What a privilege to be invited along to Seaford Environmental Alliance’s Harfest at the Hub. There was plenty going on, tours of the garden (and a new “secret” garden!), craft activities for children, pumpkin soup and cakes for everyone, chutney...
This year we have joined forces with other groups such as Seaford Natural History Society, Greenhavens and Seaford Environmental Alliance to run (and subsidise if necessary) some fantastic educational events. This included an outstanding talk from young botanist Leif Bersweden...
We work with the council and other organisations to agree the best way to manage green spaces for both wildlife and the people that use them. We have previously agreed mowing regimes with council managers and/or contractors. For example certain...
You’ve heard of scarecrows but have you heard of scaremows? These very important creatures are coming to Seaford to scare away the lawnmowers and strimmers! Why? Well because leaving your lawn or verge uncut can encourage a wild variety of...
Well the days may have seemed long and often dreary but it didn’t stop On the Verge members getting outside and noticing signs of life! We started off the year joining in with the BSBI New Year Plant Hunt This...
On the Verge and Trees for Seaford, are delighted to be celebrating the award of National Lottery funding to OVCA (Ouse Valley Climate Action) In the bid OVCA had “..an ambitious goal of empowering local people to help create one...
Summer meadows Though the summer meadows have faded prematurely due to the drought, the Micklefield Green trees managed to stay green, especially those which have roots going deep down into the layers of soil which stay moist. In July and...
Seaford is renaturing thanks in part to the new mowing regime introduced by Seaford Town Council, supported by “On The Verge” and others environmental groups. Parts of the Sea Meadows and the Salts have been given back to nature and...
If you look over the old flint wall near the end of Sandore Road you will see a small area of wild land. Almost set into the old wall is an even older huge Ash tree – which came first?...
We hope you are enjoying the height of Summer, the scented blooms in the garden, and lazy days spotting butterflies and listening to the buzz of the bees. It’s definitely time for some Summer picnics. Why not plan one in...
What would you like to see on the streets around you? A few wildflowers popping up here and there, maybe? Bees, and butterflies enjoying an unexpected treat of nectar? Or pavements and roadsides that are totally clear of any plants...
Catching bugs Recently our “green champion” volunteers had a visit from Alice of Buglife at the “Covers” fields in College Road which is currently occupied by sparrows delighting in the meadow for food and cover! You can read more about...
Volunteers at “On the Verge” have been busy again this month, trying to get the message out about bringing nature back to our town. Thanks go to the tireless volunteers who have been visiting local schools, where children have been...
Recently “On the Verge” volunteers have been thinking a lot about insects, especially since we had the renowned writer Dave Goulson giving us a wonderful talk in Seaford about the theme of his latest (highly recommended) book “Averting the...
One of my botany assignments saw me spending several weeks with my head down, peering in verges, gutters and the gaps in the pavements, for members of the Cabbage (Brassicaceae) family. This got me a few funny looks! There are...
If you have been doing “No Mow May” this year and growing your lawn long, the next stage is observing the flowers that appear. Plantlife can help us work out how wildlife has benefited from the increased number of flowering...
Sarah tells us more about the meadow she has grown over a number of years: My meadow We started a meadow in our back garden in 2003. We mowed the grass in April, then left it to see what came...
We asked an “on the Verge” member how their “No Mow May” went last year! The answer was surprising! Did you leave your grass unmown last year? Yes – I cut a pattern in our lawn, and left some areas...
Earth Day Friday 22nd April was Earth Day, a time to focus on environmental education, and all that we can do to support and nurture our beautiful planet. How fitting that this was the day a team of “On the...
On the Verge were delighted to welcome Dave Goulson to Seaford this week. He gave a fascinating talk about insects, more specifically “Averting the Insect Apocalypse”, as covered in his new book! It really was a wonderful talk, and...
By the time you read this, we should be well and truly into Spring, and just like the flower buds, we are raising our faces to the sun and blossoming with ideas to bring nature back to our town. We...
Did you pledge some of your garden for wildlife in the “Metre Square for wildlife” campaign? Yes. I have quite a few metres that are particularly good for wildlife including hedges, shrubs, a pond and a wilder area with a...
As I write, a few of us have been out and about looking for evidence of emerging wild flowers. The mild weather has encouraged the foliage to appear very earl. By the time you read this, many more should be...
A year ago, the idea was born to transform our bland front lawn into a wildflower meadow. We liked the thought of some colour and a place for bees and bugs. In March, we bought wildflower seed packs in the...
Our “Renaturing champions” recently had their first outing at the Covers in College Road. They spotted a few wild flowers in flower including Red Dead-nettle, Sweet Violet, Daisies, Dandelions and plenty of Bristly Ox-Tongue leaves. A great start to the...
Nothing illustrates the value of ‘right plant in the right place ‘ better than Crocus. If we don’t pay attention we see too little of it. In Firle Rd where the road level drops between banks within the old village...
On a Sunday in January, our very first pioneering Seaford “renaturing champions” met up in the Martello Fields (or the “Sea Meadows” as we prefer to call it!) We all live nearby, and walk past it all the time, so...
Back in December we were disappointed when the SEA Hub had to temporarily close, and our Christmas social was going to be cancelled. Our group is a mostly hardy bunch who love being outdoors in our green spaces, so we...
Are you going to be watching the birds at the weekend? The Big Garden Birdwatch is one of the biggest Citizen Science projects in the UK and last year more than a million people took part. The results helps the...
Feeling crabby in the week of blue Monday? Apparently the word “crabby” meaning grumpy or irritated, may come from the bitterness of the crab apple! Perhaps you’ve been out wassailing in your apple trees this week? Last month Julia shared...
Recently SEA opened a fantastic Climate hub in Seaford, which gives a base for groups in Seaford including ours. We were delighted when a film student asked to make a short film during the Hub opening day about “On the...
Rewilding or Renaturing? – An “On the Verge” and “Trees for Seaford” partnership New year – new plan. We’ve been talking about increasing biodiversity in Seaford for a year now, and we often use the word “rewilding. To me, “wilding”...
Last month we talked about how the On the Verge are helping to connect people and wildlife in our green corridors. Some of our green spaces looked wonderful this year! Beautiful pollinator mixes in Crouch Gardens and Micklefield Park, bees...
On either side of College road, on the way to the Martello Fields and beach, are two sunken green spaces “The Covers”. Few people notice them in passing, and residents only rarely use them for recreation. We believe that these...
In the Kitchen: With an abundance of eating apples in the garden this year, I couldn’t bear to see them go to waste so we made apple juice and cider with the bulk of the crop. Making cider for...
One afternoon at the end of August I met with 7 neighbours to survey the vegetation outside our homes. We had been brought together by “On the Verge” and hoped to demonstrate the value of “re-wilding” our road side borders....
On the Verge were busy at the end of August carrying out some surveys of the plants in our green spaces. We were really interested to survey the “Pump Field” which is just east of the other two Martello Fields....
“Verge” – the point beyond which something begins or occurs It’s hard to believe that “On the Verge” only came into being in February this year. Lockdown meant that we all started to value our local neighbourhood more. “On the...
Have you been using the Plantlife wild flower spotting sheets or app this Summer? It’s a great way to get to know some of our common wild flowers. Here are some you may well have seen in Seaford that are...
Just opposite the ice cream van on the seafront is Edinburgh Road where the verges closest to the sea, are designated as wild flower verges. This means that the management of these verges, marked with a yellow flower sign, is...
If you stop to get an ice cream by Bonningstedt Promenade on the Seafront, take a few minutes to sit at one of the benches to the east of the ice cream van. If you are lucky and look down...
If you’ve been looking out for wild flowers this year, you may have noticed there are quite different range of plants on the seafront between the Sailing club, and the arm at Newhaven. This area of Tidemills is a very...
Hedgerows are extremely important for wildlife and the environment. They support a huge range of wildlife as shelter and food and we can benefit too from these plants at this time of the year. Blackberries must be high on the...
The Martello fields are a valuable green space near the sea front towards Splash Point. A great place for events from fairs, boot fairs, charity days and sporting events. It’s also an informal space for dog walking, family picnics, meet...
Can a front garden be too tiny to make a difference? Phoebe Stone’s garden certainly isn’t. Thanks so much to an “On the Verge” member for sharing this! A garden could hardly be more limited than these shared front railings...
Have you visited the corner of Southdown road and Chyngton road lately? This corner of the adjacent golf course, has been managed by the groundsmen to leave the grass left longer in large swathes. This means that wild flowers can...
Native wild grasses are all around us. En masse they form important distinct ecosystems. Often overlooked, grasslands are found all over the world, the foundation for modern life as we know it. Wild Grasses (Poaceae/Gramineae family Wild grasses are wild...
Have you been doing the Big Butterfly Count for Butterfly Conservation? This is a UK-wide survey aimed at helping assess the health of our environment simply by counting the amount and type of butterflies (and some day-flying moths) On Wednesday...
Grasses and lawns. What are they and do we need them? Grasses are very important. Not the lawn grass which is effectively a variety of wild grasses, bred to be hardy, resistant to wear and tear and the infiltration of...
On the Verge of what? As you may have heard, Seaford Community partnership has been awarded project development funds from the National Lottery, towards the Ouse Valley Cares project. One of the key aims of the project is “protecting and...
Thanks so much to Alice from Buglife, who came over to Seaford to talk to us about pollinating insects, and how to survey for them. Buglife is a conservation charity, working in the UK with a current focus on pollinators,...
The kiss of the sun for pardon, the song of the birds for mirth, One’s nearer God’s heart in a garden, than anywhere else on Earth. This little poem came to mind as we were shown around the wonderful wildlife...
Want to see more of these Butterflies and Moths in your garden? Then embrace your weeds Many of you may wonder what you can do to have a more wildlife friendly garden, especially to encourage more moths and butterflies. Gardens...
Has anyone else been doing the Plantlife, Great British Wild Flower hunt? It’s a great way to learn to identify more flowers, and you can download a spotting sheet, or use an app on your phone. I think my favourite...
Did you know that next week (29 May – 6 June) is the very first National Hedgerow Week? You can find out more on the Tree Council website here Hedgerows are a vital part of our countryside, with practical uses...
Local councillor Jean Cash has lived in Seaford for many years, and her mother used to play in the Martello Fields as a child, when it was known as the “Sea Meadows”! These days the fields are well used for...
I took a walk round the Salts the other evening and was amazing to see how many birds were congregating and feeding along the perimeter fence. The area between the railway line and this recreation field, is already a wonderful...
What did you spot in the verges in March? The first wild flower I noticed was the sweet violets. I spotted the first ones in the verge of Fitzgerald Avenue, and soon they were popping up everywhere including by the...
Our “On the Verge” partnership is supporting the Sussex Wildlife Trust’s campaign for a “Wilder Sussex” and encourages us all to make the most of our gardens and outdoor spaces, and to work with our neighbours to create wildlife habitats...
Heather sent us this funny clipping (author unknown), which she spotted in a Norfolk magazine. She hoped it would inspire readers to give some thought to their boring, time consuming lawns! We love this too! Heather has violets, eggs and...
What have you seen in your verges recently? Many thanks to Mon, who tells a bit more about the violets you can spot in many of the verges in Seaford right now!