KEEP THE RIDGE GREEN
This attractive public open space now forms part of the boundary to the new South Downs National Park and is situated north of the built up area of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is also a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI). The Green, as open downland, once formed a corner of West Blatchington Estate and Coney Hill Woodland walk was a sheep grazing slope connected to Patcham Place Estate. It is owned by the City Council who acquired it in the 1930’s along with many other urban fringe sites.
Green spaces management is not a statutory requirement and BHCC cannot provide enough funding for Rangers to maintain local wildlife sites (LWS) as comprehensively as they would wish to.
Therefore, volunteers working in conjunction with the City Park Ranger service are essential to keep sites in good order.
YOU CAN CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW THEM LARGER SIZE
This attractive public open space now forms part of the boundary to the new South Downs National Park and is situated north of the built up area of the city of Brighton and Hove. It is also a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI). The Green, as open downland, once formed a corner of West Blatchington Estate and Coney Hill Woodland walk was a sheep grazing slope connected to Patcham Place Estate. It is owned by the City Council who acquired it in the 1930’s along with many other urban fringe sites.
Green spaces management is not a statutory requirement and BHCC cannot provide enough funding for Rangers to maintain local wildlife sites (LWS) as comprehensively as they would wish to.
Therefore, volunteers working in conjunction with the City Park Ranger service are essential to keep sites in good order.
YOU CAN CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW THEM LARGER SIZE
Marbled White Butterfly
A native perennial herb of dry, well drained calcareous and neutral grassland. It can be found on chalk and limestone meadow, rough pasture, hedgerows, verges and grassy waste ground. When in flower it attracts large numbers of bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies.
Butterfly images by Jamie Burston
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K.T.R.G. AIMS
To protect, conserve and enhance wildlife, landscape, archaeological features.
To provide public access and other recreation. To promote environmentally sustainable activities. To encourage community involvement and understanding. To secure adequate resources to achieve our aims. --------------------------------------------------------------------- BUTTERFLY WALK 2022
HELD ON SUNDAY 7th AUGUST @ 10 o'clock Led by Max Anderson in conjunction with Butterfly Conservation A successful butterfly walk attended by eight people and Max our leader. Our list seen is as follows:-
5 brown hairstreak - all male 13 common blue - 1 female 3 Holly blue 24 meadow brown 6 gatekeeper 1 brimstone 2 small white 3 large white 1 red admiral 1 Essex skipper Despite the difficult conditions. It was good to see that the Brown hairstreak butterflies are continuing to be present. The females will appear in a few weeks. BROWN HAIRSTREAK BUTTERFLY EGG HUNT 2022
This year 24 egg's found on the Green. Eight volunteers spent one hour this January searching young blackthorn stems. Only the size of a pin head they were difficult to find. Hatching into caterpillars in May. We will undertake a search then. South Downs Network Notice
In 2020 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the signing of the confirmation order that established the South Downs National Park, which KTRG were active in supporting. This is when The Green ( which was originally left) out and Coney Wood were officially incorporated within the Park. Hilary Benn kindly came down to Ditchling on Monday, 10th February to help us celebrate and erect a plaque. Robin Crane (chairman of the South Downs Campaign) and Margaret Paren (Chair of the Park Authority) were in attendance. If you can spare a couple of hours, please come along. Many hands will make light work for everybody so your support would be very much appreciated. KEEP THE RIDGE GREEN CONSERVATION MORNING TBA @ 10.00 o’clock BUTTERFLY WALK 2019 held
Sunday 25th August 18 people (6 KTRG members, members from the RSPB Brighton & District Local Group, members from the Butterfly Conservation) joined Jamie Burston, our guide from the Sussex Branch of the Butterfly Conservation on a butterfly walk on the Ridge. A glorious day, hot, sunny and no wind. The aim was to find the brown hairstreak butterfly and we were not disappointed, the first recorded female on this site and we were privileged to observe her laying eggs on the Blackthorn :- coppiced one cold, but sunny, January morning with Jamie Burston and the band of Neil Doyle’s volunteers a couple of years ago. Today, the following sightings were recorded: Large White 9 Small White 17 Meadow Brown 3 Speckled Wood 1 Comma 1 Painted Lady 2 Red Admiral 1 Common Blue 8 Small Copper 2 Small Heath 6 Brown Argos 1 Brown Hairstreak 2 (1 egg laying female) A Ringlet at the end of the walk on the approach to Coney Woods. Many thanks Jamie for leading the walk and making it interesting and also educational for us. NEW NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED. CLICK ABOVE
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ANNUAL BUTTERFLY WALK 2017
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The primroses and bluebells in Coney Woods were a great credit to work put in by local school children and KTRG members who worked so hard to make this show happen. |
NEXT CONSERVATION DAY
TBA DUE TO COVID-19 MEET @ 10.00 @ WINDMILL THE BUTTERFLY WALK
On Sunday 8th July 2018 It was good to welcome visitors from the Butterfly Conservation, RSPB, our three local Councillors, Brighton & Hove Wildlife Forum and KTRG members to today’s butterfly walk. One of the attendees even walked from Elm Grove and back, having completed the Brighton-Eastbourne marathon yesterday too, well done Catherine!! A special thank you to Jamie, for guiding us, we very much appreciated his expert knowledge! 15 species seen! In one of the resident’s gardens in Green Ridge, containing many trees, a silver washed fritillary was seen and photographed! Red-legged Partridge
visits Green Ridge 2020 CONEY WOODS
Primroses planted this year. Images Rosemary Dowd |