I went to the Annual Lydden Parish meeting last night, so it wasn't a normal working council meeting but a series of reports on the year from local groups followed by a talk by Tan Tuson who is the East Kent manager of Natural England's farming and land stewardship scheme.
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/farming/
He explained how various schemes like leaving field borders undisturbed, overwintering stubble, and seed transfer to diversify grasslands are all helping to enrich the farm environments locally and all fit in with the grazing schemes on Western Heights and High Meadow etc nearer to town to produce wildlife corridors.
It was a fascinating talk so if anyone is looking for an engaging speaker I'm sure he can be contacted from the link above.
I also bought his book on The Kent Downs, pictured in my own dainty mitt below with some real downs in the background. It's not about the farm scheme but a whole history and description of the Kent Downs - geology, natural history, settlement, customs and traditions, art and literature and more. It's a facinating read I can recommend it if anyone hasn't come across it before - The Kent Downs, Dan Tuson, The History Press, ISBN 978-0-4405-5, £15.99 at full price and I don't get a cut for plugging it!
