Author: LocHist

Woodland Mosses and Liverworts

Woodland mosses and liverworts
Sussex Wildlife Trust is offering a course taught by Graeme Lyons in Woods Mill on Friday 28th February from 10:00am to 4:00pm:

An introduction to bryophytes, their taxonomy and ecology. We will learn the terminology and different parts of the plants before spending the morning identifying specimens in doors. After lunch we will venture into the woods where we will identify bryophytes in the field. Many of the plants are very small and use hand lenses are required throughout. Latin names will also be used in the absence of widely used English names. Suitable for people who have had some experience in plant identification and introduction to taxonomy. Also for ecologists, professionals, biology and ecology students.

£2 towards cycle path

Henfield Business Park
Henfield Business Park
The West Sussex County Times reports:

Councillors have granted a business developer approval to reduce its transport contributions from thousands of pounds to just £2. .. Brian O’Connell (Con: Henfield) said the county council’s transport contribution demand was ‘ridiculous’. .. One of the county council’s requests was to create a cycle path from Woodmancote to Henfield, which Mr O’Connell laughed at the prospect of. .. Brian Donnelly (Con Pulborough and Coldwaltham) said: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this, we could get it wrong. Cycle paths are a total waste of money, but this site will be adding to cars on the road, so there should be a transport charge. I don’t understand why the mechanics went so wrong.”

No spare rail capacity

Balcombe Viaduct in a 1954 photograph
The LAMBS website has a very interesting post on the (im)possibility of carrying more passengers on the London–Brighton line:

[Mayfield is] a completely unsustainable development from the transport perspective .. You have to remember that the Brighton mainline has only got four lines from London as far as Balcombe Tunnel, which is just South of Crawley. Beyond that it’s a two track railway going down to Brighton and I can see no way of actually widening that section of line. You’ve got a number of obstacles in your way which would have to be addressed because of the undulating way of the countryside.

Much more here.
Update 25th January: Lee Newlyn responds.

Join the Saddlescombe education volunteers

Volunteer teaching team at Saddlescombe Farm
Learning outside the classroom: join the new volunteer teaching team at Saddlescombe Farm. A new classroom is being developed in one of the farm buildings. The day will be spent introducing the education staff, meeting current volunteers and finding out what is planned for the future.

Friday, 24 January 2014, 10:00am — 1:00pm. More info here.