The Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) is a conservation charity which aims to protect natural life in Sussex. It was founded in 1961 and is one of 46 wildlife trusts across the UK and the Isle of Man and Alderney. As of 2024, it had 38,000 members and manages 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) of land for nature.[1] It is a registered charity[2] and in the year to 31 March 2019 it had an income of £5.7 million and expenditure of £4 million, resulting in net income of £1.7 million.[3]
This site has wet grassland, peat bog and man-made ditches. It has more than half the aquatic plants found in Britain and diverse invertebrates, some of which are internationally rare. The site is also important for waders, which breed there, and for wintering wildfowl.[19]
Most of this site is grassland but there is also a narrow strip of woodland and a stream. The meadows are grazed by sheep in order to keep the grass down and ensure a good display of flowers in the spring. Woodland flowers include sanicle, yellow archangel and purslane.[25]
This is one of the highest points of the South Downs and it has a 360-degree view across the Weald and the Sussex coast. It is herb-rich chalk grassland which provides food for a variety of insects, including butterflies such as the chalkhill blue and the uncommon silver-spotted skipper.[28]
This site consists of several blocks of ancient woodland. It is nationally important for lichens, with over 100 species, and for fungi, with seven Red Data Book species. It is also nationally important for woodland breeding birds and for bats, especially barbastelles and Bechstein’s.[34]
This is one of the largest reedbeds in the county and it also has areas of grazing marsh, swamp and ancient woodland. There is a wide variety of plants and over 1000 species of invertebrates have been recorded. The bird life is important and diverse, with species such as Cetti's warbler, reed bunting, sedge warbler, purple heron, red-backed shrike and water rail.[38]
The wood is mainly oak and birch, but there are also areas of sweet chestnut and former plantations of Scots pine and beech. The site is notable for its invertebrates, with almost 500 species of moths recorded and the rare oak mining-bee.[42]
The wood is mainly oak with an understorey of hazel, birch and holly. An old bomb crater is now a pond which provides a habitat for a variety of fauna and flora. Part of the site is closed to the public so as to provide a sanctuary for foxes and other wildlife.[44]
This former pine plantation is being restored back to heath and grassland by the clearance of pine trees and rhododendrons. Drainage ditches have been blocked to allow the natural restoration of wet heath. Wet seepages provide a habitat for cross-leaved heath, hare’s-tail cottongrass and purple moor-grass.[46]
This is described by Natural England as one of the richest areas of heath in the county. Most of it is dry but there are also areas of wet heath, two ponds, woodland, scrub and grassland. It has a rich invertebrate fauna, and breeding heathland birds include nightjars and stonechats.[51]
This South Downs site is chalk grassland, which is one of Britain's richest habitats for flowers. There are many orchids including the widespread common spotted and fragrant and rarer ones such as the musk and frog orchid.[59]
This site has ancient woodland and species rich unimproved grassland. The wood has coppice of hornbeam, hazel and sweet chestnut and standards of pedunculate oak.[c] A stream runs along a steep sided valley which has 61 species of mosses and liverworts, including some uncommon species.[64]
This large area of woodland has diverse breeding birds and rich lichen and fungal floras. There are many rare beetles and a fly which is under threat of extinction, Chelostoma curvinervis. All three British species of woodpecker breed on the site, together with other woodland species such as nightingales, woodcocks and wood warblers.[69]
This large reserve has diverse coastal habitats, including saltmarsh, shingle, reedbeds, saline lagoons, grazing marsh and flooded gravel pits.[82] More than 280 species of birds have been recorded, out of which 90 breed on the site. There are more than 450 flowering plant species, including 27 which are scarce and two of which are endangered, least lettuce and stinking hawksbeard.[82]
This is one of the few remaining areas of grazing marsh in the county and it has a rich variety of aquatic flora, including one nationally rare species, the small water-pepper. Many bird species winter at the site, including three in nationally important numbers, Bewick’s swan, teal and shoveler.[99]
This is the headquarters of the trust and an environmental education centre.[5] The main feature of the nature reserve is a lake, which has many damselflies and dragonflies, such as the scarce chaser and downy emerald. There is also a large area of ancient woodland, with oak, silver birch and coppiced hazel.[105]
^This is the number of reserves which are listed separately on the SWT website. No details are given of other small reserves.[4]
^ abThe area and location are taken from the Wildlife Trust page for each site.
^Coppicing with standards was a form of forestry management widely used until the late nineteenth century. Most of the trees were regularly coppiced, that is cut down to near ground level, resulting in a stool which provides a base for new growth. Scattered trees were standards which were not coppiced but left to grow.[63]
References
^"About us". Sussex Wildlife Trust. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
^"Eridge Green citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
^ ab"Filsham Reedbed". Sussex Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
^"Iping Common citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
^"Levin Down". Sussex Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
^"Levin Down citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
^"Malling Down". Sussex Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
^"Marline Valley Woods citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
^"The Mens". Sussex Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
^"The Mens citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
^ ab"Old Lodge". Sussex Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
^"Waltham Brooks citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 23 May 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
^ ab"West Dean Woods". Sussex Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
^"West Dean Woods citation"(PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived(PDF) from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
^ ab"Withdean Woods". Sussex Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2018.