Campaign group Stop Loxwood Clay Pit is celebrating Spring with eight weeks of free activities, hints and tips to help the local community get the most from the countryside on their doorstep.
Highlights of the Sussex Spring Watch programme of events will include a guide to the wildlife found in Pallinghurst Woods, a live “The Worlds inside Woods” panel discussion featuring Sussex Wildlife Trust President Dr Tony Whitbread, an arts competition and an Easter activity pack for children.
‘Wildlife Wednesdays’ weekly at 11.00 on social media, will share guides on what to look for in the woodlands right now. Simply follow Facebook Group @StopLoxwoodClayPit, @StopLoxwoodClayPitCampaign and Twitter @StopLoxwoodClay for your snackable dose of Springtime insight.
‘Springtime Sundays’ will see Chairman of the Rudgwick Preservation Sociey, Roger Nash, share a weekly blog here on the website, on the history of Pallinghurst woods. An ideal read to enjoy with your Sunday morning coffee.
The arts competition follows the success of last year’s photo and drawing competition which attracted more than 100 entries. This year’s event takes the theme ‘Spring in the woods’, and entries can range from a painting to a poem, photograph, a song or even a rap – it is open to your own interpretation. The competition is for anyone that loves nature!
There will be three age groups – age 0-7, age 8-13 and age 14+. The competition opens on March 15th and runs until April 16th. To take part simply post your entry to our Facebook group or twitter feed or you can email your entry to join@stoptheclaypit.org.
Entries will be judged by a panel including local teacher and artist, Kim Venter and Pattie Boyd and prizes include a case of wine from Wines Select, a voucher from local award winning butchers John Murray and for the children there is a fantastic gardening set as well as an art and writing workshop with Kim Venter. A full list of prizes will be announced on social channels. Full terms and conditions will be posted on the website on March 15th.
Finally, please save the date for March 25th at 1800 when an expert panel of environmental scientist Dr Jill Sutcliffe, Sussex Wildlife Trust President Dr Tony Whitbread, and award winning writer Julian Hoffman will spend an hour talking around the worlds inside our woodland, both seen and unseen, drawing upon a wealth of woodland and conservation expertise. A live Q&A will complete the webinar. Look out for the link for this Facebook Live Premier event.
Sussex Spring Watch aims to celebrate the variety of nature found in Pallinghurst Woods, the site of a proposed 33-year clay extraction and industrial construction and demolition waste recycling unit by Loxwood Clay Pits Ltd. The woods are widely used by walkers, horse riders and cyclists, with a wealth of flora and fauna found there. A planning application for the project is expected to be submitted this spring.
The project is being opposed by the Stop Loxwood Clay Pit team, a large group of local volunteers who aim to focus on the relevant policy-related reasons to object to any planning application that could affect the woodlands.
Check back soon for more details and join in Sussex Spring Watch via the @StopLoxwoodClayPit Facebook Group page, @StopLoxwoodClayPitCampaign and Twitter @StopLoxwoodClay