Volunteers took to one of the South Downs most diverse areas to help prepare the land for winter. Nearly a dozen people descended on Kingston escarpment in Lewes to help clear brambles and gorse from a sloped area to allow grazing sheep and cattle into the area for winter. The work by volunteers from American Express aims to protect the land and expose seed banks in the area in time for spring.
The area is a Site of Specific Scientific Interest described by some as “Europe’s rainforest in miniature” for its natural diversity. It contains a lot of lowland chalk grassland and supports a range of wildflowers, insects and birds. There are also 20 different species of butterflies.
Volunteers helped to rake and clear brambles and gorse, pulling out and cutting saplings to make a section of the slope accessible to sheep and cattle. The animals grazing helps to expose the seed banks for spring and protect the area’s biodiversity..