About the Project
The Sussex Wealden Greensand Heaths (SWGH) Project is a 5-year lottery funded partnership project, led by the Sussex Downs Conservation Board. The Project has over £750,000 to help conserve and restore heathland in West Sussex. Despite being an important part of our natural heritage, more than 80% of the heathland in West Sussex has been lost in the last 200 years.

The Project aims to restore lost heathlands to their former glory whilst conserving existing areas. A special feature of the project is the Serpent Trail, a 40-mile footpath that snakes its way through the spectacular woodland and heathland scenery of the project area (countryside around Haslemere, Midhurst, Petworth, and Petersfield).

Rob Free, the Project Manager, said:
"Heathland is an internationally important habitat as it supports rare wildlife such as nightjars, Dartford warblers, smoothsnakes, and silver-studded blue butterflies. Heather is its most characteristic plant and it develops on sandy soils where nutrients are lost quickly through the soil in open areas. It has survived on many of our commons which were maintained by human activities such as livestock grazing. Local heaths, including those at Iping, Stedham, Ambersham and Woolbeding Commons, are at their most picturesque right now as the heather is in full flower."

Contact
For a free copy of the Heaths Project Newsletter contact the team:

Rob Free, Project Manager
Toby Williams, Heathland Officer
Maggie Cullen, Heathland Ranger

Tel: 01730 812134
Fax: 01730 813114
Email: heathland@southdowns-aonb.gov.uk

Partners include: Tomorrow's Heathland Heritage, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), English Nature, National Trust, West Sussex County Council.