Amberley Museum tools up for habitat improvement, thanks to the Nature Recovery Award

Amberley Museum is a unique environment set within an old chalk pit and lime works, where nature has reclaimed many of the quarry-side areas. This has created a mosaic of habitats supporting a wide variety of plant and animal species, including chalk downland orchids, butterflies and other insects, Noctule and Pipistrelle bats, Common Lizard, Red Kites, Peregrines and other birdlife.

Amberley Museum operates as an independent charity, reliant on visitor income, grants and donations for our operation. We rely on the efforts of a small team of staff, assisted by a number of volunteers, to maintain our 41-acre site.

The Nature Recovery Award has enabled us to invest in several tree poppers, which are invaluable in removing unwanted saplings and tree stumps from chalk grassland areas. The tools make easy work of a task that is otherwise time-consuming and physically demanding for our volunteer teams, so they have been a great investment for the future. We were also able to purchase pruning tools, secateurs and a heavy-duty wheelbarrow with the grant, which we have put to good use in removing invasive species from the site, such as Cotoneaster.

This year, thanks to the grant, we have also been able to clear an area of scrub that was once chalk grassland. The work started in the Spring, when we had to remove a couple of large Ash trees suffering dieback. Several other trees had to be felled to access the Ash trees, which provided an opportunity open up the space and create a dead hedge around the edge. The area is already providing a welcome habitat, with a variety of wildflowers, fungi and insects spotted in the area, along with a family of Slow Worms making use of logs left in the space.

Over time, we are aiming to actively manage this area of habitat to return it to the chalk grassland it once was. Situated alongside our nature trail, it is in an ideal location to be away from the busier parts of the site, but still accessible enough for visitors to engage with the natural history of Amberley Museum.

A big thank-you to the Wilder Horsham District team for the pre-application support they provided, including a site visit and advice given over the phone. This helped us understand our site’s potential and prioritise projects that are both impactful and manageable given our means.

Does your community group or charity have a project in need of funds? Wilder Horsham District’s Nature Recovery Award supports practical, local projects to actively create, improve and/or connect natural habitats. Find out more on our dedicated web page.