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THE SUSTAINABILITY CENTRE
  • About Us
    • What's On >
      • South Downs Green Fair
      • Green Fair Poster Pack
      • Talks
      • Art Exhibitions >
        • Past Exhibitions
        • Pete Levy
    • What Is Sustainability
    • All About Us >
      • History
    • Feedback
    • Awards
    • Staff Team & Trustees
    • Job Opportunities
    • Partnerships >
      • Onsite Partners
  • Courses
    • Adult Courses >
      • Craft and Upcycling Courses >
        • Fabric Baskets Course
        • Natural Cosmetics Workshop
      • Wood Craft Courses >
        • Advanced Knife Skills
        • Gate Hurdle Making Course
        • Devon Stave Basket Making Course
        • Pendant Carving Course
        • Spoon Carving Course
        • Stool Carving Course
      • Willow Craft Courses >
        • Living Willow Tree Course
        • Willow Festive Decorations Course
        • Willow Frame Basket Course
        • Willow Garden Sculpture
        • Willow Garden Craft Course
        • Willow Reindeer Course
        • Willow Weaving Weekend
      • Home and Garden Courses >
        • Clay Oven Building Course
        • Compost Toilets Course
        • Composting Masterclass
        • Intro to Permaculture Design Course
        • Kitchen Gardening Course
        • Mushroom Cultivation Course
        • Natural Cleaning Workshop
      • Forest School Training >
        • Forest Kindergarten: Train The Trainer
        • Forest School Leader Training
        • Forest School Taster Day
        • Supporting Children through Anxiety and Trauma with Jon Cree
        • Therapeutic Storyworking with Jon Cree
      • Natural Wellbeing Courses >
        • Art, Sound and Meditation Course
        • Foraging, Fire and Folklore
        • Medicinal Herb Workshops
        • Nature Led Meditation
        • Women's Woodland Retreat
        • Unwind in the Woods
      • Sustainable Land Management Courses >
        • Coppicing Course
        • Hedgelaying Course
        • Wildflower Identification Workshop
        • Wildflower Meadows Course
        • Woodland Management
    • Online Experiences
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Courses Waiting List
    • Bursaries
    • Contact the Courses Team
    • Courses Terms and Conditions
  • Stay With Us
    • Bed & Breakfast
    • Eco Hostel
    • Yurts
    • Camping
    • Large Groups
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Things to Do >
      • Site Map
      • Walking and Cycling Breaks
    • Booking Enquiries
    • Accommodation Terms and Conditions
  • Children's Activities
    • Wood Mouse Forest School
  • Education
    • Our Education Ethos
    • Earth Protectors Conference
    • Day Trips
    • Residentials
    • Farm Tours
    • Saxon Experience
    • Forest School
    • Alternative Education >
      • Young Natural Ambassadors
    • Home Education
    • Colleges and Universities
    • Training for Teachers
    • Meet the Team
    • Contact the Education Team
  • Burial Site
    • South Downs Natural Burial Site
    • Funeral Charges
    • Information Pack
    • Flowers and Planting
    • Attending A Funeral
    • Legacies
    • Donations
  • Our Future
    • Ready Steady Grow
    • New Learning Centre
    • South Downs Eco Lodge
  • Support Us
    • Picnic Bench Fund
    • Smoothie Bike Fund
    • Cast Off
    • Friends
    • Business >
      • Business Friends
    • Leaves For Learning Appeal >
      • Fundraise for us
      • Hedgehog Eco Challenge
    • Gifts & Donations
    • Donation Form
    • Become a Volunteer
    • Leave a Legacy
    • Thank You to Our Supporters
  • Projects
    • Beekeepers
    • Chalk Grassland
    • Compost Toilet
    • Forest Gardening
    • Herb Garden
    • Permaculture
    • Straw Bale Solar Powered Showers
    • Solar Projects
    • South Downs Eco Lodge
    • Woodland Hall
    • Tree Bog
    • Wetherdown Lodge
    • Yurts
  • Eco Blog
    • Art & Craft
    • Grow Now
    • Health
    • On The Wild Side
    • Meditation
    • Painting as Meditation
    • Weave From The Hedges
    • Young People
  • Shop & Book
    • Shop At The Centre
    • Online Eco Shop
    • Online T Shirt Shop
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Discounts and Benefits
  • Visit Us
    • Find Us >
      • Map
    • Opening Hours
    • Beech Cafe
    • Site Map
    • Guided Tour
    • Room & Space Hire >
      • Terms and Conditions
    • Contact Us >
      • Join Mailing List
      • Leave Mailing List

Chalk Grassland

Chalk grassland is an important habitat at The Sustainability Centre, and one that is under threat nationally. Plants species such as marjoram, carline thistle, agrimony, weld, pyramidal orchid and greater knapweed all thrive here.

Chalk grassland has been created over time through a combination of factors including grazing sheep. A large number of plants have adapted to the sheep's eating habits, the shallow, chalky soil and low nutrient levels. Chalk grassland can contain as many as 40 plant species in every square metre. It has much more biodiversity than the other types of grassland in this country. Some 35 of Britain's 56 butterfly species can be found on chalk grassland, and its protection is a high priority.

We also have mounds that have built up on the chalk grassland. These are huge anthills, built up over many generations. They are very important to some of the rare plants; the ants bring chalk to the surface and produce a light airy soil not found elsewhere. The anthills even create their own mini-climate around them, which attracts butterflies such as the Common Blue and Chalkhill Blue. Green Woodpeckers feed here too.

If chalk grasslands are ploughed up, overgrazed or allowed to revert to coarse grassland and scrub, many beautiful plants and butterflies will become extinct.

Here at The Sustainability Centre we are reclaiming and restoring overgrown areas of chalk grassland, thus providing a haven for plants and insects.
Picture

Hidden Gems

There was word of a hidden parcel of beautiful chalk grassland behind the former garages, near Wetherdown Lodge. 

The Volunteer Co-ordinator Rachael Mariey set to work with a small group of volunteers to uncover this beauty for all to enjoy. Sycamores were decked to reveal steps, rubble removal is ongoing, yews are in the process of being pruned, and suddenly...a gorgeous mini meadow is unveiled! 

Over 30 flowering species have been observed, including field scabious, ox-eye daisy, bird's foot trefoil, vetch, knapweed, wild carrot and lady's bedstraw, hedge woundwort and hemp agrimony. Scores of insects are enjoying this rich resource, with butterflies, including the beautiful marbled white, peacock and silver-studded blue, fluttering by and cinnabar moths and bees zooming around. A path has been strimmed to enable access whilst protecting the meadow from trampling. 

This area is a valuable seed source, especially since it harbours some flowers which are not present throughout the rest of the site. So part of this ongoing project will include seed collection for distribution in other parts of the site.

Earthworks Trust & Earthworks Foundation

​The Sustainability Centre is owned and operated by ​The Earthworks Trust (Charity No.1079866).
Our trading company is Earthworks Foundation. All profits go to support our charity The Earthworks Trust.


​Charity Number ​​ 1079866

Picture

Main Address

The Sustainability Centre 
​Droxford Road,
East Meon, Hants
​GU32 1HR

Reception

01730 823166
​info@sustainability-centre.org

South Downs Eco Lodge
​& Camp Site

01730 823549
accommodation@sustainability-centre.org

Cafe

01730 823755
infobeechcafe@gmail.com  

Burials

​01730 823425
​burials@sustainability-centre.org

Education

​education@sustainability-centre.org

Courses

​courses@sustainability-centre.org

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Terms & Conditions
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  • About Us
    • What's On >
      • South Downs Green Fair
      • Green Fair Poster Pack
      • Talks
      • Art Exhibitions >
        • Past Exhibitions
        • Pete Levy
    • What Is Sustainability
    • All About Us >
      • History
    • Feedback
    • Awards
    • Staff Team & Trustees
    • Job Opportunities
    • Partnerships >
      • Onsite Partners
  • Courses
    • Adult Courses >
      • Craft and Upcycling Courses >
        • Fabric Baskets Course
        • Natural Cosmetics Workshop
      • Wood Craft Courses >
        • Advanced Knife Skills
        • Gate Hurdle Making Course
        • Devon Stave Basket Making Course
        • Pendant Carving Course
        • Spoon Carving Course
        • Stool Carving Course
      • Willow Craft Courses >
        • Living Willow Tree Course
        • Willow Festive Decorations Course
        • Willow Frame Basket Course
        • Willow Garden Sculpture
        • Willow Garden Craft Course
        • Willow Reindeer Course
        • Willow Weaving Weekend
      • Home and Garden Courses >
        • Clay Oven Building Course
        • Compost Toilets Course
        • Composting Masterclass
        • Intro to Permaculture Design Course
        • Kitchen Gardening Course
        • Mushroom Cultivation Course
        • Natural Cleaning Workshop
      • Forest School Training >
        • Forest Kindergarten: Train The Trainer
        • Forest School Leader Training
        • Forest School Taster Day
        • Supporting Children through Anxiety and Trauma with Jon Cree
        • Therapeutic Storyworking with Jon Cree
      • Natural Wellbeing Courses >
        • Art, Sound and Meditation Course
        • Foraging, Fire and Folklore
        • Medicinal Herb Workshops
        • Nature Led Meditation
        • Women's Woodland Retreat
        • Unwind in the Woods
      • Sustainable Land Management Courses >
        • Coppicing Course
        • Hedgelaying Course
        • Wildflower Identification Workshop
        • Wildflower Meadows Course
        • Woodland Management
    • Online Experiences
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Courses Waiting List
    • Bursaries
    • Contact the Courses Team
    • Courses Terms and Conditions
  • Stay With Us
    • Bed & Breakfast
    • Eco Hostel
    • Yurts
    • Camping
    • Large Groups
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Things to Do >
      • Site Map
      • Walking and Cycling Breaks
    • Booking Enquiries
    • Accommodation Terms and Conditions
  • Children's Activities
    • Wood Mouse Forest School
  • Education
    • Our Education Ethos
    • Earth Protectors Conference
    • Day Trips
    • Residentials
    • Farm Tours
    • Saxon Experience
    • Forest School
    • Alternative Education >
      • Young Natural Ambassadors
    • Home Education
    • Colleges and Universities
    • Training for Teachers
    • Meet the Team
    • Contact the Education Team
  • Burial Site
    • South Downs Natural Burial Site
    • Funeral Charges
    • Information Pack
    • Flowers and Planting
    • Attending A Funeral
    • Legacies
    • Donations
  • Our Future
    • Ready Steady Grow
    • New Learning Centre
    • South Downs Eco Lodge
  • Support Us
    • Picnic Bench Fund
    • Smoothie Bike Fund
    • Cast Off
    • Friends
    • Business >
      • Business Friends
    • Leaves For Learning Appeal >
      • Fundraise for us
      • Hedgehog Eco Challenge
    • Gifts & Donations
    • Donation Form
    • Become a Volunteer
    • Leave a Legacy
    • Thank You to Our Supporters
  • Projects
    • Beekeepers
    • Chalk Grassland
    • Compost Toilet
    • Forest Gardening
    • Herb Garden
    • Permaculture
    • Straw Bale Solar Powered Showers
    • Solar Projects
    • South Downs Eco Lodge
    • Woodland Hall
    • Tree Bog
    • Wetherdown Lodge
    • Yurts
  • Eco Blog
    • Art & Craft
    • Grow Now
    • Health
    • On The Wild Side
    • Meditation
    • Painting as Meditation
    • Weave From The Hedges
    • Young People
  • Shop & Book
    • Shop At The Centre
    • Online Eco Shop
    • Online T Shirt Shop
    • Gift Vouchers
    • Discounts and Benefits
  • Visit Us
    • Find Us >
      • Map
    • Opening Hours
    • Beech Cafe
    • Site Map
    • Guided Tour
    • Room & Space Hire >
      • Terms and Conditions
    • Contact Us >
      • Join Mailing List
      • Leave Mailing List