Sussex Wildlife Trust (SWT) has introduced cattle to a key conservation site in Friston Forest to help re-establish chalk grassland and associated species such as the rare silver-spotted skipper, adonis blue and chalkhill blue butterflies.

Thanks to funding from Viridor Credits and SITA Trust, SWT has bought six British White cattle, installed a water supply, and purchased a pen and cattle crush to help kick start the grazing project.

Chalk grassland is nationally and internationally important but there has been a drastic loss of this habitat in the last 30 years. Only 3% of the South Downs is chalk grassland – a tiny relic of a once open landscape.

SWT’s project area is around 80 hectares and lies on the downland slopes to the east of the Cuckmere Valley in East Sussex, adjoining areas of open chalk downland including Deep Dene Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Lullington Heath National Nature Reserve (NNR).

The Friston Forest project represents a great opportunity to conserve and enhance the biodiversity of the area, by re-establishing chalk grassland in an area buffering the neighbouring NNR, SSSI and open downland.

The re-introduction of year-round grazing at the site will recover and re-colonise grassland areas lost to willow-herb, bramble and scrub. The British White cattle enjoy eating the rough woody forage found in Friston Forest and their grazing patterns will create a mosaic of woodland, scrub and grassland encouraging chalk grassland flowers and butterflies to flourish.

The Friston Forest project is being managed by the SWT working in partnership with South East Water, the Forestry Commission, South Downs Joint Committee, University of Brighton and Natural England.

For more information on SWT visit www.sussexwt.org.uk

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Notes to editors
SITA Trust
1. SITA Trust was set up in 1997 and runs three funding programmes:
Enhancing Communities – for community improvement projects around landfill sites owned by SITA UK
Enriching Nature – for biodiversity projects within the vicinity of landfill sites in England
GreenPrints – launched in June 2007 to encourage 16-25 year olds to volunteer their time and energy to improving green spaces in their local communities
2. Each year, SITA Trust commits over £7 million nationwide through the Landfill Communities Fund
3. For more information visit the website www.sitatrust.org.uk

The Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme)
1. Landfill tax was introduced in 1996 to encourage more sustainable ways of managing waste.
2. The landfill tax legislation also brought about the Landfill Communities Fund. This scheme allows landfill operators to voluntarily donate 6.6% of their landfill tax liability to environmental improvement projects.

The Landfill Communities Fund is independently regulated on behalf of HM Government’s Revenue & Customs by ENTRUST.