South Downs
South Downs
Centuries of history have left their mark on the South Downs. The landscape we see today is inextricably linked to the people who have lived and worked here.
The South Downs landscape also contains some of the most diverse and yet most under-threat habitats and species in south east England. It is one of the best places for us to concentrate our efforts, working in partnership with others, such as the South Downs National Park authority, to help save declining wildlife.
We will focus our work on habitats such as chalk grassland, heathland, farmland and river floodplains, and on bird species such as lapwings, corn buntings, grey partridges, stone-curlews and nightjars.
Other species which will benefit from this approach to conservation include skylarks, yellowhammers, turtle doves, water voles, barbastelle bats, brown hares, Chalk Hill Blue and Duke of Burgundy butterflies, and rare arable plants.
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PDF, 2.2Mb. Date: 5 September 2014
Futurescapes - South DownsExplore the area
Find out what’s going on near this Futurescape, including places to visit, news and local events, plus how you can work or volunteer for us.
Nearby reserves
Reserves and other protected areas are a key part of Futurescapes. They provide core areas for nature to thrive and eventually repopulate the surrounding landscapes. The RSPB reserve within this Futurescape is:
Pulborough Brooks
Set in the heart of beautiful countryside, this reserve is a fantastic day out for people of all ages. Walks lead through hedge-lined paths to viewing areas and hides where volunteers are often on hand to assist you as you spot the abundant wildlife.
Featured projects
We're working to safeguard and improve special places for nature. Each Futurescape contains a range of initiatives in addition to our reserves. The combination of these creates better conditions for wildlife across the countryside.
South Downs Farmland Bird Initiative
A collaborative partnership between farmers, conservation organisations and government agencies, helping to integrate conservation management into modern farming business. We aim to show that producing quality food while also providing quality habitats for wildlife is practical and achievable.
Our partners
Futurescapes is all about collaboration. There are many organisations and people involved in managing land in the South Downs. Our challenge is working together to find ways of making more space for nature. To achieve this we’re working with:
Saving special places
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What will the new NPPF mean for places, people and nature?
On Tuesday the Government published a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for England. You can see our previous commentary on the draft version here , here and here . The NPPF sets out the Government’s planning policies for England...(read ...
Posted 27/07/2018 by Steph -
Save Lodge Hill: Thank you for your help, and next steps
Medway Council's latest consultation into their draft Local Plan, and in particular their plans to allocate large areas of land within and right next to Britain's best site for nightingales at Lodge Hill, is now closed (25 June 2018). Over...(read mo...
Posted 26/06/2018 by Sara H -
Fate of Coul Links now in the hands of Scottish Government URGENT call to action
Those of you following the campaign to Save Coul Links will know that we’re part of a group of conservation organisations fighting to stop proposals for a golf course on this triple protected wildlife site. Coul Links is one of the Scotland’s...(read...
Posted 22/06/2018 by Andre Farrar -
Updated - BTO confirm that Lodge Hill is the UK’s best site for breeding nightingales
Update: Posted 11.25am Monday 25 th June: We’ve updated our blog below to reflect our further analysis of BTO’s independent report since its release on Friday. It is useful to understand that where the BTO 's report refers to ‘Lodge...(read more)
Posted 21/06/2018 by Sara H