Crowlink Centenary Commemorative Walk
September 2026 marks the centenary of the campaign launched by the Society of Sussex Downsmen (now Friends of the South Downs) to save the Crowlink valley in East Sussex from development. On the 24th September, walks leader and trustee David Taylor organised and led a commemorative walk from East Dean to the Sarsen Stone on…
1500 Redundant Tree Guards Removed from the South Downs
Recently, trustee David Taylor led a team of eight volunteers in the task of clearing up redundant tree guards. The location was an East Sussex rural estate near Ditchling and within the National Park. Lying at the foot of the escarpment, with magnificent views of the Downs and Queen Victoria’s Jubilee Wood, the team enjoyed…
Meet the Clouded Yellow Butterfly
The Clouded Yellow is a striking yellow butterfly in the whites-and-yellows family, a vibrant, migratory species that regularly visits the South Downs from North Africa and southern Europe. The female Clouded Yellow butterfly features deep orange-yellow upperwings with broad black borders that are distinctively dotted with clear yellow spots. Roughly 5% of females belong to…
South Downs Walking Challenge aids suicide prevention charity
An epic trek through some of the most beautiful countryside in England is being staged to raise funds for a mental healthcharity for World Suicide Prevention Day in September. The South Downs National Park in Sussex is the setting for the ‘Worthing Five Peaks Challenge’, organised by Olly’s Future(CIO 1187184) a national suicide prevention charity…
Dragons, Damsels and Demoiselles
Dragons and damselflies both belong to the insect order Odonata and share a similar appearance. However, demoiselles are a specific, highly striking type of damselfly. You can easily tell them apart by looking at their wings at rest, wing shape, body shape, and eye placement. Feature Dragonflies Damselflies Demoiselles Wings at rest Held open horizontally,…
Cattle Collars at Ebernoe Common
Ebernoe Wildlands Nature Reserve, which features one of the richest woodlands for wildlife in the South East, is one of Sussex Wildlife Trust’s most important reserves. Alongside Ebernoe Common lies Butcherlands, a rewilding area with management integrated with that of Ebernoe. Key to the management of these reserves is grazing. Ebernoe Common is an ancient…
The South Downs Local Plan
The Local Plan is a very important document for the South Downs National Park as it sets out both the policies against which planning applications will be assessed and which sites are allocated for development. The FSD therefore took an active interest in the preparation of the original Plan in 2017. The Local Plan is being…
Summary of our Annual Report – what we’ve achieved in 2025
Use the interactive flip book tool to discover what we have been up to over the last year and what we have achieved thanks to the support of our members. Alternatively, you can download a pdf. version here.
Ancient Trees and Nightingale Song at Ebernoe Common
Some of our members recently enjoyed a morning’s guided tour around Butcherlands, part of Sussex Wildlife Trust’s (SWT) Ebernoe Common Nature Reserve. The Group was led by Ryan Allison of the SWT Nature Reserves Team, responsible for the management of all the SWT western reserves. The aim of the tour was to experience the song…
Getting to know Himalayan Balsam
Over the Summer of 2026, Friends of the South Downs will be joining forces with other local organisations and groups to tackle the infestation of invasive Himalayan Balsam along the River Stor. Focusing our efforts largely on a site near Storrington that suffers from a large infestation of the Invasive Non-Native Species, the groups will…
News Updates
General news from the Friends of the South Downs
