James' Walk

When the walkers started out on their journey they set a goal: to see if they could identify 100 different species of birds along the way.

It seemed like quite the stretch target...

Nevertheless, Dan duly noted everything they saw in his little red notebook...

The first couple of days in particular proved incredibly bountiful. But when they got to the end of the walk, it seemed that they hadn't quite made the target. 🙁

But wait...

Yesterday, Dan got chance to look back through all his notes and guess what? It turns out they saw EXACTLY 100 different species of bird along the route. How cool is that?! 🎯 🥳

We didn't get to take photos of each one, but there were a few we snapped along the way...

If you haven't seen/heard many of these, why not hit the trail and see what you find? If you need some help working out what birds you might be hearing, check out the 'Merlin' bird app in your app store. It's free!

Your support for Ashdown Forest will help us maintain and improve habitats for many bird species! https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

It was just one week ago that the walkers completed their 128 km/79 mile journey. They walked from Climping Gap on the south coast, tracking the "Weald to Waves" nature recovery corridor up to Ashdown Forest.

The original idea to walk from "Waves to Weald" came from Tom Forward – and what a brilliant idea it was as it really captured how James felt about connected landscapes and the bigger vision to work together in support of nature. Indeed, led by James, Ashdown Forest was one of the first seven partners that came together to sign a memorandum of understanding in 2022 to form the Weald to Waves corridor (see photo, James is second from the right).

The route gave the walkers the opportunity to take the imagined concept of the connected corridor and quite literally put their feet on it, seeing for themselves the places where wildlife live and move (more on that in a future post). They experienced in real life the vision that James and the other founding partners had imagined and had begun to build.

Planning the walk started some time ago. Tom plotted out the route using public rights of way and then guided the walkers each day. The map we've shared here shows the rough route (in red) that they took.

If you'd like to walk some or all of the route yourself, there is a brilliant guide to doing just that. This really comprehensive and helpful guide was put together by Ian Rogers, a supporter of the Knepp Wildland Foundation, who created the route in the summer of 2023. Check it out at https://www.wealdtowaveswalk.co.uk/

Find out more about the Weald to Waves project here: https://www.wealdtowaves.co.uk/

One last thought! Did you know you can get involved with the project with your own garden? Take a look at https://www.wealdtowaves.co.uk/get-involved/gardens-and-greenspaces/

Knepp Wilding The Ashdown Forest Foundation https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

Last Sunday, 28th April 2024, a large group of James’ family, friends and colleagues came together under the canopy of Friends Clump on Ashdown Forest.

We celebrated the walkers – Jenny, Dan, Tom and Matt – who undertook this remarkable 128 km/79 mile journey over four days, through the Weald to Waves corridor from Climping beach to Ashdown Forest.

We celebrated everyone who joined these amazing four walkers for big chunks of the walk: Ash, Libby, Ryan, Karen, James, Mark, Chris, Mike, Elizabeth, Beth, Duncan, Kari, Ash, Mark, Katherine, Graham, Lucy, Kate, Ali, Emma, Rob, Ben, Ian, Rich, Jeanette, Lisa, and Paula. Not forgetting of course, Piper, Jenny’s wonderful dog! 🐾

We celebrated everyone who joined the last 2km of the walk from Millbrook East to Friends Clump – it was simply fantastic to see this group come together for James.

And then the most important part…

Together, we celebrated James. We paid tribute to him and to the legacy he left behind and the vision he set for the future. We shared stories, tears and laughter. We even sang together.

It was an incredibly moving occasion which reflected just how much James is and was admired, respected, valued, loved, and very much missed. Thank you to everyone who joined us, from near and from far.

Thank you to Elizabeth for leading this celebration gathering; to Father John for his words and reading of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si (In praise of nature); to Naamh and the Forest Choir for leading us in song; to Ash, Beth and Pat for their tributes on behalf of the Forest team, The Ashdown Forest Foundation and the Friends of Ashdown Forest respectively; to Tom, Matt and Dan for their tributes; to James’ father, Mick, and to Jenny, James’ partner, for speaking of James, of family, and of the legacies that will live on far into the future.

Big love to Jane (and Chester the dog!) who looked after the walkers so wonderfully along the route, and thanks to Beth who transported bags and people and held together all of the logistics. To Libby's Dad Glenn, the Wiston and Knepp Estates, and to Pamela and Nigel for giving the walkers a place to rest their heads overnight. Thank you to everyone who helped set up the gathering (Chris, Mike, Clive), marshalled car parking (Mark, Clive), took donations (Robin), and shared information about the Weald to Waves project (Alex). To Pete and Bev who helped share the story of the walk with the media who in turn helped amplify it further. To everyone who cheered us along the way here on Facebook. Lastly, thank you to Craig Payne for these photographic memories of this very special occasion. If we have missed anyone, it is entirely in error - please let us know so we can add you!

https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

Friends gather to remember James Adler MORE than 100 friends of former Ashdown Forest chief executive James Adler attended a celebration of his life on Sunday afternoon.

The last 2km!

At 1pm on Sunday 28th April, the walkers were joined by an even bigger group of James' family, friends and colleagues for the final leg of the walk over from Millbrook East to Friends Clump on Ashdown Forest.

The clouds lifted, as did everyone's spirits, as we walked together towards the celebration gathering...

Reaching Friends Clump was the culmination of the previous four days of walking. Starting at Climping beach on Thursday 25th April, the walkers trekked with tremendous energy, passion, and camaraderie along the Weald to Waves corridor, all the time reflecting on James, his life and the vision he had created.

In total they clocked up an amazing 127.85km (79 miles), putting one foot in front of the other again and again to hit an awe-inspiring count of 343,846 steps. 🥾🥾🥾🥾🥾

If that doesn't deserve some recognition, we don't know what does. So far you have helped us raise over £5,000 which will go into a fund in James' name for The Ashdown Forest Foundation. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

It's not too late to make a donation: https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

Arrived at Millbrook East with a great view over to Friends!

They’re on the Forest! 😀

The weather has been atrocious so far this morning, but could it be brightening up a little as they get closer to Ashdown Forest?! We hope so! Keep cheering them on! 👏👏👏👏👏👏

https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

Yesterday evening, ITV featured James and the walk on the news…

Friends walk 70 miles in memory of leading Ashford Forest conservationist | ITV News Friends and family are staging a 70-mile walk in Sussex in memory of conservationist James Adler who died suddenly last year. | ITV News Meridian

It’s Day 4 and we have the biggest group of walkers so far! Cheer them on the way and we’ll see the next group of walkers joining us for the last 2km at Millbrook East car park on Ashdown Forest! We’ll be leaving there at 1pm.

Go, walkers! 👏👏👏👏👏

https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

Today is the last day on this epic Weald to Waves journey. The weather is looking awful, so please help the walkers complete the walk and give as much as you can to:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

Good luck on the final push! 🥾🥾🥾🥾

James' Walk | Remembering and celebrating the life of James Adler Help The Ashdown Forest Foundation raise money to support The Ashdown Forest Foundation

This is a reminder that all who wish to remember and celebrate the life of former Ashdown Forest CEO, James Adler, are warmly invited to join the last leg of the walk from Millbrook East car park on the A22 for the last 2.25 km of the walk.

The group will set off at 1pm on Sunday 28th April from Millbrook East car park, in time for a celebration gathering at Friends clump at 2pm. James' favourite yellow and blue bobble hat will be leading the way on the walk – please join the walking team in wearing your favourite bobble hat too!

Parking for the final part of the walk is available at Millbrook East and West car parks on the A22 (TN22 3HW). If there is no parking available, please proceed to the parking areas for the celebration gathering at Friends Clump.

Parking for the celebration gathering at Friends Clump is available at Friends car park on the Crowborough Road (TN22 3HU). Other car parks close by include Box, Hollies and Ellisons Pond. Please leave enough time to walk from these car parks to Friends.

Parking charges will NOT apply in the car parks listed here for the duration of the last 2km walk, celebration gathering, and the return walk to the car parks.

We look forward to seeing you.

The afternoon before James died, the episode of “Ramblings” featuring Ashdown Forest was broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

In it, James walks with presenter Clare Balding, talking about the Forest and its history. He’s joined by colleague Kari Dunbar, as well as Ashdown Forest Podcast creators Eka Morgan and Tom Forward.

Happily, James did listen to it with his partner Jenny that afternoon. If you haven’t heard it yourself yet, tune in via the BBC Sounds app – it really is worth a listen.

Ramblings - Ashdown Forest - Ashdown Forest - BBC Sounds Clare Balding joins a walking group in Ashdown Forest.

Lunchtime pit stop in Mannings Heath before heading to Balcombe. The bird species count this morning is now up to 89, including a Hobby and a Siskin!

The walkers are holding up well and are in great spirits. But they need your help to keep going - https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

Thank you! 🙏

Day 3! It started with an interview and filming for local ITV news (watch this evening!) and then the walk began through a cacophony of birdsong at Knepp, including the amazing sound of Curlews!

It’s a late post but it’s been another long day! We set off from Wiston Estate at 8am this morning, heading up to Chanctonbury Ring on top of the Downs, before dropping down at Steyning and following the river Adur up to our lunch point at Sussex Wildlife Trust’s Woods Mill Nature Reserve. The afternoon brought us back to the river and we wound our way north before heading west, eventually crossing the A24 and reaching our final destination for today at Knepp Estate.

We were also joined by three new all-day walkers, Ashdown Forest’s Mark Pearson, Chris Ball, and Mike Payne, plus three walkers in the afternoon: James’ friend Matt Crosby-Jones, Ashdown Forest Conservator Elizabeth Riminton, and Ashdown Forest Foundation trustee Beth Morgan.

Today we clocked up 32.5km and 43.5k steps. We also added several more bird species to our list - including the Knepp storks! - bringing us to a total of 81 species in total. Can we make it to 100?!

AND… drumroll please… we also hit our £3,000 fundraising target! Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. Our next milestone is £3,500 - please help us hit that one too at https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024 🙏

We just made it! More details to follow later… 😅

They went that way! 👉

“Hello, I’m Beth. I’ve joined Jane as road and support crew for the walkers, but this morning I also accompanied them on the very first part of the route up to Chanctonbury Ring and then left them as they headed off east towards Steyning. We’ll meet them soon for lunch and I’ll join them again for the second part of today’s walk which ends at Knepp.

I first met James when he did a public presentation about Ashdown Forest where he described the challenges it faced and his vision for the future. He put out a call for volunteers to help and it was an absolute no brainer for me to get involved.

For the last 2.5 years I’ve been volunteering in various capacities, primarily helping out with social media (also what I’m doing for this walk!) and was also delighted to join The Ashdown Forest Foundation as a trustee in 2022 and since last year as Vice Chair.

I learned so much from James about nature and conservation, and although I’ve lived close to Ashdown Forest for many years, began to see it at a whole new level. For all his knowledge and support, I miss him greatly – along with his cheeky, dry sense of humour!

I’m so proud of everyone who’s doing the walk and helped make it all happen. And to everyone who has donated… thank you so much!”

Help us break through our next fundraising milestone at https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

Day 2 has started! Sam Dixon French from BBC Radio Sussex is joining us for the first part as we head up to Chanctonbury Ring, interviewing the walkers along the way.

Good morning, everyone, it's time to rise and shine! ☀️ 😎

It's Day 2 of James' Walk and the walkers are getting ready for another day of walking after their epic 37.7km trek yesterday. Sore muscles and blisters yet, anyone?!

The first photo here shows exactly where they are right now, in their accommodation at the Pump House on Wiston Estate, nestled at the foot of the South Downs beneath Chanctonbury Ring. That's the view to there from Hindleap on Ashdown Forest – just a few more kilometres to go over the next couple of days then!

In the second photo taken yesterday, the walkers look out from Chanctonbury towards the Knepp Estate, their destination for today's walk. Stay tuned for updates as they make there way there, joined by three new 'day walkers' to keep them company! We'll introduce them properly later...

Day 1 of James’ Walk has seen all the weathers!

Torrential rain as four of the walkers took a brisk dip in the sea… cloudy for breakfast and then brightening up as they headed off along the River Arun… sunshine at Amberley for lunch… and then rain clouds closing in as their route met up with the South Downs Way as they trekked the last few kilometres to today’s end point at Chanctonbury and an overnight stay at Wiston Estate, one of the Weald to Waves partners.

In total they’ve clocked up 37.7 kilometres and 57,709 steps each - AMAZING! And they’ve also spotted 74 bird species, including a Nightingale singing in the scrub by the river!

We’ve also reached another massive milestone today – our initial fundraising target of £2,500.00! So we’re setting a new target to help motivate our walkers over the next three days. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far – we are incredibly grateful.

And now to prepare for Day 2… stay tuned for more updates tomorrow!

Ashdown Forest The Ashdown Forest Foundation

Just before the walk began this morning, walker Tom Forward and walk organiser and The Ashdown Forest Foundation trustee Beth Morgan were interviewed live on BBC Radio Sussex. It was lashing down with rain at the time, but we’re very happy to say the sun has now come out for lunch and clothes have almost dried out!

The BBC have also featured the walk online and in their morning TV news bulletins on BBC South East.

The coverage speaks to the incredibly high regard in which James was held. He really did make an impact.

Ashdown Forest: Charity walk for former chief executive James Adler, who began his role in January 2021, died suddenly in May last year at the age of 42.

“Hello! I’m Jane, Jenny’s Mum.

I’m support crew and caterer, providing breakfasts, lunches and two evening meals during the walk.

Tonight’s dinner is a chicken casserole with chunky bread, which I’m sure they’ll be ready for after a long day’s walk!

I’m doing this in memory of James and to support Jenny.

James was an amazing man, very passionate about his work and also very funny! Good company to be with. He always made me feel included. He was great at that.

Good luck to all the walkers… and keep walking!”

Thanks, Jane! 🙌

Donate now to raise funds for projects on Ashdown Forest close to James’ heart: https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

The walk begins!

Walkers Jenny, Tom, Dan, Libby, Ryan and Ash set off just after 8am from Climping beach for day 1 of the walk, which ends at Chanctonbury Ring on the South Downs later today. They were joined by James Baird and his wife Karen from Climping. It was James who had the very first seeds of the idea which became the Weald to Waves initiative, so we’re especially delighted they have joined us today!

Some of the group started the day with a brisk swim in the sea before a fortifying breakfast to warm them back up!

Jane and Beth are road crew for this walk. We’ll catch up with them later…

Cheer them all on by making a donation to the fund in James Adler’s name - we’d love to break through our target!

https://www.justgiving.com/page/jameswalkapril2024

At 2pm next Sunday 28th April, we will gather at Friends Clump on Ashdown Forest to celebrate the life of James Adler. Over the previous four days, the walkers will have covered 111km from Climping on the south coast, all the way up to the Forest along the Weald to Waves nature corridor. Many others will join the last 2km from Millbrook East, walking as a group down and up across the valley to Friends Clump.

In 2023, James and his partner Jenny completed the “12 Clumps Challenge”, visiting all the main clumps across the Forest, a distance of just over 21km. Jenny picks up the story…

“Last year in mid-February, James and I and our dog Piper decided to take on the 12 clumps walk around Ashdown Forest. We started off by collecting some sandwiches from Cyrnel Bakery in Forest Row before heading to our start point at Gills Lap car park for 9am. We headed off anti-clockwise around the route with a little detour to stop in with Elizabeth, one of the lovely Conservators, and her husband Mark, who supplied us with some lovely pastries and coffee (probably water for James!). We stopped to admire the views a lot and take leisurely lunch and snack breaks and returned to Gills Lap car park just before 4pm.

James' trusty step counter showed 29,355 steps and 13.13 miles so we headed to the Hop Yard for a well deserved pint. We then finished off the 12th clump, Greenhall Toll Clump, the following day before heading home! I would thoroughly recommend this walk, it was certainly one we hoped to do again!”

If you’d like to find out more about the clumps, visit the Ashdown Forest page and search for and you’ll learn about the location and history of each one.

Not long now! Let's meet another one of our walkers, this time please meet Tom Forward, with whom the idea of this challenge began.

How do you know James?
I'm an ecologist and wildlife guide living on the edge of the Ashdown Forest. I met James through work on Forest. He was an enthusiastic supporter of the Ashdown Forest Podcast which I collaborate on and which is now in it's second season. James and I co-presented a talk on the Weald to Waves project at the Good Vibrations Festival, some beer may have been involved that day too!

Why are you doing the walk?
James had a massive impact from the moment he arrived at the Ashdown Forest, a place that is very close to my heart, and he achieved so much in his time there. He carried and communicated an ambitious vision for the Forest which was much needed, and wanted to extend the reach of this special landscape well beyond its boundaries. I work at several sites across the Weald to Waves nature corridor and feel that to honour his legacy and help maintain the momentum he generated it would be special to walk from the coast where it begins, to the Forest.

Bobble hat of choice?
Yellow teenie-weenie-beanie with homemade bobble (colour to be decided).

Snack of choice?
A good chunk of Tony's salted caramel chocolate.

Any extra thoughts as you prepare for the challenge?
Connected people, connected landscapes.