Rewilding Sussex was set up by Chris Sandom in 2014 as a community group to engage people with rewilding locally. We quickly gained members and regularly met in The Park Crescent Pub to discuss what a wilder Sussex might look like and how it might be created. We also made outings to the wilder places in the South of England, like Knepp Wildlands and Ham Fen for inspiration!
The best thing about Rewilding Sussex has been the people who have been involved over the years. Different groups have come together to hold events and projects big and small. There has also been a lot of creativity in the group, led by Dan Locke. We’re particularly proud of the Re-Discover project we ran in 2015 and Through the Bush Backwards more recently.
We’ve also always had a strong connection to students from Sussex and Brighton Universities. It is great to work with young people when thinking about rewilding. They bring enormous amounts of energy, enthusiasm, and creativity, and have a strong desire to tackle the big environmental and social challenges they are inheriting.
Currently, we’ve just re-established Rewilding Sussex as a student society at the University of Sussex, and have begun plans for new projects and initiatives. We’re working towards bringing about a wilder and healthier future on the Sussex campus and within East and West Sussex, and we look forward to working with you to achieve it!