A new project to protect and celebrate the unique elm heritage of the Sussex coast has been given the green light thanks to a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Over two years, The Conservation Foundation’s Ulmus Maritime project will protect the rare elm trees around the South Downs which were once so visible throughout the UK until the devastating spread of Dutch elm disease in the 1970s. 30 million trees were killed off across the country as a result of the disease, but a management programme helped save those on the Sussex coast. This has resulted in the area being home to over 30,000 mature elm trees including the Preston Twins in Brighton which are among the oldest surviving English elms in the world. However the disease is still endemic in the area.
David Shreeve, director and co-founder of The Conservation Foundation says: “The elm has been a feature of Britain’s physical and cultural landscape since the Middle Ages but the Sussex coast is one of the few remaining areas to have kept this elm heritage. However the elms here too are under threat so we want to help protect these magnificent trees with the support of the public and show how important they are to the region.”
Volunteers are needed to help protect our Sussex elms and the wildlife that relies on them. Workshops in and around Alfriston in the Cuckmere Valley and a website and phone app will be launched in May to help people to take part in protecting the elms and identifying biodiversity. As well as individuals, schools and groups are being offered elm saplings propagated from mature native trees that appear to have resisted the disease to regenerate the elm population. Events that tell the tale of the elms will also take place as part of next year’s Brighton Fringe festival, along with other activities and information for schools and the public throughout the project.
Stuart McLeod, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund South East said that the “HLF grant will give a much-needed boost to the area’s exceptional elm heritage through the Ulmus Maritime project. We’re delighted that we can help save this unique landscape.”
Anthony Becvar, Dutch Elm Disease Officer for East Sussex County Council said: “This project couldn’t come at a more suitable and influential time. The new phase in Dutch elm disease management is in full swing with felling of diseased trees being further prioritised to ensure we have the greatest impact possible on the annual spread of the disease. Ulmus Maritime will help us to explain the work we do and highlight the huge importance of the thousands of magnificent trees that continue to populate our corner of the UK.”
Get more information on the biodiversity of Sussex from the Sussex BRC