Peeking into stork nests

Have you heard about the Local Nature Recovery Strategies? Find out more about ways to get involved with planning for nature recovery across Sussex.

Have you seen your first swift this year? Matt Phelps updates us on the incredible migration patterns of the bird species appearing across Sussex.

Do you manage land in the corridor? You could get involved in creating areas of scrub to help with the reappearance of Nightingales, Red-Backed Shrike and Black-Veined White butterfly.

As habitats increase along the corridor, they will provide safe passage for the great autumn bird migration. Ecologist and wildlife guide, Matt Phelps, shares how some species are embarking on their seasonal journey southward.

White-tailed eagles, also known as sea eagles, are making a remarkable comeback in the southern region of England after an absence of almost 250 years.

Fancy a spot of kelp combing this summer? The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project would love your help to record sightings of this super seaweed along the Sussex coastline. Plus eggcase hunting, dolphin spotting and more!

Shining a light on one of Sussex's two seahorse species, which are facing a range of conservation challenges.

Off the coast of Sussex something amazing is happening. Two years ago the pioneering Sussex Nearshore Trawling Byelaw came into place, pushing bottom-towed trawling 4km off the West Sussex Coast. The changes are now starting to happen.

Coastal habitats each offer a unique and vital ecosystem. Explore these diverse environments and the species they support.

We were delighted to get news of Sayaan, a cuckoo that was tagged at Knepp in May, traveling along the corridor route from Knepp towards the Sussex coast and back up towards Ashdown Forest.

Dolphin Head, off the Sussex coast, has been designated as a Highly Protected Marine Area. It is one of only three English sites to receive this prestigious status.

Just as soils and land-based ecosystems have become degraded, so have marine habitats. Sewage is regularly discharged into rivers and seas, agricultural run-off upsets the natural balance of the water, while trawling destroys the seabed and the kelp forests that once flourished.

The media is overflowing with staggering numbers on species and wildlife populations in decline in countries around the world - and we know that the UK is one of the worst hit. So how can we measure nature decline in Sussex? This is a hugely important question with significant consequences for the corridor. Without a clear record of what we are losing we can’t understand the scale of our nature crisis or advocate for its recovery. By identifying the species and habitats most at risk from fragmentation, we have a clearer way of tracking the impact of the corridor on nature recovery in Sussex.

Perhaps first we should ask, why is a corridor important? Traditionally, conservation has tended to focus on restoring and protecting key areas, such as nature reserves. These core areas are vital for maintaining sustainable populations of wildlife species. However, as human land use has intensified, protected areas have become islands, isolated in the wider landscape. Gradually, species ranges become restricted to these areas, leading to declines, low genetic health, and eventually to local extinctions.

The Dartford warbler is one of the defining species for the conservation of this important area. It’s easily overlooked, sometimes giving itself away by its scratchy song and occasional song-flight. If conditions are right, pairs can raise two, even three broods each summer. Once down to only 10 pairs in the whole of the UK, habitat protection and management, and warmer winters, now mean the UK population is in the thousands.

We started the year with a new global commitment to set aside 30% of the planet for nature by the end of this decade.