Programme 2025

To welcome in the new Autumn season, we are introducing a new project – it is Cootham Pond. It is situated in a small wood on the corner of Pulborough Road and Clay Lane, just passed Cootham village hall (heading out of Storrington), on the south side of the main road.

What3Words(w3w): satin.trout.friday click (here)

The initial aim of our work is to fell and clear trees from around the dry pond (it is dry at the time of writing but rain is forecast, so wellies might be appropriate on the day). This will let in some much needed light and kick-start new growth in the area. Those of you who are aware of the area will know that there is minimal parking, so we have been given permission to park in The Crown Inn Car Park, Cootham when we are on work-party duty, so that is our initial meeting point please.

Tools and refreshments are provided.

To help our fellow Storrington Conservation groups, we have arranged a morning session at Sullington Warren. We will be helping them with their maintenance of the area. The plan is to work on the wet heath towards the Water Lane end of the Sullington Warren. The work could include, raking cut heather to diversify the age of the heather which can then support different species, creating some scrapes for reptiles and invertebrates and clearing invasive scrub and burning it.

Parking at the top end of the car park road of Trinity Methodist Church, off Thakeham road, opposite the speed camera (B2139).

What3Words(w3w): folders.templates.dentistry – click (here)

Tools and refreshments are provided.

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE AS THIS IS A WEEK LATER THAN OUR NORMAL SATURDAY WORK-PARTY, SO IT TIES IN WITH THEIR WORK PARTY SESSSION.

At our latest site, we will continue the scrub clearance of these important chalk grasslands to improve the habitat for the butterflies. This site is more challenging than our regular sites as it is on the northern slopes of the Downs.

Meet at Grey Friars Farm – Stables Complex

What3Words(w3w): meatball.haunt.locker – click (here)

Tools and refreshments are provided.

Our annual A.G.M. takes place today with discussions about the previous years work (our successes or not), where we stand at the present and what direction the society should take in the future.

Our Speaker for this event is Dr Erica McAlister (writer of “The Secret Lives of Flies”). Erica is senior Curator for flies and fleas at the Natural History Museum, London and has a large passion for all bitey, stabby, maiming things. This should be a most unusual talk and may even change our views on some of these beasties.

Meet in The Village Hall. What3Words(w3w): firebird.rush.covenants – click (here)

Tea and cake provided – Entrance for non-members is £4 and free for fully paid members 2025-26/life-time members.

We will be continuing our clearance of the Silver Birch from the hillside of this Site of Special Scientific Interest. (SSSI) in preparation for the possibility of sand lizards being released on the site soon, and our efforts are helping towards this.

We cannot park in our usual spot as Kate has now passed on ownership of this site to a third party, who are fully committed to maintaining the areas status as a SSSI. The new parking area is about 100m passed where we used to park. It is further south from the golf club and just passed Kate’s home entrance, through a gate on the right, on some hard standing next to an old farm building.

What3Words(w3w): warriors.dimension.corrects – click (here)

Tools and refreshments are provided.

At our latest site, we will continue the scrub clearance of these important chalk grasslands to improve the habitat for the butterflies. This site is more challenging than our regular sites as it is on the northern slopes of the Downs.

Meet at Grey Friars Farm – Stables Complex

What3Words(w3w): meatball.haunt.locker – click (here)

Tools and refreshments are provided.

To help our fellow Storrington Conservation groups, we have arranged a morning session at Sullington Warren. We will be helping them with their maintenance of the area. The plan is to work on the wet heath towards the Water Lane end of the Sullington Warren. The work could include, raking cut heather to diversify the age of the heather which can then support different species, creating some scrapes for reptiles and invertebrates and clearing invasive scrub and burning it.

Parking at the top end of the car park road of Trinity Methodist Church, off Thakeham road, opposite the speed camera (B2139).

What3Words(w3w): folders.templates.dentistry – click (here)

Tools and refreshments are provided.

PLEASE NOTE THE DATE AS THIS IS A WEEK LATER THAN OUR NORMAL SATURDAY WORK-PARTY, SO IT TIES IN WITH THEIR WORK PARTY SESSSION.