28/08 Snapshot of the South Downs – Your chance to be a wildlife winner!

Snapshot of the South Downs – Your chance to be a wildlife winner!


There’s exciting wildlife and landscapes to be found wherever you look
in the South Downs, from the imposing white cliffs of Beachy Head, to
the wild flowers and butterflies in the downland meadows.

You don’t even have to go that far for inspiration – there’s plenty of
amazing wildlife to be found in the South Downs' urban areas, whether
it be Brighton’s whirling Starling flocks or creepy-crawlies in your
back garden.

And it’s that wild richness that the RSPB is asking amateur snappers to
celebrate in an exciting South Downs photo competition, the winning
pictures from which will feature in a special 2008 South Downs calendar.

The prizes on offer include everything from a day on a yacht from
Chichester with Cascade Sailing, a roll down the South Downs in an ‘orb’,
and family tickets to the Otter and Owl Park, through to tickets to see
the Millais exhibition at Tate Modern!

There are two age groups in each category – ‘under 16s’ and ‘16 and
over’.

Kathy Flitton, who is organising the competition, said, “The South
Downs is stuffed with amazing wildlife and stunning views, so we are sure
that anyone with a camera will find something to inspire them.

“Whether you snap a skylark or capture a caterpillar – in images, of
course! – we’d love see what wild things excite you. And you will be
helping us help wildlife in the process.”

The competition is open to all except full-time professional
photographers and RSPB employees and their families. Entries must be submitted by
24 October 2007 and the charity requests that each entry should be
accompanied by a donation. Suggested amount is £3 for under 16s and £5 for
16 and over. The money will help support the RSPB’s conservation work
protecting wildlife and their habitats in the South Downs and beyond.


For an entry form and full conditions of entry, please contact: Kathy
Flitton on 01273 775333, email her on kathleen.flitton@rspb.org.uk, or
write to Kathy at RSPB, South East Regional Office, 42 Frederick Place,
Brighton, BN1 4EA.

Winning photographs will be displayed at Due South Restaurant on
Brighton’s seafront where the prize-giving will take place.

Judges for the competition include acclaimed RSPB photographer Andy
Hay, and Marco Holt, winner of the Brighton and Hove wildlife photographer
of the year award with his spectacular shot of Sparrowhawk and prey.

25/12 Christmas day call out for Eastbourne cliff team

Christmas day call out for Eastbourne cliff team

At just before 3.30 pm this afternoon, Sussex Police contacted the
Dover Coastguard Operations Room to alert them to a woman who was on a
ledge at Beachy Head cliff near the Lloyds Watch Tower. She appeared to be
stuck there and it was unclear whether she had climbed up or down to
reach the ledge.

Eastbourne Coastguard Rescue Team were called out, and began assembling
their cliff gear. The Birling Gap Coastguard Rescue Team were also
called out, along with the RNLI all weather and in shore lifeboats also
from Eastbourne.

When the various units arrived on scene it became clear that there were
two people stuck on the ledge and it was then decided that a Coastguard
cliff man should be put over the cliff and their intention was to rope
each stranded person and lower them to the bottom of the cliff where
they could be taken safely ashore by lifeboat.

In the darkness, the individuals fortunately had torches and were able
to shine a light towards their rescuers guiding the cliff man towards
their position. An ambulance was also called at this time in case either
person required medical attention.

The all weather lifeboat provided some lighting for the cliff man and
by 5.00 p.m. this afternoon both people had been lowered to the bottom
of the cliff and taken ashore to a place of safety.

Peter Legg, Senior Coastguard Watch manager at Dover Coastguard said

"This is perhaps a slightly more unusual or energetic way to spend
Christmas day afternoon than normal but were are very pleased that both
people had been rescued safely without mishap and we thank all those in
our teams and the RNLI volunteers for leaving their own families and
turning out on this festive day. We are still trying to identify why these
two people were stuck on this particular ledge, and how they got there
in the first place. We are also advising individuals who may be out for
a stroll and working off their festive lunches that the tops of cliffs
are very slippery at present, and if walking on the beaches and around
the base of cliffs then also to check tide times as it is easy to be
cut off at this time of year in the gloomy conditions."

06/11 BRIGHTON MARINA VESSELS SINK

BRIGHTON MARINA VESSELS SINK

Satursay evening Solent Coastguard co-ordinated Coastguard Rescue
teams from Brighton, Newhaven and Shoreham at Brighton Marina where two
vessels were on fire.


Solent Coastguard also requested the launch of the RNLI Brighton
inshore lifeboat and Y boat and the Shoreham all weather lifeboat to the
Marina, and liaised with East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, East Sussex
Police, South East Coastal Ambulance Trust and the Brighton Marina
staff.

One person was evacuated by ambulance with considerable burns to the
Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

The Coastguard teams, lifeboat teams and fire service worked together
evacuating the adjacent pontoons as required. The Shoreham lifeboat
directed its two fire pumps onto the burning vessels under the direction of
the on scene fire commander, whilst the fire units directed a foam mix
onto the boats. Unfortunately the fire had a good hold on both vessels
and neither could be saved. Both have now sunk.

One person was treated on-scene by paramedics for smoke inhalation and
during the incident Coastguard Rescue Officers searched nearby boats
for people who might have been overcome by the smoke and advised the
public of this danger.

During the operation oil containment booms were deployed to contain any
fuel oil that might be spilt. These remain in place along with oil
absorbent pads to contain the small amount of fuel oil that is now
surfacing from the sunken vessels. The Marina's oil spill contingency plan was
invoked during the incident at Tier Two, and the Marina's stores of
counter pollution equipment was supplemented from the stockpile at nearby
Shoreham Harbour and subsequently reinforced from Southampton.

David Williams, Watch Manager at Solent Coastguard said,

"It was important to ensure the safety of people nearby as well as
putting out the fires and preventing their further spread within the
marina. The crews of all the teams on scene worked well together in
minimising the impact of the incident and we have fortunately been able to move
from a Search and Rescue response to a Counter Pollution response
quickly.

The intention is now for the Marina's contractors to take over the
counter pollution response as the situation has stabilised enabling us to
withdraw the Coastguard Rescue Teams and lifeboats.

We understand that the injured person's condition in the High
Dependency Unit has been stabilised and we sincerely hope that he is able to
make a full recovery."