The trees of the Nature Reserve are another important feature that our recent programme overlooked until last November, when the planned winter tree walk was cancelled because of too much weather. Fortunately, our local expert with a national reputation, Owen Johnson, has kindly agreed to try again this year. Our August event will focus on identifying trees in full leaf, apparently harder to do than when without.

Owen has spent the last twenty years studying and recording over 60,000 trees around Britain, and is an expert in field identification. He is Registrar at the Tree Register where he has compiled and written ‘Champion Trees of Britain and Ireland’ (2003). Other publications include ‘The Sussex Tree Book’ and the ‘Collins Tree Guide’. As a naturalist, he manages a Local Nature Reserve near his home in St Leonards for the Sussex Wildlife Trust. He was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 New Year Honours for services to the Environment. In 2020 he was awarded the Veitch Memorial Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society.