What has the group been doing so far in the Pump field?
The UK has suffered acutely from loss of biodiversity – our birds, butterflies, insects, wild flowers. We HAVE to do something about it, however little.. As part of On the Verge, ‘No mow May’ initiative to increase biodiversity in the field, we decided to plant a native hedgerow along the Pump station perimeter fence. Our intention originally was to hide the ugly Pumping Station! We wanted to make the Pump Field more attractive to school children to do fieldwork there. We also realised that by choosing the hedgerow species carefully we could provide flowers for pollinator species, food for caterpillars etc, seeds for birds and mammals and shelter. i.e. increase the biodiversity of the plot.
Then SDNPA put us in touch with Southern Water as possible additional sponsors for one of the elements of the Cliff Gardens project sculptures. (This was before all the negative publicity re sewage spills…). We met them onsite and they explained that they also had education initiatives on Water use and abuse, the Water cycle etc. We realised that any project explaining Climate change definitely needed to consider Water – drought, flooding, pollution, effect on biodiversity. We needed to work with them. Then came the Sewage scandal.. what to do? Cut links? We decided that to work with them on these issues was more important than to shun them. And so we have.
They offered to help us prepare the area for hedge planting and then to help plant on one of their Volunteer Days. 9 members of Southern Water and of their associated construction company Cappagh Browne volunteered to spent a day along with our team and children from Seaford Head School planting 50m of native hedgerow species.
See below for species and how we hope they will increase biodiversity over time.
Pump Field Native Hedge species to increase Biodiversity
Field Maple (Acer campestre) has good yellow autumn colour and strong branching. Field maple is attractive to aphids and their predators, including many species of ladybird, hoverfly and bird. Lots of species of moth, such as the mocha, feed on its leaves. The flowers provide nectar and pollen sources for bees and birds, and small mammals eat the fruits.
Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea) has red-purple stems in winter. White flowers in spring followed by blue-black berries in autumn. The leaves are eaten by the caterpillars of some moths, including the case-bearer moth, while the flowers are visited by insects and the berries are eaten by many mammals and birds.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) Also known as quickthorn or May. Flowers in May followed in autumn by an abundance of red berries (haws). It can support more than 300 insects. It is the food plant for caterpillars of moths, including the hawthorn, orchard ermine, pear leaf blister, rhomboid tortrix, light emerald, lackey, vapourer, fruitlet-mining tortrix, small eggar and lappet moths. Its flowers are eaten by dormice and provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinating insects. The haws are eaten by migrating birds, such as redwings, fieldfares and thrushes, as well as small mammals. The dense, thorny foliage makes fantastic nesting shelter for many species of bird.
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus) has inconspicuous flowers in spring followed by showy orange seeds set in scarlet pod like fruits. The foliage turns brilliant red-purple in autumn. The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of moths, including the magpie, spindle ermine and scorched, as well as the holly blue butterfly. The leaves also attract aphids and their predators, including hoverflies, ladybirds and lacewings, as well as the house sparrow and other species of bird. The flowers are a rich source of nectar and pollen for insects such as the St Mark’s fly.
Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) Small glossy green leaves. White flowers in spring followed by little green berries turning black in autumn. Especially, food for the enormous Privet Hawk moth.
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) also known as the sloe bush. The first hedging plant to flower in early March covered in pure white blooms before the leaves appear. The dark blue fruit (sloe) ripens in late autumn. Especially vital for the rare Black Hairstreak butterfly which lays eggs on the bush. The caterpillars emerge in spring when they feed on the foliage. Early flowering, blackthorn provides a valuable source of nectar and pollen for bees in spring. Its foliage is a food plant for the caterpillars of many moths, including the lackey, magpie, swallow-tailed and yellow-tailed. Also the black and brown hairstreak butterflies. Birds nest among the dense, thorny thickets, eat caterpillars and other insects from the leaves, and feast on the sloes in autumn.
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) Fragrant flat topped white flower heads in May followed by clusters of dark purple berries in September.The flowers provide nectar for a variety of insects and the berries are eaten by birds and mammals. Small mammals, such as dormice and bank voles, eat both the berries and the flowers. Many moth caterpillars feed on elder foliage, including the white-spotted pug, swallowtail, dot moth and buff ermine
What are the plans for the Pump field going forward and will it still be accessible to the public?
No further plans for the Pump Field. We will care for and maintain the hedgerow, the monitoring work being undertaken by Renaturing Seaford/On the Verge and the mowing regimes arranged with STC for all the Martello Fields will continue with paths mown and the rest left to flower and seed to increase biodiversity.
On occasions children from local schools will visit to do field work according to their school syllabuses. We have given them ecology kits to work with. No access by the public has been changed. In fact we hope that the experience of walking through the meadow will be enhanced with summer flowers, increased biodiversity and more bird song!
