The Secret Campsite and Businesses in Nature

I went along to the beautiful Secret Campsite in Barcombe to chat to owner Tim Bullen about his support for Sussex Wildlife Trust over the years, his commitment to supporting wildlife through his work, and his new Businesses in Nature initiative  

Tell us a bit about The Secret Campsite 

My passion is working with people, wildlife and the natural world. We hatched a plan to open a campsite focused on wildlife and the natural world here. After attending a Sussex Wildlife Trust course on Landscape Management, we planted over 1000 trees and shrubs to create a habitat that would be great for wildlife. We opened our gates in 2012 and were quickly inundated with campers keen for a spacious, peaceful break in nature.

We installed a few Secret Shelters, including a Tree Tent, but our focus remained on real camping and connecting our guests with native wildlife. This includes Adders, Badgers, Great-crested Newts, Glow Worms, Hedgehogs, Nightingales as well as a huge variety of moths, birds and butterflies. Not to mention the plant species that appeared when we stopped overmanaging the landscape. We have a small flock of sheep that graze the site over winter to maintain a meadow habitat.

We are delighted to have won a BBC Community award for our work with wildlife. We also run the annual Secret Wildlife Festival, returning this year, after Covid. The Festival has raised over £18,000 in the seven years it ran, prior to lockdown.

This year we have started the process to become a B Corp certified business to show our support for businesses focused on the environment.

What's your connection to Sussex Wildlife Trust?

We are huge supporters of the work of Sussex Wildlife Trust, and try to help wherever we can. My wife Lisa and I have been members of the Trust since the early 2000s and have been proud Business Members since 2018. 

Every event we put on, we donate 5% of the profits to Sussex Wildlife Trust. So far, we've raised £20,000. Campers are able to make a donation to the Trust at checkout when they are booking to stay with us and we have a collection tin at reception.

How do you support nature at the campsite?

We have built and continue to run the site by minimising our footprint on the planet and creating space where nature can flourish. We’re not perfect, but nature is always at the forefront when we make our decisions. Our newly-built wash house, for example, has a minimal carbon footprint and used a range of locally-sourced and reused materials. It also uses rainwater to flush toilets and solar electricity to heat water and process the sewage waste we generate. It has no external lights and we have installed a number of shelters for wildlife.

We've landscaped the whole site to create great habitats where plants and animals can flourish. We provide lots of opportunities for people to connect with the natural world and use their senses to enjoy our native flora and fauna.

We also offer ID sheets to help children and campers identify plants and creatures that they have spotted around the site. 

What's your favourite time of day?

Dawn, when nature has had a free run of the space. It’s that time before we all start to appear and the wildlife shrinks into the background. But I always love being outside.

What are the biggest lessons about wildlife that you've learned?

Wildlife is patiently waiting in the wings. It’s waiting to be allowed to come out onto its stage. When we stop obsessively manicuring our outside spaces, gardens and farmland, it suddenly appears.

Tell us more about Businesses in Nature

In 2023, we decided to target a new audience, aimed at getting small teams of work colleagues to spend time together, away from their desks. They come here to spend time out in nature. It’s a great way for forward-thinking businesses to raise the profile of the biodiversity crisis.

Activities could include a wide variety of experiences, including: listening to Nightingales, detecting Bats, hunting for Glow Worms, stargazing, or just spending time together around a covered campfire listening to the haunting sounds of night and eating a simple campfire meal. All of our events are alcohol-free to encourage a deeper connection with the natural world and each other.

Find out more about becoming a Sussex Wildlife Trust Business Partner here 

Find out more about The Secret Campsite here