and English broadleaf wood, two, to increase nature and biodiversity, and three, to increase opportunities for the public to visit. Regular nature walks and bird or butterfly transects bring the chance to learn more about nature, and we would love to offer visits for local schools. 

Come and hear Steve Lewis, current chair of the volunteer committee talk about Laughton Greenwood and the challenges and opportunities. 

Tree-planting group at Laughton Greenwood, photo: courtesy of Laughton Greenwood

This talk is free for Friends of Lewes. Non-members can pay £4.00 on the door to attend or join here.

See the Diary page for a list of forthcoming events organised by the Friends of Lewes