This interdisciplinary project, funded by the Leverhulme Trust is integrating ecological and historical research to show how everyday human land-use might be managed to ensure biodiversity objectives. The project focuses on grassland and woodland habitats in upper inundation areas of the River Ouse in Sussex where recent theoretical work suggests that flood alleviation measures could be linked to biodiversity objectives. There are three phases to the project: ecological survey and historical research; two field experiments; and eventually grassland enhancement projects linked to flood alleviation.
Volunteers and ecological survey work
Ecological survey work began in summer 2006 and continued in 2007 and 2008 with more planned for 2009. Volunteers from local communities (mostly current or former Continuing Education students) are surveying streamside habitats in the Upper Ouse looking at wet woodland and wet grassland to build up a picture of the existing habitats. Volunteers are also involved in setting up and monitoring two experimental grassland enhancement plots. On average about 10 volunteers attend each day's survey work. Volunteers give anything from 1-20 days of their time through the surveying season. The labour intensive nature of this detailed survey work means that it would not be affordable without the substantial input from the volunteers. The fact that these volunteers are often live in the survey areas means that they have been invaluable in identifying landowners and obtaining permissions for survey work to take place.
Historical document research and oral history research has also been undertaken by former CCE students working as volunteers. The oral history interview work began in November 2006 but has built upon experience gained in the Ouse Valley Oral History project (1998-1999). The latest project has moved the focus to the upper Ouse catchment area and simultaneously developed a method that continues to record the interviewees' experiences of the land whilst at the same time gathering ecological data to present back to the project. This has been achieved by way of an iterative, 3-way interview process interspersed with team meetings and interdisciplinary consultations.
More information on this project can be found by visiting their website.