Category: Environment

Wanted: landowners’ opinions on wooded habitats

(posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy, Tree Warden, Brightling and Dallington parishes)

Land manager opinions on wooded habitats
I’ve recently taken part in a survey of land managers’ opinions on wooded habitats, being run as part of a research project by a PhD student, Sam Aizlewood, at University of Kent, Canterbury. He would welcome input to the survey from other landowners or managers of woodlands of any size in Brightling and Dallington parishes. The survey takes the form of an online Teams interview with Sam and lasts around an hour. Your data is respected and dealt-with in confidence. Please contact him directly at [email protected], he would be delighted to hear from you. More details below:

Text of enclosed flyer:
Participants needed for study on wooded habitats and land management
We would like to hear from you if:

    • You are 18 or over
    • You own or manage land in Kent, East & West Sussex, Surrey or Hampshire with a property of at least 1 hectare
    • You do not need to have woodland or trees on your property

We want to hear any opinions you may have

What you will be asked to do:

  • An interview over video call or in person with the researcher
  • This should take no more than an hour

For more information email: [email protected]
Prize draw for 2 x £100 Amazon vouchers

Dallington Forest Walk 26th March 2023

(Posted on behalf of Brenda Booth)

Dallington Forest Walk  led by Doug Edworthy (Tree Warden Dallington and Brightling)

26th March Meet at top of Bakers Lane – main road end – at 11am (and don’t forget that the clocks go forward the night before).

Walk will be approx. 2 to 3 hours 

Please contact Brenda Booth (co-ordinator)

Email [email protected] Text 07730402908

Book now for the Wild About Dark Skies Festival February 2023

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy) December 2022

Poster showing two people pointing up at night sky. Text in blog postBookings are now open for the Wild About Dark Skies Festival

Wild About Dark Skies Festival events – 18 – 26 February 2023 – across the High Weald are free to attend. These include planetarium shows, astronomy demonstrations, special guest speakers, dark skies walks, light pollution workshops, dark skies storytelling for children, and much more. But to make sure we can accommodate you all, it is important you book in advance to secure your place, for you and your family.

So, check out the Wild About Dark Skies events in your local area and book your place on Eventbrite – see the High Weald AONB website (www.highweald.org/wildaboutdarkskies)

If you would like to print off and display this newsletter  please download via this link wild_about_dark_skies_festival#2

Wild About Dark Skies Festival 2023 – in association with High Weald AONB and kindly supported by Sussex Lund.

The Wild About Dark Skies Festival is a collaboration between local Wild About groups in Battle, Burwash, Crowhurst, Ticehurst and Wadhurst; East Sussex and Wadhurst Astronomical Societies; High Weald AONB Partnership; International Dark Skies and Dark Sky Lighting. It is kindly supported by Sussex Lund.

New Survey of Plants in Dallington Forest SSSI finds two species missing

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy)

During 2022 a survey of vascular plants was conducted in the beautiful Dallington Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which straddles the parishes of Brightling and Dallington.

Originally surveyed and designated a SSSI way back in 1953 when regionally and nationally rare species: Wood Fescue, Hay-scented Buckler-fern, Cornish Moneywort, and Ivy-leaved Bellflower were found, there had been no systematic survey or recording since then.

So, funded by the Peter Smith Charitable Trust, this last Spring and Summer three separate surveys were undertaken to discover how many species were still present. The results were interesting in that a total of 48 ancient woodland indicator species were found, but disappointing in that two of the rare species now appear to be extinct in the SSSI.

Visit the Dallington Forest Project website to learn more. The survey report and data can be found at https://dallingtonforest.uk/plants/

“Tree-hugger”

TPO432 LAND AT WOODS CORNER

Following on from my previous post about the Tree Preservation Order 432 land at Woods Corner (owner Westridge Construction), see link below –

Click on this link to see the post referred to above

In order that this TPO is confirmed, we are asking you to contact Legal Services for Wealden and Rother District Councils with letters of support.  This must be done by 22nd August 2022.
These letters of support must be made in writing and posted to:
Wealden and Rother District Councils
Joint Legal Service
Town Hall
Bexhill-on-Sea
East Sussex TN39 3JX

It is vital that as many letters of support are received as it is entirely possible that the landowner may object/appeal the TPO.

Letters of support have been sent by Doug Edworthy (Dallington Tree Warden), who has done sterling work on this and Dallington Parish Council, you can see these on the link below.
Please contact me if you need any more information.

Letters of support for TPO432

Irene – Parish Clerk
01424 838414/07711 224150
[email protected]

Bulb planting at the triangle

Photo of three people trimming and plantingOn a cold and sleety morning four parish councillors (Nicky Holyoake, Jim Gray, Nick Harding and Pauline Ridley)  met up at the triangle at the top of The Street to strim the grass and plant a selection of spring bulbs. We will be carrying out more work  over the next few months and adding more planting  to improve the appearance of the triangle.

High Weald Walking Festival 11-19th September

(Message forwarded from High Weald AONB Newsletter)

Poster advertising High Weald Walking FestivalBooking is now live for the High Weald Walking Festival. Choose from more than 30 FREE guided walks across the High Weald Area of Outstanding Beauty, running from Saturday 11- Sunday 19 September 2021.

How to book
You can now view the walking programme on the Festival website. If you like the look of a particular walk, just click ‘More info & book’ to go through and reserve your space. The process is quick, easy and – most importantly – every walk is free.

Woodlands at War Talk Friday 6th August 7pm

“Woodlands at War: The impact and legacy of WW1 and WW2 on Britain’s Woodlands” talk  by Clive Mayhew 

Talk at Dallington Village Hall, Friday 6th August, 7 pm start. No entrance fee, but donations to cover the cost of refreshments would be welcome.

Description: The substantial contribution made by British woodlands over two world wars has been somewhat overlooked in subsequent histories. This talk looks at those pre-war woodlands,describes the extent of their contribution during these conflicts, and assesses its post war legacy. Continue reading “Woodlands at War Talk Friday 6th August 7pm”

Plant a hedge for your community!

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy, Dallington Tree Warden)

 As part of the Tree Council’s year-long Close the Gap programme, their Community Hedge Fund is now open for applications. They will be awarding grants of up to £2,500 for volunteer Tree Wardens and community groups to plant new hedgerows, hedgerow trees and to gap up existing hedgerows in rural and urban areas across England this winter.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 8 August 2021. Your planting will need to take place between November and January. You can find out more about the fund and apply on The Tree Council website 

New Dallington Tree Group

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy)

Dallington Tree Group – Volunteers Please!

In our rural parish of Dallington we have some lovely examples of ancient and veteran trees dotted around our hedgerows, fields, and woods. These living ‘carbon lock-ups’ and special habitats for plants and animals are so very important to the environment and to us. But in Dallington we don’t actually know how many we have, what condition they are in, or whether they are facing risks from disease or potential damage.

I’m proposing to establish a Dallington Tree Group with three straightforward objectives: –

1) Get to know what trees we have by doing a survey of the parish,
2) Use the data collected to create a register of the parish’s tree stock, and
3) Formulate proposals to Dallington Parish Council for a parish tree management plan.


The survey phase will take the longest to do, and will need the assistance of volunteers to walk footpaths, etc., to collect data on trees and, where access is possible, to take measurements. I’ll train any willing volunteers in the measurement and assessment techniques required – so don’t worry if you haven’t done a tree survey before – and it will be fun!

If you can join our group, whether as an active walker of rights of way, someone with existing knowledge of special trees in the parish, or someone with IT database or admin skills, please get in touch with me, Doug Edworthy, via the email address [email protected] or my mobile number 07711 090 925.

Tree Warden (Champion), Brightling & Dallington Parish Councils [email protected]   07711 090925