All were warmly welcomed by our President, The Lord Egremont, and our Chair, David Johnson.  David highlighted the Branch’s continuing work to build partnerships with like-minded organisations and groups and to raise awareness across Sussex of the work we do to protect and promote the countryside -  particularly among families and younger people.  We are getting out-and-about this summer taking our stall to events across the County and developing our educational work with children.

We were fascinated by Professor David Goulson’s, of Sussex University, presentation on Saving our Bumblebees.  As well as being a leading scientist David is also an active conservationist helping to spread the message of the plight of our bumblebees.  He is the best-selling author of “A Sting in the Tail” and “A Buzz in the Meadow”.  David shared the simple things we can all do to enable our bumblebees to thrive – from creating wildlife friendly gardens offering nectar rich wild flowers, eliminating or at least reducing the herbicides and pesticides we use, providing homes for overwintering bees, to minimizing the use of spot-on flea treatments on our pets. Our bees are essential to food production in the UK, let’s help them survive and thrive.

Useful links:
https://bumblebeeconservation.org/about-bees
http://www.sussex.ac.uk/lifesci/goulsonlab/

Local Genealogist and historian, Ian Hilder, took us on a “Guided Tour of Edwardian Barcombe” in postcards showing how life has changed or perhaps stayed the same and revealed the hidden messages and codes that have their own story to tell.   The postcards showed how the shock of the new softens as we learn to adjust to changing times and modern buildings.

Useful links: http://www.sussexpostcards.info/index.php?page=1
http://www.agra.org.uk/ian-hilder-genealogist-in-east-sussex

Battling the heat and following a delicious summer buffet lunch, members enjoyed a guided walk kindly lead by John Harmer of the Sussex Ramblers.

Useful links:
http://www.ramblers.org.uk/sussex