Latest steps on the community’s Re-Naturing and Pollinator Projects
There has already been lots of appreciation for the long grass margins around the edges of the Recreation Ground which are providing a wider range of habitats and encouraging improvements in biodiversity – including important pollinator species.
Early in December (2022) after a special mowing operation which cut all the long grass, collected it to take away and scarified the surface of the soil, Yellow Rattle seeds were sown. Yellow Rattle is often described as the ‘meadow maker’ due to its ability to weaken vigorous grasses and allow other wildflowers to flourish. It is a hemi-parasite on grasses and, once established, it should allow many other wildflowers to grow and establish around the edges of the recreation ground reducing the threat of grasses taking over.
In February about 60 mixed native (locally UK sourced) hedgerow whips were planted to fill a 10-15m gap in the hedgerow in the top corner of the recreation ground – with sincere thanks to the South Downs National Park Authority. A mix of species which should be good for foraging (eg. hazel, dog rose, blackthorn etc) were planted with a layer of mulch and protective guards to help the whips to establish for a few years.
In March over 200 wildflower plug plants were added into the grass margins to help increase the diversity (with thanks again due to the National Park Authority). The aim is to get successional flowering, a variety of colours and as extended a flowering period as possible with taller species being planted in the grass margins alongside the railway line and those preferring drier soils along the Kiln Lane borders.
The species planted were Agrimony, Dropwort , Lesser knapweed, Marjoram, Red campion, White campion, Greater knapweed, Kidney vetch, Lady’s bedstraw, Cowslip, Harebell and Bird’s foot trefoil.
The Parish Council has been liaising with Network Rail for a number of months to try to ensure that contractors do not spray any weed-killer along the tracksides close to the recreation ground in case it might drift into the areas where wildflowers are now being encouraged. Network Rail has kindly agreed that, whilst it will not be able to undertake any extensive work to help nature within the parish, they are happy to support the Parish Council’s plans and will ask their maintenance teams to implement a management strategy to assist the local proposals.
