Our latest news
Some text to go in here that explains a bit about the different sections below.
Conservation
Across the Greenhavens you will find community hubs where people come together with a shared vision of protecting and caring for nature. Often delivering practical habitat management including practical engagement such as tree planting, creating wildflower verges, maintaining access etc.
Greenhavens is currently looking at creating and enhancing green corridors across the network, passionate about our bees and butterflies we want to create Bee roads. We envisage these green corridors will be enhanced with edible trees, wildflower and improved accessibility, enabling our Communities to enjoy nature whilst providing much needed space for nature.
We actively encourage our communities to share their wildlife sightings with ourselves so that we can build up a picture of the wonderful wildlife that exists across the network. Other activities include wildlife watching and sharing those records of butterflies, bees, birds, flowers etc. to support the biodiversity enhancements.
If you would like to supply us with a story to publish please use the form at the bottom of our contact page here…
Mike’s Nature Blog – April 2021
Mike's Nature Blog April 2021
Lady Smock
So excited to see my first sighting of the Cuckooflower (25/03) which is such an important food source for caterpillars of the orange tip and green veined white butterfly. I have always called it Lady [...]
Mike’s Nature Blog – March 2021
Spring did seem to be very slow getting going in Seaford. While other areas of the Country were report sightings of spring bees, I was still stuck with Honeybees and Queen Buff-tailed Bumblebees. To read [...]
Local Nature Sightings
Local Greenhavens member Mike Kerry is often out in the Last Wood, Seaford and other local green spaces with his camera and sharp eye and has kindly offered to share his wildlife sightings with us. [...]
Planting Solutions for Saltdean
Many thanks to Christine from Saltdean Trees for sharing this article drafted for a local magazine. We are currently facing two global environmental emergencies: biodiversity loss and climate change. Many of their underlying causes are [...]
More Treezilla Monster mappers needed!
Here's a quiz question for you. How many trees are there in Lewes district? Answer 9. Well that is clearly not true, as our community groups have been very busy planting new trees, and there [...]
Championing SuDS and rain gardens
Back in October one of our members Audrey, attended a presentation in Lewes by Aimee Felus of ChaMP (Chalk Management Partnership). ChaMP Brighton ChaMP for Water (ChaMP) was established to protect and improve the quality [...]
“Shepherd’s wild turkey” – Great bustard back in Sussex!
Photos with kind permission of Mike Kerry In mid November we had an unusual visitor when a great bustard was spotted in Sussex, causing great excitement in bird watching circles. Greenhavens member Mike Kerry managed [...]
Friends of Last Wood and Meadow – first steps forward
If you were at the June Greenhavens meeting you will have heard tree warden Margery talk about the Last Wood and Meadow in Seaford. This really is a special site full of orchids and butterflies [...]
Castle Hill and the Long Tailed Blues..
Many thanks to Pete Varnham for the fantastic photographs, and to volunteers at Castle Hill for sharing this fantastic story. Until 2013 the Long-tailed Blue butterfly was an extremely rare migrant to the British Isles. [...]
The oak tree planter – a jay at Hope Gap
The jay is a pretty shy bird. I normally only spot one as it flies off in a panic back into the deepest woodland glades. In early June though, I spotted one out in the [...]
Real webs and balloons for Halloween!
A few years ago, we woke up to an amazing sight on the Martello Fields in Seaford, it looked like the whole field had been decorated for Halloween the following night! The early morning dew [...]
Lesser celandine
Who can fail to love these spectacular bright glossy yellow star shaped flowers. They are so loaded with pollen that they attract queen bumblebees and spring mining bees providing that vital nectar source early on [...]
Delicate Primroses
Primroses with their beautiful delicate creamy yellow flowers make us sigh with happiness as we know spring is here, which is probably why in the magical world they are symbols of eternal love. These woodland [...]
The all almighty Crocus!
Be careful if you are walking on verges and gardens adorned with crocuses. These are such an important source of nectar for our emerging bees that they often shelter in the flowers overnight. Look out [...]
Greenhavens Wild Gardens
Sparrows! Many years ago I was a parent helper at a summer holiday club for children. One of the activities I thought of and helped to organise was for children to try a bit of woodwork and build their [...]
Hibernation – a winter survival strategy for British wildlife
Nature blogger Steven Teale explores hibernation in British wildlife and gives tips on how you and your garden can help. Did you know that the dormouse is named after the French word dormir, meaning 'to [...]
Funding success for Friends of Downland Court in Peacehaven
Inter-generational Gardening Friends of Downland Court recently received a grant for an inter-generational gardening project from the Postcode Local Trust, a grant-giving charity funded entirely by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. Research has found [...]
Recycling Pallets, Zen and the art of compost maintenance
A few months ago, Burleys donated pallet boxes which could be used as compost bins to Landport Community Garden, Peacehaven Community Garden, Growing Together, Newhaven Community Garden. John from a neighbouring Brighton project gives some [...]
Tree in a box – crab apples for the garden
My apple tree arrived in the post in Autumn. I had really wanted a wildlife friendly tree for my little (rather problematic coastal) garden. This one was a birthday present and just perfect. It had [...]
Rights of way – great progress in Telscombe
Claiming rights of way. Greenhavens are supporting the campaign to protect and document our rights of way. There was a really helpful article on the Lewes Eye website recently about how to claim a public [...]
Bishopstone station – An Art Deco building, green link and green corridor
The Seaford branch line is a vital green link in the Greenhavens area. Not only is the railway line an essential sustainable transport option, but the track sides and stations are also essential green corridors [...]
Don’t lose your way -10000 missing miles
Greenhavens is supporting the campaign to protect and document our rights of way. There are at least 10,000 missing miles of rights of way from our maps. You can help. From 1 January 2026, it [...]
Swift Conservation
Swifts are about to arrive and there are a good number of identified swift breeding areas in Lewes. Sadly the past group of supporters fell by the wayside. I would like to see new local [...]
More wildlife and wildlfowers on our roadside verges
We want more wildlife and wildlfowers on our roadside verges We need your help to change the cutting regime for our verges - please write to county council, by copying the letter below explaining the [...]
Get involved in this great local video art project!
Hello there, we have a film project which you may enjoy hearing about! #yourscape is a short film made up of footage shot by the public as they enjoy the wonderful landscape that surrounds [...]
Talking Trees – spotting signs of Spring
Talking Trees Woodland Playgroup Talking Trees Woodland Playgroup has been running in the Firle conservation woods and Lewes Railway Lands for over 10 years. There are weekly Woodland Playgroups in Lewes, Firle and Barcombe. These warm, [...]
Greenhavens needs your help! Volunteer vacancies!
Greenhavens Can you see a future without parks and gardens? These green lungs are critical for wildlife and our health and wellbeing. The Greenhavens Network is ambitious and inspiring – and this is an exciting [...]
Wanted – Writers and Digital Ambassadors!
Want to make your voice heard, and help to champion our green spaces and Greenhavens projects and network? Great! We really need your help! Our fantastic website is full of information about Greenhavens, has a [...]
Protect your patch
"No-one will protect what they don’t care about and no-one will care about what they have never experienced." David Attenborough Do you remember a childhood, where you played for hours in the long grass, made [...]
Baby bird season
Baby bird season has certainly started. My chirpy blue tits fledged their nest box a few weeks ago. I have young dunnocks flitting about all over the place and squabbling juvenile starlings discovering the delights [...]
Greenhavens Network Scoping Workshop January 2019
What are we doing? While only a few of Greenhavens’ current groups offer formal courses, most are fulfilling and educational role. For example, Seaford Natural History Society regularly carry out surveys of reptiles, butterflies, green-winged [...]
Green Wellbeing
There hasn’t been a better time to think about your own wellbeing and those dear to you. Now in lockdown number three, despite there being light at the end of the tunnel, we still need [...]
Egrets Way – A 10 Year History in Pictures
The River Ouse - The Egrets way Riverside Multi user route A Brief History of the Egrets Way Project The people who initiated the Egrets Way Project in 2011 were not the first group of [...]
Bright start to the week, Blatchington to Bishopstone
On a beautiful Monday morning, I decide to try a walk from Seaford to Bishopstone. I started walking down Avondale Road and stopped at East Blatchington Pond, where the daffodils were looking beautiful, and the [...]
Peacehaven Community School promotes cycling in the community
Photo credit: Peacehaven Community School A fantastic community initiative has been boosted by Peacehaven Community School, ESCC – Road Safety Team and Sustrans – the charity that makes it easier for people to walk and [...]
Cycling without Age – Seaford chapter
If you visit Seaford beach, you may well have spotted some Trishaws along the seafront. We recently asked Mary from Cycling without Age to tell us more about this great project! Where did the idea [...]
South & South East in Bloom Awards 2019 – Friends of Riverside Park & Valley Ponds, Newhaven
Entering the Competition At the start of 2019 Greenhavens became aware (from Brighton & Hove Green Space Forum) that local “Friends of” groups could enter their green spaces in the South & South East in [...]
The good eggs – support your local heroes
Do you know where your food is coming from? The general trend is towards more vegetarian or vegan diets, but for those of us who still eat animal meat and products, how can we shop [...]
Brighton and Hove food partnership at Greenhavens network meeting
Emily O'Brien recently came along to talk at our Network meeting about the Brighton and Hove food partnership. Emily told us all about the Brighton and Hove food strategy action plan 2018 to 2023. [...]
Hedgerow Harvesting
In the past, people relied hedgerows to find healthy seasonal food all for free. Fruits like apples and pears, berries and nuts are all tasty food sources. These bounties can also be preserved to last [...]
Tomato harvest surplus? An easy tomato chutney recipe
Got a glut of Tomatoes? Tomato chutney is really easy to make. Take 2lb tomatoes, 8oz raisins, 8oz caster sugar, 8oz chopped onions and a pint of malt vinegar. Simmer for 2 hours and [...]
Foraging – fiddle heads and fruit trees
After the darkness and cold, when there’s little wild food to be found, Spring walks are a relief and a joy. Much of what’s to be found in Spring, is a promise of Summer and [...]
When life batters your roses.. make syrup!
The recent winds and rain recently placed one of my flowers within reach of woodlice and other creatures in the undergrowth. Usually I let them eat any windfalls but this was a scented rose, so [...]
Permaculture Design – an introduction
I recently attended the Introduction to Permaculture Design course led by the Brighton Permaculture Trust. I can thoroughly recommend it. It took place over two days and was based partly in the classroom and also [...]
Grow your own
With Brexit looming and the vagaries of food prices, it seems to me that everyone with a green space, even a window box, could grow one vegetable or fruit or herb to help the [...]