The Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre (SxBRC) organised the 16th. Biological Recorders Seminar at hassocks in February. The Woodlanders link with the Record Centre (which is based at Woods Mill), by sending our survey information to them. Our surveys are then added to the information gathered from all over Sussex to provide a comprehensive database. Some of the records held by the SxBRC are well over 100 years old. So we are part of an established and noble tradition.

About 150 people from a wide variety of backgrounds, but all with a passionate interest in wildlife, attended the seminar. It was a marvellous place to meet people who are expert in their field, and ask all those questions that cannot be answered from books or on the Internet It is an ideal place to "network" and meet people who are willing to offer help and support in a variety of ways. More especially the people at the seminar had an intimate knowledge of Sussex and its surrounding coastline. The speakers were all interesting, and covered a wide range of topics.

I was amazed at how interesting slime moulds can be! David Mitchell is passionate about these single celled organisms. They have some of the characteristics of fungi and others of simple single celled creatures, like amoeba The slime moulds we would most likely come across in the woods are on Elder. David has managed to grow slime mould on every sample of Elder he has ever taken! There was also an interesting article in the Nature magazine recently, which indicated that slime moulds are able to find the shortest route through a maze to reach a food source, suggesting a primitive form of intelligence. For those who would like to know more about slime moulds I will post a couple of websites at the foot of this article.

Other speakers included Anne de Potier giving a fascinating talk about the recording of birds in Chichester Harbour. Dr. Tony Whitbread provided an overview of conservation in Sussex, which gave us plenty to reflect upon. His talk developed the notion of conservation on the grand scale, and in particular the idea of "sacrificing" some areas and joining up small areas of importance with "habitat bridges". For woodlands this may involve planting wide hedgerows to join up smaller areas of woodland. His view being that habitats need to reach critical mass before they are able to sustain particular species. The 17th. Seminar will be held in March next year.

- by Malcolm Knight

Related Links:

Scientists have discovered that a single-celled organism can negotiate
the shortest way through a maze.

Slime moulds (Myxomycota)