Love talking to people? Passionate about nature and green careers? 🌱
We're looking for Education Events volunteers to join us at school and careers events to help young people discover opportunities in the National Park.
Closing date: Wednesday 6 May.
Find out more: buff.ly/DIhSCbf 💚
Two sheep stand in a field facing the camera, with more sheep scattered across rolling green countryside in the background. Long grass fills the foreground, framed by a nearby tree, and the sky glows with soft pink‑orange light.
The South Downs showing off again.
📸: Thomas Carpenter
A smooth snake curled on the ground.
The rare smooth snake can only be found at a few heathland sites in southern England. They look a bit like adders, but you won’t see the usual zig‑zag stripe running down their back.
Look out for these little sun‑worshippers before they disappear into hibernation in October.
📸: Bruce Middleton
White lurcher on path in woods sniffing bluebells.
It's that time of year where bluebells are really showing off 🙌
Even the four‑legged crowd is stopping to admire… and sniff.
While you're out enjoying these purple carpets, please remember to keep paws on the path.
#TaketheLead #PawsonthePath
Milky Way over the Cuckmere meanders.
Milky Way over the Cuckmere meanders 🤩
Congratulations to Daniel Richards for winning the People's Choice award in our annual astrophotography competition with this impressive photo!
#InternationalDarkSkiesWeek
Pipistrelle bat flying with its wings outstretched against an urban backdrop.
It's #NationalBatAppreciationDay! 🦇
There are 18 species of bats in the UK, and all have been recorded in the National Park.
Bats help control insect populations and act as indicator species for biodiversity and landscape health.
📸: CreativeNature_nl
Bluebells blanket the forest floor beneath beech trees as warm light filters through.
A carpet of bluebells fills the forest floor as sunlight filters through gaps in the dense trees.
Close-up of bluebells shot from below, with blurred trees and blue sky in the background.
A bluebell carpet spreads through a forest as sunlight pours through gaps in the trees, with a wooden gate standing at the centre of the scene.
This is your doom scrolling interruption ✋
Please enjoy some bloom‑scrolling instead - bluebell edition.
📸 credits:
1. Stuart East
2. Piers Fearick
3. Kathrin Ruehl
4. Alexander Swyer
Tiny nature reset complete 💜
Short‑eared owl perched on a branch, looking directly at the camera, with softly blurred long grass and warm light behind it.
Looking for ways to take action and care for our dark skies? It's owl about the small actions🦉
We've pulled together a handy little guide on how you can play your part. Some even take as little as 15 seconds - yes, really.
Take a look ➡️ www.southdowns.gov.uk/dark-skies-h...
📸: Gary Smith
Cluster of cowslips in sharp focus among green grass, with more yellow cowslips softly blurred in the background
Cowslips: an iconic spring sight 😍
The name comes from “cow‑slop” (cowpat) as they were once very common in traditional meadows, though today they’re more strongly associated with chalk grassland.
📸: Andy Reeves
Long‑exposure photograph of Butser Ancient Farm under a pink‑purple sky with star trails. The building glows with warm yellow light, with silhouettes of trees in the background.
This week, we're celebrating #InternationalDarkSkyWeek💫
Dark skies are essential for nature, for our health and wellbeing, and for the starscapes that connect communities across the world.
Visit our Dark Skies Hub to learn more ➡️ www.southdowns.gov.uk/dark-skies-h...
📸: Deepal Ratnayaka
Nightingale perched on a bare tree branch, singing with its beak open, against a blue sky background.
Nightingales are back! 🙌
Their unmistakable song has inspired music, stories and poetry across generations.
Have you heard one yet?
📸: Nigel Symington
Carpet of white wood anemones photographed from above, with green leaves visible between the flowers.
Blink and you'll miss them.
Wood anemones have a very short flowering season and are an indicator of ancient woodland, due to their slow spread.
April is a really good month to see them carpet the woodland floor.
📸: Nigel Symington
Latest vacancy: Seven Sisters Country Park Manager 👋
We have an opportunity for someone to lead on the operational delivery of the Seven Sisters Country Park; leading on landscape management, nature recovery and day-to-day operations.
🔗 Find out more: webrecru.it/1IPM1u
Sunrise over Ditchling Beacon, the sky glowing pink and orange above mist‑covered fields in the distance.
Good morning! ☀️
Here's a little piece of South Downs loveliness.
📸: Sam Moore
Two people walking along a path lined with trees, with green hills in the sunny background.
Good to know: organisations working with community groups visiting the National Park may be able to benefit from our Health and Wellbeing Travel Grant 💚
Find out more: www.southdowns.gov.uk/health-wellb... 🔗
📸: SDNPA
South Downs National Park branded table with lots of different information and objects. The table is outside on the grass, with blue sky and trees in the background.
Close up of table featuring Take The Lead leaflets and various nests.
Flynn, a small black dog sitting on the grass looking up at the camera.
What a beautiful day! 🌞
Our team are out by the stream in the Lythes in Selborne today - come and say hi!
We’ve got a 'guess the nest' activity, loads of National Park info, and plenty of dog treats (Flynn approves!).
#TakeTheLead #PawsOnThePath
Colourful heather blooming across Stedham Common.
Snaking from Haslemere to Petersfield, the 100km long Serpent Trail connects the pockets of lowland heath.
From July to September, the heather blooms, delighting visitors with a display of lilacs and violets.
Plan your own Serpent Trail adventure 👉 www.southdowns.gov.uk/get-active/s....
📸: SDNPA
Fox cub sitting behind a fallen tree, looking directly at the camera, with tall bluebells blurred in the foreground.
If your Tuesday needed a lift, this little fox cub hanging out in the bluebells might just do the trick.
📸: Rob Carter
Close-up of a bluebell with green and brown foliage in the background.
Did you know it takes at least five years for a bluebell seed to grow into a bulb?
In the coming weeks, wide seas of violet will appear across ancient and semi-ancient woodland.⠀
⠀
To help look after these beautiful flowers please remember to stick to paths 💜
📸: Ian Micklewright
Brown rabbit in focus surrounded by out‑of‑focus long grass and scattered bluebells.
Wishing you a very hoppy Easter 🐰
📸: William Jones-Warner
A wooden fingerpost showing four directions, two marked South Downs Way and two marked Public Bridleway. In the background, a person walks across the grass with the scenery softly blurred.
With over 3300km of footpaths, bridleways and byways, there are plenty of trails to explore in the National Park.
Do you have a favourite walk or trail?
🔗Find out more here: www.southdowns.gov.uk/get-active/s...
📸: SDNPA
Cissbury Ring at sunset, with an orange sky fading over dark green countryside.
Your Friday view as we head into the long weekend.
A vibrant sunset at Cissbury Ring.
📸: Mike Doyle
Aged between 16 and 25?
Join our South Downs Youth Action day at Shortheath Common on Wednesday 8th April from 10.30am-3pm 👋
🔗Find out more and book: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/south-down...
📸: SDNPA
A mother and her child stand on a hilltop, looking out over the landscape. The woman holds a black dog on a lead as it stands beside them.
A four day weekend can only mean one thing… the perfect chance to get outside 🤩
Planning a walk in the National Park? Please keep dogs on leads around livestock and in ground‑nesting bird areas.
📸: Andy Reeves
Carpet of bluebells with low sunlight shining through the gaps of the trees in the background.
April fools? How about April’s jewels instead!🪻
Look out for:
• Woodland flowers such as bluebells and wood anemones
• Swallows, nightingales and house martins returning
• Brown hares, fox cubs and water voles
• Reptiles such as adders and slow worms
📸: Julia Vasylevska
This role will support the delivery of a package of events and access management monitoring solutions for heathland sites during ground nesting bird season.
🔗 Find out more: webrecru.it/1wU1z6
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Latest vacancy: HeRe Assistant Public Engagement Ranger💜
The Heathlands Reunited Wealden Heath Strategic Access Management and Monitoring project aims to re-engage and inspire communities to visit their heathland and learn more about them to look after them for future generations to come.
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Five people smile at the camera while planting the ‘Tree of Hope’, with Swanbourne Lake visible in the background. From left to right: Stephen McAuliffe, SDNPA Member, Sion McGeever, SDNPA CEO, Vanessa Rowlands, Chair of SDNPA, Bob Tanner, Arundel Tree Warden, and Cllr Carolyn Kenney, Mayor of Arundel.
Yesterday, community leaders gathered in Arundel to plant a “Tree of Hope” grown from the iconic Sycamore Gap tree🌳
🔗Read the full story: www.southdowns.gov.uk/sycamore-gap...
📸: Sam Moore
@nlandnp.bsky.social @nationaltrust.org.uk
Looking for a little inspiration this Easter holidays? 🐣
Our South Downs Centre is packed with local info, walking guides, maps, books, cards and lovely gifts. Our friendly team are always happy to help you explore the area.
Find out more: www.southdowns.gov.uk/national-par...
📸: SDNPA
Last chance to vote in the People's Choice category of our most recent Astrophotography competition! 💫
Choose your favourite here: southdowns.gov.uk/astrophotography-peoples-choice/ 👋
Voting closes midnight 31 March!
📸: Piers Fearick