RESIDENTS are hoping to preserve and bolster a safe haven for the bird and the bees between two parts of the South Downs.

Ovingdean Residents and Preservation Society have launched an initiative to protect a wildlife corridor among the suburbs of Brighton and Hove.

The society believes it will be the first corridor of its kind in the city and hope to provide a safe route for animals to move around the downs by protecting an "extremely visible and vital divide" between Ovingdean and Rottingdean.

In launching the initiative, the society is calling on residents to help support the retention and growth of the corridor.

Residents living close to the corridor are being asked to plant native flowers, shrubs and trees in their gardens to attract bees, nesting birds and other wildlife.

They will also be asked to consider leaving parts of their garden growing untouched to encourage stinging nettles and dandelions which provide a good food source and breeding place for butterflies and moths.

Residents are also being asked to keep an eye out for any rare or unusual species they may see in or around their gardens and report it to the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre after the ORPS launched the initiative at their AGM last night. 

A large stretch of the corridor recently received some formal protection with Brighton and Hove City Council issuing a provisional tree preservation order on woodland behind Longhill Road and campaigners hope this will be made permanent.

Campaign organiser Annie Gilbert said: "We've had some success and suffered some defeats in protecting green spaces from development and trying to stop trees being chopped down and plants being stripped away but this is a really positive campaign where everyone can get involved.

"Residents can replace fences with hedgerows, create a compost area, build a small pond -freshwater habitats are in decline, install a bee hotel, buy a bird table or a bat box, cut fence holes for hedgehogs, encourage toads, start a wildflower meadow, the possibilities are endless.

"A wildlife corridor is not a new idea, they exist all around the world and vary in size, from vast areas of wilderness to strips of land in amongst urban sprawl, but this is the first wildlife corridor to be identified in Brighton and Hove."

Record and report rare or unusual species to the Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre at brc.ac.uk/irecord, in writing to Woods Mill, Shoreham Rd, Henfield BN5 9SD and use ispotnature.org to help identify species.

To support the extension of the tree order email arboriculture@brighton-hove.gov.uk stating your reason by May 10.

For more information visit ovingdean.co.uk or email ORPS@ovingdean.co.uk