Category: Wildflower Sites

Shoreham Port Conservation Corridor

Posted on by Sue Standing

Despite being an organisation focused on dolphins and porpoises, we believe that all wildlife is interconnected and important.

It can be hard to get people involved with more marine focused projects so, to make it easier for people to connect with nature, we run a side project on the Shoreham Port Conservation Corridor (SPCC).

The SPCC is a unique project site, nestled in the industrialised area of Shoreham Port, and bordered by housing, making it an isolated and important first land-fall for migratory butterfly species.

The Shoreham Port Conservation Corridor is about 1.8 hectares, but the Butterfly banks is small at roughly 5mx5m

This isolated area hosts a number of habitat types, and our goal is to enhance these to increase biodiversity in this urbanised landscape. The diversity of wildlife present is something we are particularly proud of. During a Bioblitz in July 2024, we recorded an impressive 114 species within just two hours. Typical examples of species are: Viper’s Bugloss, Oxeye Daisy, Pyramidal Orchid.

No seed mixes have been sown and we have a management plan for the whole of the SPCC, using scythes and strimming. We do not cut the butterfly bank, we only maintain it buy removing any weeds or overpopulated species.

One of our site’s standout features is the chalkland butterfly bank. This area is carefully maintained to encourage the growth of wildflowers each spring and serves as a critical habitat for local pollinators.

The Shoreham Port Conservation Corridor (SPCC), managed by our dedicated team of volunteers alongside our volunteer Head Ranger, Ben, is a vibrant site undergoing continuous management.

Our team conducts litter picks to keep the site clean, maintenance of pathways and winter scallop site clearances, removing overgrowth to expose the soil and give dormant seeds an opportunity to sprout.

We typically work on a couple of sites each year across the SPCC, continually enhancing the biodiversity of the area.

We have also just built a hibernaculum (A safe structure for reptiles and other small species to hibernate over winter) and are looking to plant native wildflowers on top.

Hibernaculum

In the Spring/Summer time we will host a Bioblitz to see how many different species we can find on site.

For further information, please contact: amber.cherrington@sussexdolphinproject.org

Address: what3words: ///remind.wiser.cups This community led project is accessible at anytime. Wheelchair access from the west side of the site but there only dirt pathways so might be tricky for wheelchair users in the wetter months. There is stair access from Albion street

Visit the The Sussex Dolphin Project website to find out more about all the projects they carry out.

Victoria Park

Posted on by Sue Standing

Victoria Park, Norfolk Street, Worthing BN11 4BD

The park is always open and there are two raised beds and the fisherman’s garden near the play park.

Raised Beds looking south
Fisherman’s Garden
Raised Beds looking North

We aim to make the raised beds attractive and beneficial for wildlife.

There is a hard path around the park that makes it easy for people using wheelchairs and walking aids, and pushchairs.

Victoria Park west path

Victoria Park Volunteers and Dog Walkers Group hold volunteer sessions on the first Saturday morning of the month. Sessions may be cancelled if the weather is unwelcoming. See the noticeboard for further information.

Working in collaboration with Worthing Council, we have ideas for a rose memorials area, community orchard and re-vamping of the fisherman’s garden but will pace ourselves depending on volunteer capacity and funds available.

Contact: victoriaparkworthing@outlook.com

Please take a look at our Facebook page:

Friends of Marine Gardens

Posted on by Sue Standing

Bus Route: 700 & 8a    Open to the Public 24/7

As a formal garden, most of the areas in Marine Gardens are tended to, cut lawns and flowed beds nursed. Our goal is to provide all round colour.

We do however understand that to some, a garden should be left to nature rather than managed. Acknowledging this, we have the Wilding walk, which can be found around the North East part of the garden, where the grass is not cut and we allow nature to do its own thing.

North East Area of Garden
Art work and Flowers
Oxeye Daisies

The beds have wild flowers and with the back drop from a local artist, we have a different look and feel and we have a completely different  colour scheme. It is also the site for the gardens compost heap where we produce our own compost supporting all the gardens.

We are fortunate that we also tend to a Fish pond, where currently there is so much wild life thriving.

Marine Gardens Fish Pond

We also work in partnership with ‘Pumpkin Childs nursery” and their art work is often visible in the gardens.

Posters and Art Work by Pumpkin Childs Nursery
View of Marine Gardens from Seafront entrance
Dragon Fly

Marine Gardens is disabled friendly and has its own café plus private and council toilets.

For further information please contact: fomgwor@gmail.com

Henry House Front Garden

Posted on by Sue Standing

Henry House Hot Pool & Therapy Centre invited customers and friends to donate seedlings , which were planted in the 6′ x 4′ front garden.

The following spring and summer had a beautiful show of wild flowers, such as Alkanet, cornflowers, nasturtiums, comfrey, mallow, poppy, grasses, bindweed etc.

In 2024 the wet weather caused problems, but we plan to remove some turf soon and try again with seeds and plants.

For more information about how we are ‘Going Green’, please take a look at the website https://www.henryhouse.net/going-green

Sustainable Sussex

Posted on by Sue Standing

We are creating The Fen Farm, Nature trail and Community Orchard in partnership with Sompting Estate – Spaces which will demonstrate how together, a community can create amazing spaces, great connections, the best quality value added products, healthy and tasty food experiences that so many do not experience.  We care for people and planet while engaging and supporting those who may be marginalised through diverse circumstances – from mental or physical health, to age, trauma or loneliness and exclusion.

Sustainable Sussex prides itself in delivering safe and engaging practical projects which have real-world outputs, such as high-value products from Sussex Chilli Farm, where individuals feel an ownership of the projects and products.  This is allowed through the natural support networks that are encouraged to form within the groups, often allowing people who would traditionally not be encouraged to take on leadership roles due to disability or other difficulties to do so.

More information on https://www.sustainablesussex.org/

Friends of Whitebeam Woods

Posted on by Sue Standing

Whitebeam Wood is the last remaining pocket of ancient woodland in the Borough of Worthing, and is an important site locally.

It is well supported by the Borough and is maintained by Friends of Whitebeam Wood, a local conservation group who carry out pond and woodland management.

The Group meet on the third Saturday of each month (excluding August) to work between 10.00 am and 1.00 pm.

We aim to maintain this ancient community woodland, working in conjunction with Worthing Borough Council.

Through this conservation work we try to develop wildlife habitats and encourage the interest and involvement of the local community.

If you think you would enjoy conservation work, in a local wood with a pond, no experience necessary, all tools provided then please contact us.

How to find Whitebeam Wood

Go to Romany Road in Durrington BN13 3DW (near Tesco). There are several entrances to the wood from the slip road Whitebeam Road. Ample parking. Meet by the pond.

Friends of Whitebeam Wood

Worthing

BN13 3DW

Sompting Brooks Nature Trail

Posted on by Sue Standing

Sompting Brooks Nature Trail is located at the south end of Loose Lane, Sompting BN15 0DQ, and is open all year round.

Access is on foot only from the south end of Loose Lane. Do not park outside the flats at the end of Loose Lane as this area is reserved for local residents. Park along Loose Lane before the junction with Sylvan Road or preferably come by foot, bicycle or via public transport (the number 7 bus stops just outside the entrance).

The path is a farm track laid in sections with gravel and is somewhat uneven. Access might be difficult for wheelchairs or buggies, particularly in the winter.

The meadow area is about 6 HA with native wetland flowers and grasses in the new stream bank meadows, native wildflower meadow mixes in the former arable meadows.

stream bank
Surveying the species

We have used Emorsgate EM4 Meadow Mixture for wetter soil areas and Emorsgate EM5 for the drier and/or more loamy areas. Both mixes contain a good range of the wild flowers and grasses once common in unimproved flower-rich lowland meadows.

Former arable meadows are managed by regular grazing/cutting outside of flowering season, and the wetland meadows are seasonally controlled by volunteers (hand pulling/cutting) of over vigorous species as needed.

The wildflower meadow and stream banks now host four species of orchid; Southern March Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Pyramidal and Bee Orchid.

Bird Vetch (Vicia cracca)
Sainfoin (Onobrychis sativa)

We have regular River Ranger volunteers sessions at the EPIC project site at Sompting Brooks. These run on the 3rd Sunday of the month and include seasonal habitat maintenance activities such as reed cutting, tree mulching & channel clearing.

For more information about volunteering, please email Alistair.whitby@oart.org.uk to join the River Ranger list.

Steepdown Hill Local Wildlife Site

Posted on by Sue Standing

Steepdown Hill Local Wildlife Site is a field on Lychpole Farm, 900m east of Beggars Bush car park, Sompting BN15 0AY, where Titch Hill Road meets Steyning Bostal Road.

CROW Act Open Access Areas are nearly always open but please refer to maps to identify which field is the Open Access Area.

Access to the site is 900m of rough track and then a steep hill slope on which livestock may be present. Unfortunately, this site is not accessible for some disabilities due to the path being very rough and the hillside very steep and uneven.

The only Parking is at Beggars Bush car park, do not drive into the farmhouses area at this postcode. If that is full, park in North Sompting residential area and walk up the footpaths from Herbert Road west then north. Access into the field is via the public footpath.  For your safety please only enter fields where a public footpath is indicated.

The site is about 10Ha with Cowslips and Harebells often flowering on this ancient species rich chalk grassland.

The site is managed by the Farmer with regular grazing outside of the flowering season, and occasional control of scrub as needed.

Seed collection is not allowed as this is a designated Local Wildlife Site and the seed should stay where it is to sustain populations.

Steepdown Hill LWS is ancient chalk grassland; it was too steep to be mechanically ploughed and fertilised when so much wildflower-rich chalk downland was ploughed to feed the nation after World War II.  So it is a precious survival.  The lower, flatter northwest part of the meadow was ploughed and fertilised, but Sompting Estate and our Lychpole Farm tenants have reverted it to unfertilised grassland.  We hope that over years to come, the cattle and sheep grazing the older parts of the meadow will bring seeds on their hooves to make that part flower-rich like the rest. 

More information on www.somptingestate.com/farming-with-nature

Our future plans are to extend the flower-rich sward diversity over the former arable field in the NW corner of the site, which we have added to the LWS area for this purpose.

For more information visit Sompting Estate

TTW Greenspaces – The Triangle

Posted on by Sue Standing

The Triangle is a smaller plot of land in Tarring, where Haynes Road meets Guildford Road. It is currently gardened by a handful of local residents, including children. It has raised vegetable and soft fruit beds, some fruit and native trees, herbs and a wild area with a small pond, housing frogs and our resident toad!

Our small shed, which we made from pallets, houses a few tools and provides a mini water catchment area for the water butts. Anyone is welcome to come and help with the garden and share produce.

We soon hope to create together a small children’s area.

The Triangle

Worthing

BN14 7LL

traceyjanmclaren@gmail.com

Friends of Tarring Park

Posted on by Sue Standing

The group does meet up itself but is linked to Tarring Community Forum. The TCF meets every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7 pm. The venue for meetings is West Worthing Baptist Church, South Street, Tarring, Worthing. Any FoTP members who are not able to attend the meetings are kept up to date with forthcoming events and become involved where they can.

The main aim of Friends of Tarring Park is to help maintain the park, notify any problems to the appropriate authority, and to make good use of the park by arranging Community events. Events include Easter Egg Hunt/Easter Bonnet Competition, Picnic in the Park and Carols in the Park. Also, a new event this year is ‘An Autumn Walk n the Park’. This involves an interesting and informative talk by an expert about the various trees in the park.

We hold monthly litter picks on every 2nd Saturday of the month from 10 am. These are advertised as being friendly and sociable. We encourage members of the local community to join in including children.

Tarring Park is situated between Church Road and South Street , Tarring. It leads onto Church House Gardens which is the home to Tarring Priory Bowls Club. As well as the lawn bowls green there are adjacent tennis courts. Within the park itself there s a children’s playground and a MUGA.

Friends of Tarring Park

Worthing

BN13 1EU

dee.richardson19@outlook.com