Whilst Sussex BC would like to be involved in as many conservation projects as possible, the current reality is that most of our efforts are directed towards a single reserve, namely Rowland Wood/Park Corner Heath.
This reserve is part of the Vert Wood complex, which is situated to the north of the village of Laughton, in East Sussex. Vert Wood was once an extensive Oak woodland with many large glades and an extensive heathland, which was kept open by grazing wild cattle and pigs. Over the centuries, the heathland has been lost to the plough, and then after the Second World War, this ancient woodland was largely felled and replaced by alien conifer plantations. A further ecological catastrophe struck when The Great Storm of 1987 wreaked havoc in this part of Sussex, and the conifer plantations were once again replaced by "more of the same".
Park Corner Heath became a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1953 in an attempt to save the Lewes Wave moth and in 1961 it was declared a nature reserve. Thanks to a legacy from Miss Pamela Lewis and donations by BC members, the much larger adjacent woodland, Rowland Wood, was acquired by Butterfly Conservation in 2010. It was hoped that a larger area of suitable habitat would ensure the future of the tiny population of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. Sadly, this was not to be. The summer of 2012 was wet and cold and in 2013 there was a maximum count of just four Small Pearls. In 2014, the Sussex race of this species failed to re-appear and this population ceased to exist.
However, as a result of Butterfly Conservation's "Fritillaries for the Future" project, a re-introduction programme of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries began in 2017, and seven years later it is gratifying to report that this species is now doing well in Rowland Wood.
Rowland Wood/Park Corner Heath is very actively-managed by Butterfly Conservation, with fritillaries at the forefront of the decision-making. Much of the "work on the ground" is done by Sussex BC volunteers under the guidance of Neil Hulme. Long may this continue. Please see below the schedule for this year's winter work parties.
The work parties will start at 10am and end around 3:30pm, but don't feel obliged to stay all day. There is no need to inform anyone that you plan to attend - please just show up. Please bring your own work gloves and your own hand tools if you have them, particularly loppers. You will also need to bring your own food and drink as required.
We do recommend that you keep an eye on this page as we will make it clear here if any of the work parties have to be cancelled due to unsafe weather.
Here's a little summary of what we do on the work parties - by Jonathan Crawford
The work parties last from 10am to about 3.30pm, but we normally give up early if it's raining. Some people arrive and stay the whole day, some people just a few hours or after lunch. Everyone is welcome and every contribution is valuable. We start the day with a chat and roll call and a little bit about health and safety, and then we go into the reserves.
Most of the work is clearing scrub with loppers and saws (heavy duty gardening). There is normally something for every ability, and people can work as fast or as slow as they like. A couple of us run brush cutters, but that is usually done away from the group so as not to disturb their peace and quiet. Often, we have fantastic bonfires which are especially welcome on cold winter mornings and a great focal point.
We work for about an hour and a half and then stop for a break. Another hour and a half and it's lunchtime. After that is a couple of hours and it's time to go home, tired but happy. As you would imagine, the people who attend are very keen on birds, botany and butterflies so we can have marvellous chats during our breaks.
Neil Hulme will be leading walks on our Park Corner Heath & Rowland Wood reserves, to find both the Pearl-bordered and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary next spring, and a mystery event later in the summer. These will be restricted to those volunteers who have attended Work Parties over the autumn and winter. To ensure success, dates will be confirmed much nearer the time when weather and emergence times can be better predicted.
Please contact Neil Hulme if you have any queries.
More information about these reserves can be found here
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