Our Rainforest in Miniature: Chalk Grassland and its Wildlife

Dave Bangs, Tim Andrews, & Paolo Oprandi have made a fantastic film all about the mosses, herbs, invertebrates, reptiles and birds to be found in our Chalk Grassland. They are assisted by some of the leading experts in their field, including Dave Goulson, Alice Parfitt and Neil Hulme. The film contains lovely footage of dancing Adders, jewel like beetles, orchids and fungi. Please enjoy and share it far and wide!
A VISION FOR A RESTORED DOWN PASTURE LANDSCAPE
Restore chalk grassland at a landscape scale: for wildlife, for public access and enjoyment
, for conservation of the chalk aquifer
, for food production
, and for conservation of the cultural heritage
Add value to chalk grassland: with comprehensive statutory access land designation, with scrub restoration on nearby arable reversion, with organic arable production on the best soils
, and with dewpond restoration
Nurture all surviving chalk grassland fragments by: removing invasive scrub & secondary woodland
, restoring livestock grazing as the main management
- letting site histories and wildlife dictate management,
and expanding site size to sustainable levels
Link up all existing chalk grassland sites: with the nearest other surviving fragments
, with top land on the plateau ridges, with rights of way along the plateau & between the ridges
, and with valley bottom land and soils .
Created by Landscapes of Freedom and the Brighton Downs Alliance
Narrator: Dave Bangs
Camera: Tim Andrews
Editor: Paolo Oprandi
Landscapes of Freedom: Supporting the right to roam across the South Downs and beyond
landscapesoffr...
Also
www.brightondo...
/ brightondownsalliance
00:05 Chapter 1: Introduction
03:13 Chapter 2: Some tips to identify chalk grassland
05:28 Chapter 3: Tiny plants - the mosses - with Sue Rubinstein
09:54 Chapter 4: Butterflies and the fate of chalk downland - with Dr Dave Goulson
18:00 Chapter 5: Here comes the Spring!
21:44 Chapter 6: some chalk grassland beetles - with Peter Hodge
25:32 Chapter 7: flowers, some without petals: grasses, sedges & woodrushes
27:25 Chapter 8: a piece of the sky - the Adonis Blue - with Neil Hulme
32:02 Chapter 9: yellow flowers: Field Fleawort
33:44 Chapter 10: Snails of chalk grassland - with Dr Martin Willing
39:55 Chapter 11: How diverse is chalk grassland? - with Paul Harmes
46:06 Chapter 12: Looking for a rare bee...and other tiny wonders - with Alice Parfitt
51:51 Chapter 13:Seeing a second summer
52:51 Chapter 14: Farming and a vision for a restored chalk grassland landscape - with Phil Belden

[@redexplosions]

Superb. Many thanks for putting this together

[@MumboMod]

Really interesting, thanks for uploading :)

[@mrsjoycehoover]

Excellent. So informative. Over 30 species of flowers found in just one square metre of chalk grassland!

[@janeayers1237]

A lovely lyrical song.

[@andywilson9205]

Brilliant stuff Dave.This should be required viewing on the curriculum of all local secondary schools (and beyond.)

[@friendsofthebrightondowns2940]

Now that really would be summat!!!...Thanks Andy

[@timw8518]

Really enjoyed this - thank you! Any plans for a Part II that includes birds and mammals?

[@friendsofthebrightondowns2940]

Thanks loads Tim. Good thought. It's got our chalk grassland mega-bird up-front...the Great Bustard !!...plus Stonechat...and most of the background sound-track is chalk grassland birds - Skylarks, Meadow Pips, Yellowhammer, Corn Buntings, lovely Rooks et al. We couldn't use Stone Curlews cos did that in our first film. Plus, birds get a big deal of attention already...but grasses, snails, mosses, even most bees and beetles get zilch...and it is that 'fairy fauna' and flora that chalk grassland is all about...the 'miniature' thing...