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Birdsong for Beginners

Venue: Seven Sisters Country Park, Seaford
Date: Wednesday 11
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Tutor: Mike Russell

Content:
This course is a combination of indoor and outdoor sessions, and is suitable for beginners and those with some knowledge.

Learn about
• Why birds sing and what they are saying
• The different types of song and the different methods birds use to communicate messages
• The difference between songs and calls
• Some aspects of man’s relationship with birds and birdsong

Course Highlights
• Through an audiovisual presentation learn about how and why birds sing and what they are singing about
• Learn the song of six of our common garden birds
• Session out in Friston Forest to hear and see the local birds

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £25, Non-members £35

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Making a Herbal Medicine Chest from Local Growing Herbs

Venue: Woods Mill, Henfield
Date: Saturday 14
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Tutor: Sarah Furey

Content:
Discover the healing properties of common wild herbs and how to make a medicine chest. The course will cover responsible foraging of wild herbs.

Learn about
• Identifying medical herbs growing in their local habitat
• How herbs can heal common illnesses

Course Highlights
• Making a herbal medicine chest-including how to make a simple salve and tincture
• A classroom session identifying local herbs
• A field walk around Woods Mill to show the herbs in their local habitat

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £25, Non-members £35

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Arun Valley Water Voles

Venue: Amberley Village Hall and Houghton Bridge
Date: Saturday 14
Time: 12:30 - 17:30
Tutor: Rowena Baker

Content:
An introduction to water vole ecology,surveying and live capture.

Learn about
• Water vole ecology, current status and local research
• How to identify water vole signs (classroom & field practical)
• A chance to see water voles as part of a live capture research project

Course Highlights
• Water vole surveying and live release

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £9, Non-members £12

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Surveying the Sussex Shores

Venue: Bognor Regis, West Sussex
Date: Sunday 15
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Tutor: Becky Hitchin, Erin Pettifer & Gerald Legg

Content:
Discover more about Sussex coasts, the main groups of marine plants and animals, how to survey our shores and identify marine organisms in the field.

Learn about
• An introduction to Sussex coasts
• An overview of marine issues and protection
• Introduction to the main groups of marine plants and animals
• A chance to view specimens and ID books
• Marine data collection projects and how to survey our shores
• Review of species found

Course Highlights
• A field visit to Elmer Rock Islands in West Sussex to see the interesting rocky shore marine life associated with these man-made structures and to learn how to identify marine plants and animals
• An introduction to the Sussex coast and marine life
• A field visit to Elmer Rock Islands

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £25, Non-members £35

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Pond Survey Course

Venue: Woods Mill, Henfield, Rowlands Wood, East Hoathly; Linklater Pavilion
Date: Friday 20 & Thursday 26 April & Friday 15 June
Time: 10:00 - 16:00 and 19:30 - 21:30 for evening session on 26 April
Tutor: Bev Wadge, Patrick Roper, Jon Wood and Simon Curson

Content:
A 2½ day course which includes one evening session. An introduction to pond life and how to carry out baseline pond surveys.

Learn about
• Pond amphibians and invertebrates, and how to survey for them
• Native newts, how to carry out an egg search, and pond torching
• Pond plants, and how to identify them

Course Highlights
• The rare opportunity to look at the wide variety of native (and some non-native) wetland plants growing on Lewes Brooks
• Pond dipping in the Woods Mill ponds
• The rare opportunity to see all three native newts at the same time

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £32, Non-members £42

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Carving from Nature

Venue: Woods Mill, Henfield
Date: Saturday 21 & Sunday 22
Time: 10:00 - 16:00 both days
Tutor: Janine Creaye

Content:
Carve your own design in wood relief using natural objects found at the site and examples of wood carving from the past as inspiration.

Learn about
• Ways of converting reality to stylish designs
• Basic carving skills
• How to use tool marks as pattern and texture
• What tools are needed, how to sharpen them, and the stains and finishes needed to complete the work

Course Highlights
• Create your own design from the most pleasing forms you find at the site
• Learn enough about carving to be able to complete a work

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £84, Non-members £104

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Basic Bushcraft for Adults

Venue: Seven Sisters Country Park, Seaford
Date: Sunday 22
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Tutor: Nicky Hedgecock & Mark Lloyd

Content:
Come and join us for a fun day of basic bushcraft. You will learn some green woodworking, debris shelter building, knots and tarp work and fire lighting to include fire by friction. You will also have the opportunity to try some camp bread and tea.

Learn about
• Fire-lighting, using storm kettles and making fire by friction
• Green woodworking

Course Highlights
• Cooking up your own brew and making a simple camp bread
• Finding out how to make a woodland shelter
• Spending a day in the forest

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £35, Non-members £48

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Farming and Wildlife on Pevensey Levels

Venue: Stone Cross, Pevensey and field trips to various locations
Date: Monday 23 April & Monday 18 June and Sunday field trips 29 April, 13 May, 3 & 17 June
Time: 19:00 - 21:00 - Indoor sessions
Tutor: Sarah McKenzie

Content:
Two indoor sessions and four outdoor sessions. Pevensey Levels supports a wealth of wildlife which is dependant on sensitive farming techniques. In this course we visit three farms which do just that, and also take a look at the National Nature Reserve and the Sussex Wildlife Trust reserve.

Learn about
• Habitat requirements of breeding lowland waders
• How farmers make ends meet AND benefit wildlife

Course Highlights
• Observing waders on the marshes
• Looking at species-rich hay meadows

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £60, Non-members £72

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An Evening with Badgers

Venue: Rusper, nr Horsham
Date: Monday 23
Time: 18:00 - 22:00 approx.
Tutor: David Plummer

Content:
The evening will start with an indoor introductory talk at Rusper Village Hall. You will then drive in your own cars to the wood nearby. Please wear suitable warm outdoor clothing and footwear for the weather conditions as you could be sitting down for 2½– 3 hours. Please bring binoculars if you have them. Please also bring a torch. Further details will be sent on booking.

Learn about
• The life of the badger and how it survives in today’s world

Course Highlights
• Seeing badgers in the wild

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £18, Non-members £22

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An Evening with Badgers

Venue: Rusper, nr Horsham
Date: Wednesday 25
Time: 18:00 - 22:00 approx.
Tutor: David Plummer

Content:
The evening will start with an indoor introductory talk at Rusper Village Hall. You will then drive in your own cars to the wood nearby. Please wear suitable warm outdoor clothing and footwear for the weather conditions as you could be sitting down for 2½– 3 hours. Please bring binoculars if you have them. Please also bring a torch. Further details will be sent on booking.

Learn about
• The life of the badger and how it survives in today’s world

Course Highlights
• Seeing badgers in the wild

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £18, Non-members £22

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An Introduction to Woodland Ecology

Venue: Plumpton College, nr Lewes
Date: Friday 27
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Tutor: Petra Billings

Content:
An introduction to the history, ecology and wildlife of ancient woodland.

Learn about
• The importance of ancient semi-natural woodlands to people and wildlife
• How the woodland ecosystem works
• Identifying woodland flowers and birds
• The special adaptations of some typical woodland plants and animals

Course Highlights
• A field visit to local bluebell woods

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £25, Non-members £35

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An Introduction to Bees and Beekeeping

Venue: Woods Mill, Henfield
Date: Saturday 28
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Tutor: Amanda Millar

Content:
The decline in the honeybee population around the globe is causing great concern so the Trust has joined together with the Brighton & Lewes Beekeepers Association to promote the importance of these insects. There will be an indoor session in the morning and the tutor will be bringing some bees to the reserve for the afternoon session.

Learn about
• The ecology and wildlife implications of honeybees
• The importance to environment and human beings
• Health and disease management basic principles
• The biology of honeybees

Course Highlights
• Looking at the activity within a beehive
• An outdoor session with bees

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £25, Non-members £35

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Getting to know the Wild Flowers of West Sussex - Woodlands

Venue: Singleton Village Hall, nr Chichester
Date: Saturday 28
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Tutor: Simon Curson

Content:
The first of four wild flower summer field trips in West Sussex. Attend all four trips or just enjoy this course in its own right. Introductory slide talk followed by field visits.

Learn about
• Flower identification
• Use of keys
• Books on flowers

Course Highlights
• Seeing woodland flowers at their best, including orchids

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £25, Non-members £35

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Garden Butterflies

Venue: Herstmonceux Village Hall, East Sussex
Date: Saturday 28
Time: 09:00 - 14:00
Tutor: Michael Blencowe

Content:
This course will look at the butterflies that might visit your garden, how to identify them and how you can help attract them to your garden.

Learn about
• The butterflies that visit your garden
• What to plant and how to attract butterflies to your garden
• How to record them and where to send your records

Course Highlights
• Visiting a site especially created with butterflies and moths in mind
• A chance to purchase some native plants

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £12, Non-members £9

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An Introduction to the Reptiles of the UK

Venue: Buchan Country Park, Crawley
Date: Saturday 28
Time: 10:00 - 16:00
Tutor: Liam Russell & Robin Edwards

Content:
This course looks at the reptiles to be found in the UK, with an indoor session in the morning then out into the country park looking for signs and hopefully seeing reptiles.

Learn about
• The reptiles to be found in the UK and their distribution
• Their ecology and how to conserve them
• Learning how to survey for reptiles and putting new-found survey techniques into practice

Course Highlights
• A field trip to one of the reptile hot-spots in Sussex

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £25, Non-members £35

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Photographic Safari

Venue: Meet at Woods Mill, Henfield, for minibus to various wildlife sites
Date: Sunday 29
Time: 09:30 - 17:00
Tutor: David Plummer

Content:
Visit some of the best Trust reserves in spring to receive advice and instruction on how to get the best out of your wildlife photography. Open to those with digital SLR cameras only. Not suitable for film SLR, point and shoot or hybrid cameras.

Learn about
• Nature photography – some photographic tuition given

Course Highlights
• Travel via minibus to various superb wildlife sites across Sussex
• Photograph woodland flowers
• Sites visited will include a Sussex Wildlife Trust heathland nature reserve

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £58, Non-members £68

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An Evening with Badgers

Venue: Rusper, nr Horsham
Date: Monday 30
Time: 18:00 - 22:00 approx.
Tutor: David Plummer

Content:
The evening will start with an indoor introductory talk at Rusper Village Hall. You will then drive in your own cars to the wood nearby. Please wear suitable warm outdoor clothing and footwear for the weather conditions as you could be sitting down for 2½– 3 hours. Please bring binoculars if you have them. Please also bring a torch. Further details will be sent on booking.

Learn about
• The life of the badger and how it survives in today’s world

Course Highlights
• Seeing badgers in the wild

To book please ring 01273 497561

Cost: Members/volunteers £18, Non-members £22