In line with the Government’s roadmap for emerging out of the pandemic lockdown Chichester Harbour Conservancy is pleased to announce that we hope to begin reinstating our events and boat trip programmes from mid-May.

These will include the monthly walks (5 miles or more) and strolls (up to 3 miles).  From now on advance booking will be necessary for all walks and numbers will be limited to enable us to keep to all restrictions still in place at the time.   Bookings for Conservancy events are hosted by Ticketsource and there will be a fee payable on booking which will be £3 per person to join a walk.  The income will go towards covering the costs of the booking service.

Solar Heritage

The solar boat, Solar Heritage, will begin 1½ hour trips again, hopefully from 22 May.  Numbers will be limited in order to maintain social distancing. See the Conservancy’s website for more details nearer the time.  We are currently working on setting up the sailing schedule and plan to include longer trips with the aim of seeing seals when the tides allow.

Oyster boat Terror

The Victorian oyster sailing boat Terror, managed by volunteers from the Friends of Chichester Harbour, will begin two-hour  trips from mid May.

Numbers will be limited initially to four passengers per trip for social distancing rules until 21 June when it is hoped that the full load of six passengers will be allowed.

50 Years Anniversary Review:  Part 4
Landscape Management:

In the 1980s Philip Couchman, the new AONB Manager and Anne de Potier, Conservation Warden, began a long-term project of tree planting which still happens today. They decided that a tree planting scheme along stretches of the shoreline would enhance the views of the natural landscape of the Harbour from the water and would also help to protect the shoreline from erosion.

This tree planting scheme was begun during the era of partnership working with the Manpower Services Commission whereby unemployed people could gain work experience by helping the Conservancy to deliver projects such as planting trees.  In addition Philip and Anne saw the potential benefit of volunteer support in delivering this project and new volunteer work parties were established. Young bare-root saplings were purchased, along with canes and rabbit guards to help protect them as they settled in.  One big planting strip was completed on the public footpath between Itchenor and Rookwood.  Another one was north of Dell Quay on the shoreline path towards Apuldram.

Philip learnt that decision making in managing the AONB was hampered by the fact that the Conservancy didn’t own the land.  Everything had to be done by consent.  He decided to tune into the farming world so that he could approach the farming landowners with an understanding of what they were having to deal with generally in their work.  Note from Judi – I always wondered why there were copies of ‘Farming Weekly’ in the office back in the 1990s!

These days the regular winter tree planting work parties are led by the Conservancy’s Rangers and supported by members of the Friends of Chichester Harbour who volunteer for these sessions - for more information click here. Tree planting always takes place in the winter months when the saplings are dormant and the birds aren’t nesting.  The variety of species planted include hawthorn, blackthorn, field maple, spindle, guelder rose and native dogwood.

However, all through this past winter no tree planting has taken place due to the pandemic restrictions as we haven’t been able to hold any work parties.  We hope that they can begin again in late autumn this year.

Wildflower Meadows

More recently interest has grown in establishing wildflower meadows as these are wonderful for supporting a variety of native flora and are valuable for wildlife too.  The Conservancy has a trial wildflower area at Cobnor Farm working in partnership with the Cobnor Estate.  This was begun in May 2019 and will be monitored and recorded over the years to come.  The value of any natural space for biodiversity will depend on its links to other natural spaces and this connection is very important and are called ‘wildlife corridors’.  We can all help improve the links between natural areas by gardening for wildlife and letting go of the learned behaviour to cut short all the grass in our gardens.  Perfect lawns are essentially eco-deserts, they do not support much in the way of wildlife and biodiversity.

Environmental Stewardship

The first agri-environment schemes on farms were brought into being in 1991.  The Conservancy encouraged the Harbour farmers to join in and these days most have had some form of grant for environmental stewardship.  Early supporters were the farmers at Dell Quay and at Cobnor Farm. Anne advised them on what they could apply to do on their land to enhance its environmental value.  Anne also managed Fishbourne Meadows herself in this way for the Conservancy.

Eames Farm on Thorney Island covers 176 acres and has recently been managed to the exacting standards of Higher Level Environmental stewardship.  It was taken over by the Chichester Harbour Trust in 2008, a charity set up in 2002 and dedicated to the protection of the AONB.  The Trust believes that the best way to have control of how land is managed is either try to buy it or negotiate long leases.  These days it controls 250 acres over 13 sites.

Navigation Markers

Elsewhere in Chichester Harbour during the 1970s the Conservancy worked with Trinity House to trial new-style solar-powered lit navigation marks in the Harbour.    The main navigation markers have lights which have individual lighting sequences emitted in a series of flashes during the hours of darkness.  An example is Fairway at the start of the Itchenor Reach which, as a starboard (green) marker, emits a series of 3 green flashes every 10 seconds.  On the charts this is written as Fl(3) G 10s  These lights used to be powered by gas canisters which had to be stored inside the marker itself.  The rigid floating marker buoys would have little doors, rather like space capsules we’ve seen on tv, and Conservancy technical staff used to have to squeeze themselves in through these little doors in order to reach and replace the canisters.  These days most nautical markers throughout the world are solar powered and the Harbour Staff are able to take more care of their backs!

The Beach Check app was launched last year to aid social distancing and support COVID-19 safety measures as people flocked to beaches in record numbers.

BCP Council has been awarded an additional £40,000 through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Local Digital Fund to further develop and deploy the app. This includes the potential to monitor crowding at different types of facilities, such as car parks.

The app will go live in May 2021 and the roll out is being facilitated by Bournemouth Coastal Tourism Academy. The good news is it will be used by Selsey Town Council and Wittering Estates, so will be in use on both sides of the peninsula this summer.

See the following link for more information about the Beach Check app

https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/2020/11/25/film-premiere-of-lyme-bay-the-road-to-recovery/

Follow this link to read more about the Independent Environmental Regulator

Historically, kelp was abundant along the West Sussex coastline. But this important habitat has diminished over time, leaving just a few small patches and individual plants, mostly in shallow water and along the shoreline. The Help Our Kelp partnership (Sussex IFCA, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Blue Marine Foundation, Portsmouth University, Big Wave Productions, Marine Conservation Society) want to bring it back through a marine kelp rewilding initiative by Sussex IFCA.

Follow this link to see a short film, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, talking about the value of Sussex kelp forests called Help Our Kelp.

Read more about Sussex IFCA's rewilding project on their website

Read more about Help Our Kelp on the Sussex Wildlife Trust website

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and UK Research and Innovation-led review in collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratory and Exeter University, showed that Brits spending time by the sea reported increased happiness, better general health and were more physically active during their visit, compared to visits to other types of environment.

The Evidence statement called The Well-being and Human Health Benefits of Exposure to the Marine and Coastal Environment highlights the important role of marine conservation work as visits to marine and coastal areas with designated or protected status and those with higher levels of biodiversity were associated with higher levels of calmness, relaxation and revitalisation, compared to locations without this status.

The report also warns that in the coming decades, climate change and extreme weather has the potential to jeopardise sensitive marine habitats, demonstrating the importance of the UK’s network of Marine Protected Areas.

Follow this link to read Defra evidence statement on The Well-being and Human Health Benefits of Exposure to the Marine and Coastal Environment

Follow this link to read what Defra has to say about it

Follow this link to find out more about the Inquiry and Call for evidence

If you prefer to walk round Chichester Harbour, the latest self-guided walks are downloadable here:

Chidham Circular (9km / 6 miles): A shoreline and countryside walk of the Chidham peninsula in the Chichester Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with great views of the Bosham and Thorney channels and to the Harbour entrance. The middle section of the walk is tidal so check when high tide is before setting out and aim to reach that section at half tide if timings permit.

Easier Access Route - Itchenor (1.6km / 1 mile)
Begin in the Itchenor car park and follow the John Davis permissive path  to the shoreline. Turn left and follow the path to a viewpoint looking across the Harbour to the Bosham Channel. Return the same way if you are using a wheelchair, or if not you can go via a path through the boatyard to reach the viewing platform by the Harbour Office.

Easier Access route - Emsworth (1.6km / 1 mile)
A stroll on good paths around the thriving Harbourside settlement of Emsworth with a choice of cafés and pubs. Check for high tide in order to
see the water and boating activity.

More pdfs will be posted on the Chichester Harbour Conservancy website when they are ready.

Please park your car with respect to the environment, businesses and residents.  There has been a rise in a new phenomenon called ‘fly parking’ where cars are left on any bit of verge or even tight into hedges.  Some of these seemingly empty spaces may still be homes to birds and grass verges are often managed for wildflowers, a source of seed and food for wildlife.  Help protect these spaces by parking only in designated locations.  Why not park in Chichester and then cycle down to West Wittering beach along the quiet route of the Salterns Way or park in Havant and cycle down the similarly enjoyable Haying Billy route to the beach on Hayling sea front?

Follow this link to find out what your children and grand children could be doing as part of school programs with the RSPB in the Pagham Harbour and Medmerry reserves.