Archive

22 January 2021

What can be found on the strandline #5 Eggs

Mermaid’s purses are not the only egg cases that can be found in the strandline. Common whelk (Buccinum undatum) egg cases are also a fairly common sight. They are a mass of small spongy balls that could indeed be confused for sponges. In the past, sailors did actually use them as wash balls! The first whelks to hatch are cannibalistic and will eat their still developing siblings to give themselves a burst of energy to help them survive in the open ocean.

21 January 2021

What can be found on the strandline #4 Shells

While beach combing in the strandline, you will likely come across a number of shells from different species of molluscs. These shells are most often empty as the animal inside has died and likely been eaten. We explore the most frequently seen shells on Sussex beaches.

20 January 2021

A sad farewell to Bramber the beaver

It is with great sadness and disappointment that Knepp Estate announces the death of Bramber the beaver on 13 Jan 2021, shortly after recapturing him from his travels down the River Adur.

20 January 2021

What can be found on the strandline #3 Crab shells

If you find a crab shell in the strandline, it is likely not a dead crab but actually a moulted crab shell. Over their lifetime, crabs moult (or shed) their shell many times as they grow.

19 January 2021

What can be found on the strandline #2 Mermaid's Purses

Mermaid’s purses are a common sight on Sussex beaches. These little pouches are actually the egg cases of sharks, skates and rays.

18 January 2021

What can be found on the strandline #1 Cuttlebones

Cuttlebones are a common strandline find in Sussex.

17 January 2021

Behind the Lens with Andrew Holloway

Andrew Holloway and his wife Isobel live in Haywards Heath and have been members of Sussex Wildlife Trust for over ten years. Andrew talks to us about his wildlife photography

Andrew regularly shares wildlife photos on Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Facebook Nature Table group. We caught up with him over the phone to ask him about photography and lockdown

15 January 2021

Online teacher training

Online teacher training webinars

14 January 2021

Ask the Prime Minister to overturn the decision to allow bee-killing pesticides!

The Secretary of State, George Eustice has agree to authorise the use of highly damaging neonicotinoid thiamethoxam for the treatment of sugar beet seed in 2021. Sussex Wildlife Trust opposes this decision. We are in a biodiversity crisis where all efforts should be focused on restoring wildlife, not putting more toxic chemicals into the ecosystem.