Alex New the Plant Heritage Curator at Highdown Gardens came along to the Group’s April meeting not only to educate members regarding the wonderful collection of rare plants adorning the Gardens, but also to bring to life the fascinating history of this valued and unique chalk garden.

To an audience of 90 members and visitors Alex conveyed his extensive knowledge and demonstrating a keen sense of humour enthralled the Group with the colourful story of the many people who have contributed to this special place over the years.

In 1909 aristocratic banker Frederick Stern moved to the area and rented Highdown Tower with the intention of breeding racehorses. Stern married a lady called Sybil and the couple shared their time between the South Coast retreat and London. Soon Stern developed a passion, which eventually became an obsession, collecting plant specimens from worldwide destinations. Stern also commandeered other plant hunters such as George Forrest, Dora Stafford and Frank Kingdon-Ward to name but a few.

Whilst creating many hybrid flowers the couple became expert plant propagators and Stern became a member of the RHS and Sybil a suffragist activist for the Liberal Party. The fame of Highdown Gardens grew and by the 1930s botanists, plant hunters, gardeners, scientists and indeed the Royal Family were regular visitors.

During WW2 Stern became Group Commander of the West Sussex Home Guard and promoted to Colonel. Sybil was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour (Horticulture). With his vast knowledge of plants Stern became interested in counting plant chromosomes and began learning techniques from scientists and eventually converting the cellar at Highdown into a laboratory.

In 1956 Stern was knighted for his services to horticulture and in 1960 published a much acclaimed book entitled ‘A Chalk Garden’ – passing away in 1967 aged 83 years. In 1968 Lady Sybil donated Highdown Gardens to Worthing Town Council but died just four years later. The couple’s legacy is the beautiful Chalk Garden at Highdown that can still be enjoyed by visitors today.

In recent years more than £800,000 of lottery funding has enabled staff to make significant improvements enabling garden experts to catalogue, preserve and propagate the hundreds of rare species that grow in this important Garden. The welcome addition of a new visitor’s centre and walkways have all been created, along with a wheelchair accessible sensory garden.

A short AGM followed a break for refreshments with Chairman David Bettiss giving thanks to Michael Brown, the Group’s former Membership Secretary, for his significant contribution who has now sadly resigned from the committee due to poor health. The remaining committee members were re-elected unopposed, with Peter Coe being elected as a new member.

A Nature Notes session presented by Graham Tuppen followed the AGM with news of Common Whitethroats, Moorhens, a Water Vole and a Mallard Duck’s nest (just above the water level) being spotted along the banks of the Rife. The first Swallows of the year had been seen. A white Starling was spotted amongst a flock foraging near the Rife (this is caused by of lack of melanin – a pigment responsible for black and grey colouring in the feathers). Graham informed the audience that the Bluebells were all out in Patching Woods and a Nature Walk was planned there on 4^th May.

To conclude the meeting Ed Miller was able to advise members that planning applications for a property at The Grove had been refused permission by Arun DC together with ‘Haystacks’ in Sea Lane. The Group were jubilant to hear that the housing estates proposed at Kingston Lane, Kingston and also at Highdown Vineyard had also been refused.

Ferring Conservation Group were treated to an accomplished presentation by three very able students from St Oscar Romero School in Goring-by-Sea at the Group’s March meeting, accompanied by their teacher Mr Phil Dean.

This event marked the beginning of a joint venture where FCG and the school will work together on projects, learning from each other as they go.

Elliot Meakins, T Chaffer and Robson Seljan are all members of the ‘Fingerprint Ambassadors’ which initially had 4 members and swiftly grew to over 40, all with the same aspirations to work towards a sustainable and environmentally aware future.
Elliot began by explaining why ‘Fingerprint’ and not ‘Footprint’ was chosen. He explained that there are 100 fingerprints in 1 footprint and therefore carbon fingerprints are far more desirable than carbon footprints. Elliot’s message was to take every opportunity to reinforce this in day to day activities, on or offline, social media and in person and to always set an example by your actions.
In Robson’s part of the presentation he was keen for us to take on board and implement energy conservation by switching off lights, sourcing eco-friendly technology in the home and by simply walking instead of using the car. He left us with the disturbing thought that before long there will be more plastic bottles than fish in the ocean!
T’s message was the distressing impact that greenhouse gases are having on the planet, and the race that world leaders are part of to combat or at the very least lower these to a minimum. T’s dream is to live in a world with a nice healthy habitat because the planet deserves our love and care forever and a day.
The students provided an informative and thought provoking window into their vision for a greener future. Their abundant message was that ‘Knowledge is Power’ and with great attention to detail we can indeed turn around our past mistakes and make good and ecologically sound decisions in the future.
Phil Dean then took to the floor to tell members about the John Muir Award scheme that the students were working towards. This scheme focuses on wild places and has 4 challenges, discover/explore/conserve and share. Phil explained that John Muir was the man responsible for the setting up of the country’s National Parks starting with the Peak District in 1951 and finally the South Downs here in Sussex in 2010.
A questions and answers session concluded the first half of the meeting in which the students further impressed members in their knowledge and confidence to tackle everything they were asked. Fingerprints not Footprints badges were awarded to all who posed a question.
After a break for refreshments the popular Nature Notes session was delivered by Graham Tuppen. Beginning with welcome signs of spring, Graham gave news of sightings of Celandines in bloom, Wild Primroses, Wood Anemones and a Nuthatch was spotted along with a Tree Creeper in the Plantation. Also a shy Water Vole was glimpsed along the banks of the Rife. A short but amazing video was then shown featuring a fight between 2 White-tailed Sea Eagles in the sky above the RSPB Pulborough Brooks. This display was between a young eagle that was encroaching on the older eagle’s territory – an interesting addition to this much loved section of the meeting.
Ed Miller drew the meeting to its conclusion with local planning news. He highlighted the fact that there were several planning applications for housing estates still awaiting a decision by Arun DC.