Get out, become fitter, socialise more and put the past year behind us.

 Would you enjoy discipline in your life to get outdoors more, (without any obligations or cost), simultaneously improving your physical strength, mental and general wellbeing?

Is there a desire to socialise more and meet new friends, whilst learning about and conserving wildlife, the plants and insects in Sussex: plus at the same time supporting the National Trust (NT) to increase biodiversity on the South Downs?

For strength and fitness, the NT can provide weights to exercise muscles you didn’t know you had.

For example, above, Katherine, a regular volunteer with "The Friends of Wolstonbury" wields a "tree popper" to rip unwanted hawthorn scrub from the hill.  Click the video to view and set to full screen.  Without such sterling effort the hill would revert to scrub and forest and our rare chalk grasslands would be diminished.

On Friday, 9 July 2021 the "Friends of Wolstonbury" directed by National Trust Ranger, Mike were spread across the hill to remove encroaching scrub, predominately hawthorn.

Whilst old friends chatted, Brian below and Katherine were hard at work filling builders bags with scrub.

Others, me included, marvelled at the wildflowers: Lady's and Hedge Bedstraw (foreground below) were spectacular along the bridleway on the ridge.

Lady's Bedstraw above and below.

Hedge Bedstraw

Dyer's Greenweed dots the hill with golden clumps.

Hundreds of Meadow Brown butterflies were flitting around on this hot and humid day.

What a joy it was to eat a picnic lunch in bright sunshine with like-minded friends overlooking a showery High Weald.

A lot more activities and pictures of the natural history of this magnificent hill can be seen at https://sussexrambler.blogspot.com/search?q=wolstonbury

And you will be most welcome to join us on our next work day:  Please see http://www.wolstonbury.com/dates.htm

Knepp castle, West Sussex: some pictures from 2 July 2021

The 6 miles "red route" was taken and some picture follow.

Fleabane predominates some areas.

Next to the road near the shop Hemlock is common as used by Socrates to kill himself.

One of the storks

and a red kite very high overhead.

Goldfinch

The view to Chanctonbury hill.

How we wanted this butterfly to be a Purple Emperor: sadly it is the underwing suggests perhaps a Peacock.

Common-spotted orchids

Tamworth pigs.

Unidentified gill fungus on oak tree. 

It is difficult to keep 20m from the pigs when a youngster walks up and sniffs you boots.

Eupeodes sp.? hoverfly on dog rose with pollen beetles

Shipley windmill. https://www.sussexmillsgroup.org.uk/shipley2.htm

A tranquil lunch was enjoyed at Shipley churchyard with the songs of Nuthatches and a flock of high-pitched Swifts flying around.

A Longhorn bull and his extended family.

To keep away from this calf and mother the display board was given a wide birth.

Beautiful Demoiselle

Banded Demoiselle