Environment - Human & Natural
Wildlife, Biodiversity & Vegetated Shingle
Shingle beaches are an inhospitable environment for plants and animals given the amount of salt that comes from sea spray, windy conditions, the risk of periodic sea water inundation and erosion from wave action. A lack of soil and fine material makes them very dry places, poor in nutrients. However, specialised plants colonise the beach, often down to the berm that defines the limit of last winter's storms, creating habitat for animals, particularly invertebrates. Further back from the active beach, where shingle becomes more stable, habitats become richer with a larger variety of plants and animals.
Vegetated shingle is a rare habitat worldwide, with a restricted distribution; the only main areas outside north west Europe are in Japan and New Zealand. One fifth of the area found in England is in East and West Sussex, and almost half at Dungeness. Small pockets of vegetated shingle are found along the Pevensey frontage and by working with various environmental groups (such as the East Sussex Vegetated Shingle Project) it is hoped that their size and quality can be increased whilst maintaining the sea defences.
For instance working with Dr. Kate Cole (ESCC Coastal Biodiversity Officer) has resulted in an identification "Cab Card" being provided for anyone working on the beach. This enables staff to learn more about the unique local flora, identify different species and ensure where possible it remains undisturbed by beach works. A pdf version of the leaflet is available for download here;
Links to biodiversity information for Pevensey and in more general terms can be found below:
- Report on shingle habitat disturbance experiments
- Wildlife and coastal habitats website of the Beaches At Risk project
- Shingle plant distribution map including Pevensey
- Guidance for the management of coastal vegetated shingle
- Coastal vegetated shingle Habitat Action Plan (HAP) for Sussex
Old Groyne Materials
In 2000 there were some 150 timber groynes in Pevensey Bay. Moving towards an open beach means that all but a dozen or so of the old structures will gradually disappear. As they fail they are being removed, and, rather than be scrapped, as much as possible of the wood is recycled and re-used. Some pieces can be used to repair other groynes, but most is no longer suitable for sea defence works.
Timber is offered to local residents for use in garden landscaping projects, to local farmers for replacement gate posts and for a whole range of artistic uses - for instance, bespoke furniture. We have also developed relationships with local wood recycling projects;
Brighton & Hove Wood Recycling Project
Set up in 1998, the Brighton & Hove Wood Recycling Project rescue, reuse and recycle some of the thousands of tonnes of wood that locally goes to landfill every year, thus saving resources, providing low-cost quality timber and creating sustainable employment. They are a "not-for-profit" environmental group, and completely self-supporting financially.
Visit www.woodrecycling.org.uk to find out more.
Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling Project
The Hastings & Bexhill Wood Recycling Project is a social enterprise. The project has been set up with the dual purpose of recycling wood which would otherwise be destined for landfill and working with volunteers and local unemployed trainees to help develop skills that will be useful to them in finding work.
Their mission is to keep wood out of landfill and to make working as much fun as playing. Visit www.recyclingwood.org.uk to find out more.
