MWHG Newsletter: 9th March 2026

MWHG Team
2 days ago
9 min read

Dear Volunteers and Supporters,

After the success of previous years, we are planning four family nature day events in 2026 and would really appreciate your help.

We need support on the day with setup, running activities, and pack‑down, and there will also be a short prep session on the Fridays beforehand.

Activities are free and will include a nature trail, bug hunt, moth ID, bug‑hotel building, bird feeder making, bird house painting, and pond dipping.

These fun sessions aim to inspire children to explore and care for nature, and your help will make a big difference. Please contact Jane Reeve if you are able to help out.

Family Nature Days

Saturday 2nd May 2026, 10am - 1pm

St Mary's Churchyard, Sidlesham PO20 7RE

Saturday 9th May 2026 (16th May as wet weather alternative date), 10am - 1pm

St James Churchyard, Birdham PO20 7HG

Saturday 6th June 2026, 10am - 1pm

Memorial Hall, West Itchenor PO20 7DA

Saturday 13th June 2026, 10am - 1pm

St Peter & St Paul Churchyard, West Wittering PO20 8AJ

For recent updates from our project leaders and volunteers, keep reading.

Pond Power Project

By Jane Reeve | Pond Power Project

The Portsmouth Water funded Pond Power project has continued with vegetation removal at some of the ponds over the last couple of months and due to the hard work of volunteers we have made real progress.

A lot of our time has been spent at Willow Glen Pond in Sidlesham. This pond needed a new stake and binders fence along the front of it, adjacent to the pavement, and two amazing volunteers went with me to West Dean Woods, with their car, roof rack and trailer, to pick them up. We were on a tight time deadline and unrelated to this activity, they spent the rest of the day in hospital after a medical emergency, so thank you to Annie and Chris 😊

With the fence completed we have turned our attention to cutting back the bramble on the far side of the pond. We wanted to expose the snowdrops that were hiding underneath the dense vegetation, and it was lovely to see these signs of spring, along with a flowering marsh marigold.

At Church Lane Pond, in Hunston, we have continued to expose the bank areas where the pond joins the ditch system. This allows us to ensure that it is still connected and to make sure that no rubbish is blocking the channel. We were treated to a very close encounter with a water vole here which was a lovely reassurance that the gentle work we are doing makes the pond still suitable habitat for them.

We haven’t needed to do any more vegetation removal at Sheepwash Pond, but I have been back to check it as it is useful to see the impact of all the rain we have had on water levels, and to monitor the Azolla Fern. This plant has now gone a pink colour which makes it look quite alien. I haven’t had any luck sourcing the South American weevil that feasts on this invasive non-native species, the most effective way of controlling this damaging plant. It is only available from one source, and it may be that the research project providing the weevil has finished.

Florence pond hasn’t needed any more vegetation removal work, and the pond has now filled up significantly with water. We have provided a great habitat pile next to the pond for amphibians and reptiles. I have monitored this pond as it has had the dreaded Azolla Fern on it in past years but currently there is no sign of.

We have finished the physical work phase of this project, and I am still writing management plans for each pond so that they can be handed over to parishes to manage. It has been a real privilege to go back and look at these ponds in detail again and to be reminded of what little treasures they are.

Jane Reeve, Portsmouth Water Pond Power Project Officer

The Pollinator Highway

By Lesley Bromley | Selsey Pollinator Highway

MWHG have been working with Wilder Selsey and The Hidden Garden on the Pollinator Highway Project in Selsey. We now have 6 Verges in Selsey where the gras is not mowed during the summer and wildflowers are allowed to grow. In the course of this work we have had lots of conversations with residents who would like to make some or all of their own garden into a wildlife area.

To help people with these projects and to increase the amount of information available to everyone about wilding your own garden we have worked with the West Sussex County Library Service and made a donation of books with lots of ideas for increasing wild flowers and pollinators where you are! The books include some for children as well as adult instruction manuals!

We had a little presentation at the Selsey Library In January. Here are some photos.

So go in to Selsey Library and have a look, and if you join the Library you can borrow books to read and plan your summer wildflower area from the comfort of your own home.

Wittering Area Community Conservation Project

By Jane Reeve | Wittering Area Community Conservation Project

We have spent the last two months completing the project along the cycle path on Cakeham Road in West Wittering planting 2850 native trees as we had a deadline from Chichester District Council (CDC), who provided the trees, to plant them by the 16^th February. We succeeded and the trees have all been planted and then a thick layer of wood chip mulch put underneath them to try and retain some soil moisture through the summer. This has been a very enjoyable project as we have had lots of pedestrian footfall nearby with most people complimenting us and thanking the volunteers for their work.

It took 6 volunteer sessions to plant all these trees, and we were helped by a team from the Western Sussex Rivers Trust (WSRT) on the last day of planting. Big thanks to Mark who came along to every session and worked like a trooper to get these trees into the ground.

The trees we were supplied with by CDC should all be suitable for the coastal location and they include, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Sea Buckthorn, Elder, Field Maple, Wild Privet, Goat Willow, Bird Cherry, Crab Apple, and Wild Rose. This will be a lovely asset once the trees grow up and there should be a good showing of flowers in spring and fruit in autumn. Eventually this hedge should help to break up the strong winds and reduce wind erosion of the soil in the adjacent field.

We are going to be spending the start of March with a last bit of tree planting to finish a hedge we started in October, and then we will turn our attention to wildflower seeding. In May, June and July, we will have a busy period of family nature days in 4 churchyards across the area aiming to engage children in the outdoors with a range of wildlife focussed activities. We would appreciate lots of help with these as many hands make light work and it is very rewarding work.

Jane, Project Officer, Community Conservation Project

Heritage News

By Bill Martin | Selsey Tramway Project, Sidlesham Heritage Project

Selsey Tramway

Your last chance to see the exhibition at the Novium as it finishes at the end of March. We are looking into the possibility of reproducing the Tramway mural displayed as part of the Novium exhibition in the Selsey Centre.

Discussion about the restoration of Chalder Station are still on-going with the Church Commissioners

Land Settlement Project

Fund raising to rebuild the LSA house been started by staff at the Weald and Downland Living Museum. We are also looking to acquire a piggery and Chicken battery to complete a smallholding at the museum.

Information about the LSA Project on the MWHG website is currently unavailable as it is being rewritten.

CPRE Hedgerow Heroes Project

By Jane Reeve | Hedgerow Heroes Project

Over the last two months CPRE and MWHG volunteers have worked really hard in relentless wet and cold conditions to meet our target of planting 10,000 native trees to create a good quality multi-species hedgerow. We reached this target in mid-February but have continued to plant trees as we had some left.

We picked this area to plant as it is very open and there were long lengths of field boundaries that were quite devoid of hedges. Ham Road is an area prone to flooding and having trees open up the soil to help absorb rainfall, and to combat soil erosion through wind and water action, will contribute to lowering flood risk. This is also a key site between RSPB Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve and RSPB Medmerry so good hedging will strengthen the wildlife corridor between the two and allow many species to move between these important sites. If you drive down Ham Road you will be struck by the number of visible tree guards that disappear into the distance, this represents a lot of hard work.

The hedges we have been planting have been made up of 60% Hawthorn and the remaining 40% made up of Blackthorn, Guelder Rose, Field Maple, Wild Rose, Rowan, Dogwood, Crab Apple, Spindle, Hazel, Bird Cherry, and Goat Willow. This should make really attractive hedges along the roads and field edges providing lots of food opportunities for wildlife.

The mud has been a feature of the tree planting this winter as it has been so wet that during one session, we had to almost dig volunteers out! I haven’t lost anyone yet though 😊

We have had the help of some amazing young people and children and big shout out to Sam, Freddie and Martha who have worked hard to plant trees for us.

While we have reached our target, we have been given more trees to plant so are switching to a new farm in Sidlesham to help create hedgerows within the Pagham Harbour Management area. Please do get involved.

Jane Reeve, Hedgerow Heroes Project Officer

Seasonal Activities

By Emma Horton | Wildlife Warriors

We run Wildlife Warriors throughout the year, so we can re-visit schools and groups at different times of the year, during different seasons. Our activities change with the seasons.

In spring we can focus on topics involving growing seeds, like the enormous ‘titan’ sunflower seeds and seeing whose plant grows the tallest and seeing what conditions seeds require in order to germinate successfully. We also make seed bombs and sow areas with wildflowers, which are both beautiful and great for pollinators. Pond dipping is perfect in the spring and summer months while the creatures are active. The first frogspawn is now appearing in ponds and the frogs are very active, so it’s a good chance to show pupils about life cycles.

Animal habitats can be constructed all year round, but autumn is a great time to install a bug hotel and a hedgehog house and have discussions about hibernation. Autumn is also a great time to go out looking for colourful leaves and collecting seeds, fruits and berries that have fallen from trees. Planting acorns proved a popular activity, with children taking home acorn plant pots, hoping to grow a mighty oak tree.

Whatever the weather, Wildlife Warriors get outdoors in the fresh air exploring nature. Waterproofs and wellies or sun hats and suntan lotion, the children learn to dress appropriately for the weather and are keen to engage in the wildlife activities. This winter has been challenging, with the vast amount of rainfall we’ve had, causing waterlogged conditions on school playing fields, such as at Birdham Primary school and Sidlesham Primary school was even closed due to flooding on its access roads. However, it’s encouraging to see that pupils are still keen to get outdoors, and even relish the opportunities to splash about in deep puddles with their wellies on!

Winter activities include looking after the birds in the cold weather by making bird seed cakes and planting bareroot trees, which several local schools have done to improve biodiversity in their school grounds.

Special thanks should be given to one of our volunteers, Lucy Love, who has funded and set up a bird feeding station at Birdham Primary school, enabling pupils to watch the birds and pupils recently enjoyed taking part in the RSPB bird watch.

We are extremely grateful to all our brilliant and enthusiastic volunteers who lend a hand, whatever the weather, either at school sessions or with wildlife activities in the dark winter evenings with the community groups, like the Guides, Rainbows and Beavers. Their support and dedication is very much appreciated.

Wildlife Survey Results

By Nikki Timney | Find Wildlife From Home Survey

In January and February our volunteers and supporters submitted 26 wildlife records, which included 89 individuals. This brings the total number of records submitted for this survey to 1,938 - ever closer to the 2,000 mark!

See a selection of the photos and survey results we received over the last couple of months, below.

Survey Results for January and February

60 Curlews	2 Dunnocks	5 Red Foxes
3 Robins	13 Woodpigeons	2 Buff-tailed Bumblebees

Tell us about the wildlife you've seen in your garden, neighbourhood and surrounding local area and we will also submit your records to the National Biological Records Centre on your behalf.