PICTURE OF THE
MONTH: The tranquillity of the night sky in the South Downs
is something to behold and cherish. This captivating image of the
northern lights, aka aurora borealis, at Cissbury Ring
won the hearts of the public vote for the astrophotography competition.
Congratulations to Michael Steven Harris, from Brighton, who wins £75.
Thank you to all who engaged with or attended the Dark Skies Festival
last month - we hope you've been inspired!
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Taking the lead with your dog this
spring
It’s
great that people can get out for walks, often with dogs, to enjoy all
the health and wellbeing benefits of the National Park.
As lambing and
ground-nesting bird season begins this March, we’re encouraging
dogwalkers to take the lead and keep paws on the path.
With dog ownership
at an all-time high post-pandemic, we’re re-energising our “Take The Lead” campaign, which
encourages responsible dog walking with simple actions, such as keeping
canines on leads around livestock and bagging and binning dog poo.
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Some wheely good news!
Off-road
mobility scooters unveiled
last March have been put through their paces hundreds of times over the
past year.
Find out more hereabout the success of
the initiative and details about how to hire one.
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Spotlight on disability access
Meet
Anita Kerwin-Nye, who recently took on the role of Director of
Landscape and Strategy at the National Park following the retirement of
her long-serving predecessor, Andrew Lee.
For Disabled
Access Day this month, Anita shines a spotlight on
disabled access in the South Downs and shares her own thoughts and
experiences.
Read Anita's piece here.
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New wildlife haven is created in village
A beautiful wildlife
corridor of trees has been planted in the centre of a South Downs village
to mark The King’s Coronation.
His Majesty’s
Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex, Lady Emma Barnard, helped villagers plant
the first of 12 cherry and crab apple trees in Singleton. Learn more here.
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Apply for tree planting!
Calling all schools, parish councils, businesses, community groups and
landowners!
Are you interested in applying
for tree planting to help nature and climate?
Contact Victoria Crespi, the National Park's Grants Officer, at grants@southdowns.gov.ukand find out
more here. The deadline is 31 May and urban
fringes of the National Park can be considered.
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Go-ahead
for cultural centre
Plans
for a new culture, arts and education hub that will provide a downland
visitor gateway have been approved. Find out more here.
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Muslim Hikers enjoy seafront walk
More
than 150 people from all over the UK and beyond enjoyed a bracing
seafront walk along the scenic Seven Sisters.
Learn more here.
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Serene hill on show in winning
picture
A
serene image of one of Sussex’s most sacred hills is the winner of the
South Downs National Park’s People’s Choice award.
More
than 1,200 votes were cast for the annual photo competition. Find out more here.
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Secrets of town are revealed in big dig
The
discovery of a basement wall from over 300 years ago and 18th century
sewing pins were among the highlights of an archaeological excavation
in Eastbourne.
Learn more about the excavation here.
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Go for a walk and WIN £30 voucher!
Have
you tried our immersive audio tour exploring
thought-provoking stories and personal reflections about the Sussex
Heritage Coast?
During
April and May we’re inviting people to try out the We Hear You Now
audio trail at Seven Sisters Country Park. And you could win £30 just
for providing a testimonial! Find out more here.
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Meet South Downs Ranger Laura
For
International Women's Day, we get the inside story from Laura Tong, a
ranger for the Western Downs in Hampshire.
Read her story here.
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Boy from war-torn Ukraine wins contest
What could be more
beautiful than a blanket of tulips at Arundel Castle on a gorgeous spring
day?
The spectacle was
captured by young photographer Ivan Chupryna, who has won the under-10s
category in the National Park’s youth photo competition. Find out about all the winners here.
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Planning projects can win major awards
There are less than
eight weeks left to submit your nomination for the prestigious 2024 South Downs Design Awards.
Recognising
professional design work in a protected landscape, the awards celebrate
projects and professionals that make a standout contribution to the
National Park.
The 2024 categories
cover residential, non-residential, and conservation projects, as well as
future unbuilt projects.
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Win a family pass to transport museum!
Located
in the heart of the National Park is a museum that offers a unique
insight into the region’s working past.
Travel back in time
at Amberley Museum and explore the south’s
industrial heritage, all set within a sprawling former quarry and
limeworks.
Did you know the
site was used as a set for the James Bond film A View To A Kill
with Roger Moore?
The museum includes
a fascinating film revealing how the site was turned into a movie set to
create some very exciting action scenes back in the mid-80s.
Today the museum has
over 40 exhibit areas to discover, including a narrow-gauge railway,
historic buses, rural crafts and extensive communications displays.
There’s something
for everyone and it offers the perfect family day-out this spring or
summer. There’s even a beautiful train station next door if you wanted to
leave the car at home!
We’ve teamed up with
Amberley to offer a family day pass for two adults and up to three
children. People signing up to the newsletter during March will be
automatically entered into the prize draw.
Those who are
already signed up can email the answer to this question: “Which actor
played the character of May Day in the 1985 film shot at Amberley?” to newsletter@southdowns.gov.uk before
midnight on 31 March.
Sign up to the newsletter here
and see competition T&Cs here.
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It's World Water Day this month, so to mark the occasion,
we're sharing this film that reveals efforts to restore the River Rother,
straddling Hampshire and West Sussex, for the benefit of both wildlife
and people.
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Things to do in March
Find other events and activities across
the National Park and submit your own. Please remember
booking may be necessary and do check full details with the venue
- Enjoy an afternoon at Petersfield
Museum and see its exhibition, Katharine Swailes and
Caron Penney: The Language of Weaving.The duo are
leading tapestry artists who are creating works that weave
together the rich history of tapestry practices with contemporary
design. Swailes and Penney are an integral part of the historical
network of women artists and designers in the traditional tapestry
weaving art field, which has slowly become recognised for its
contribution to contemporary art and design in the UK. Alongside
the exhibition, which runs until 1 June, are a series of weaving
demonstrations and workshops.
- Calling all art lovers!
Head to Goodwood
House, near Chichester, on 19 March for an
evening talk on women’s artists. The talk will be given by
Goodwood’s curator and include a welcome from The Duchess of
Richmond, together with a champagne and canape reception in the
state apartments. The Goodwood Collection has works by 18th
century female artists including Angelica Kauffman, Anne Damer and
Katherine Read, as well as pictures by contemporary artist Holly
Frean.
- Head to Gilbert
White House and Gardens, in Selborne, for
their Open Greenhouse Day on 20 March. The greenhouse will be busy
as the propagating team prepare plants for this season’s planting
and sales. Meet the team, find out about our plant production
operation, watch the system in action and ask questions.
- Find out more about the
wonderful wildlife of Seaford! On The
Verge and Seaford Natural History Society is
putting on a series of talks and the next one is delivered by Lucy
Lapwing, at Seaford Baptist Church, at 2.30pm on 23 March. Tickets
are £3.
- Visit Seven Sisters
Country Park from 27 March to 7 April to enjoy a stunning art
exhibition in the beautifully-restored Pump Barn next to the
visitor centre. “Meanderings” will feature the work of artists
from the Salt Edge
group.
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