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In December, we held a workshop with more than 60 students from 8 secondary schools from the Coastal Schools Partnership (CSP) in East Sussex.

The students learned about the scheme, today’s coastal challenges and took part in a flood risk planning activity, where they considered all possible options to decide which solution would be best for their zone.

Parents were then welcomed to the workshop, allowing the students to discuss the activity and their choices with them.

Our post-workshop survey showed that 100% of respondents felt they better understood the impact of rising sea levels and how we can protect against this.

You can view our CSP post workshop summary report by clicking here: CSP Report

A Local Authority Steering Group has been created to work alongside the Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne coastal management scheme. Representatives from Rother District Council, Wealden District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council met with the Environment Agency for the first meeting in November 2022. A copy of the notes from this meeting can be accessed using the link to the right.

Divers are aquatic birds the size of a small goose. They are named after their habit of diving to feed on small fish and can spend up to a minute submerged. In the UK they are a scarce breeding bird in NW Scotland, and in Canada and North America they are known as ‘loons’, due to their eerie wailing cries. In the breeding season, divers have either black or red patches on their necks, and speckled backs, but in winter turn a plainer grey above and silvery white below.

During the winter of 2021-22 a team of ecologists working for the Pevensey to Eastbourne Coastal Management Scheme carried out a survey of wintering birds along the coastline, with counts carried out at low and high tides. Two species of diver were observed – the larger Great Northern Diver (73-88 cm from bill tip to tail tip) and the smaller Red-throated Diver (63-75 cm).

A single Great Northern Diver was seen in December and February, where it frequented the outer part of Sovereign Harbour, and was believed to be the same individual each time. Local records suggest that this bird overwintered in the same location. In Sussex the Great Northern Diver is a scarce winter visitor and passage migrant (Sussex Bird Report, 2020).

Photo: Great Northern Diver in breeding plumage (birdspot.co.uk)Red-throated Divers were seen during many of the monthly survey visits throughout the period. Peak counts were 27 on 19 January (high tide) and 19 on 26 January (low tide). All records were of birds offshore, either sitting on the sea, or flying past. In Sussex the Red-throated Diver is a fairly common winter visitor and passage migrant (Sussex Bird Report, 2020).

Photo: Red-throated Diver in winter plumage (www.wildlifeinsight.com)

Both species of diver are specially protected by their inclusion on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981).