The Deneway's Wild Future has begun!

Mya Bambrick

Communities Intern

On Wednesday 22 November, we ran the first session of the Deneway’s Wild Future. 

This is a new youth-led nature reserve initiative for 16–25 year olds, based at our gated reserve in Brighton, the Deneway. The Deneway is an important wildlife corridor connecting local woodland, and being in an urban location is accessible by public transport which is essential for young people. This project aims to give young people a say on how we manage the reserve, as well as carry out practical conservation tasks, work in partnership with local community groups that use the site and lead their own sessions. 

As we develop the project, the group will be getting involved with all the different aspects of managing the nature reserve, like learning how to form a management plan, and hosting open days. During our first session we explored the site, put up camera traps (above) and learnt about different fungi species. There was plenty of wildlife to spot whilst exploring the site – flocks of tiny Goldcrest, a brief sighting of a Red Fox, Jay, and Jelly Ear, Yellow Brain, and Candlesnuff fungus.

This project is the first of its kind for Sussex Wildlife Trust and we are so excited to be able to offer an opportunity for this often hard-to-reach age range to get involved with our work. The project will provide essential skills required for conservation careers, like practical conservation, species identification, and leadership. It’s also a great place to meet like-minded young people. 

Sessions run every Wednesday 10am-3pm. Booking is essential. See here: Deneway's Wild Future | Sussex Wildlife Trust