Web design © Graeme de Lande Long. Terms & Conditions.
Community Website
Scaynes Hill Village
From Lost Woods to Loved Woods
02 Jun 2021 Posted by Karen Laver
Spending time and exercising in woodland is really good for our health and wellbeing, maybe it’s the majestic structures, the rootedness, the clean air or the signs of nature which we are part of.
However despite being a very wooded county, many ancient woods in West Sussex are neglected. They're now often small, fragmented and vulnerable to the pressures of development, invasive species and climate change. Without our help, there is a risk they'll be lost forever.
However, we at Action in Rural Sussex, along with our partners The Woodland Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust and the Small Woods Association have a plan.
60% of ancient woodlands in our project area are not being managed for a variety of reasons, so we’d like to support woodland owners with the management of their woodlands in order to increase their resilience to climate change and become places for our wildlife friends to thrive.
We also want to work with community members and groups who would like to get to know and get involved in loving and protecting their local woodlands or even go to a woodland for the first time. We wish to support groups to develop activities to increase connection to woodland and nature and build a network of woodland supporters.
We would like to promote our project to
- Individuals who are woodland users or non-woodland users, who might be willing to connect with us on social media and take an interest. Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs - Home | Facebook
- Community groups and professionals working with disadvantaged people who might be open to exploring how their clients might benefit from greater connection with woodland and green spaces.
- Woodland and green space conservation groups who need support or would like to network with similar groups
- Potential volunteers for conservation or connection work.
- Woodland owners who want help and or training to manage their woodlands.
For more information see Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs - Woodland Trust
Below is the survey to inform our overall project. It’s all about visiting woodlands or what’s difficult about visiting woodlands. I wonder if you would be willing to fill it in and also share with colleagues and friends. My dream would be to have people of all ages and all circumstances fill it in as it would be so good to hear their voices and what they want.
Woodland survey