Less than a 10-minute drive from Gatwick Airport lies a stunning 16-acre garden with the only complete view of the airfield.  Ichi-Coo Park is the perfect oasis for unwinding and reconnecting with nature.

Why Your Carbon Footprint Matters

The date is set - Thursday 4 July is the next General Election. It’s arguably the most important event of the summer for wildlife, especially given the state of nature, so we want to make sure you can play your part.

Join Let's Go! Net Zero at the stunning Aldingbourne Country Centre on 25 June for a celebration of sustainable business and to hear how it’s done. There'll be a panel of ground-breaking speakers, a delicious, locally-sourced lunch and refreshments, and plenty of opportunity for networking with fellow businesses.

Property consultancy Vail Williams has again published its annual carbon emissions report as its journey towards net zero by 2030 continues to make positive progress.

Accountants, business and wealth advisers Kreston Reeves has today published its B Corp™ and environment, social and governance (ESG) impact reports. Their publication is coordinated to mark the firm’s first anniversary of achieving B Corp™ certification.

This event – exclusively for construction professionals in West Sussex – will give you a solid foundation in how the industry is shaping up to meet the challenge of becoming net zero and help keep you ahead of the curve.

Members of staff at Carpenter Box from across their six offices swapped spreadsheets for spades to plant trees throughout Sussex to mark the firm’s 100 years in business.

The road to sustainable manufacturing

We have four native species of mice in the UK. They are a widely misunderstood group of mammals, often living alongside people but viewed by many as pests.

Initiatives include UK rail’s first cooperative solar energy project that generates power for Southern Rail and income for community development

How to take action on net zero if you’re office-based: a sustainability masterclass is exclusively for office-based businesses in West Sussex.

Tune in for Sussex Wildlife Trust's news and updates

Wild about schools   We are now taking bookings for school classes to visit Woods Mill nature reserve. Explore our 44 acre nature reserve, with meadows, hedges, ponds and woodland, and take part in fun activities and games. This experience will help the children develop a sense of excitement, curiosity and protection for the natural world.Most of the nature reserve is now accessible by wheelchair and there is a classroom with a wide range of equipment for indoor and outdoor studies. Please get in touch to find out more.   Discover Woods Mill educational visits      Spooktacular wildlife   This Halloween, go on a thrilling journey to uncover some of the UK's most spine-tingling species. From Ghost Slugs and Devil's Fingers, to Mother Shipton moths and hooting owls, you'll be amazed how many wild wonders have a connection to the supernatural.   Read more, if you dare...   Upcoming Events 31 October: Nature Tots - Brighton 01 November: Deneway's Wild Future - 16-25 year olds, Brighton 13 November: Forest School Training Level 1 - Tilgate Park, Crawley 15 November: An Introduction to Gulls - Goring-by-Sea 18 November: The Ocean Symposium - Bexhill More events here

Wilder Ouse Sussex Wildlife Trust is delighted to announce the official launch of ‘Wilder Ouse’ – a project bringing together people across the Ouse River Catchment to help restore nature. This project expands on previous work carried out by the Sussex Flow Initiative. Wilder Ouse project partners include the Environment Agency, Woodland Trust and Lewes District Council.Over the next few months, Wilder Ouse Project Officer Lydia Baxter will be meeting local people with a view to working with them and leading some of our first nature recovery projects across the catchment. Lydia said, ‘I’m delighted to be leading on this exciting project and keen to see what a difference it will make."   Dive into the Wilder Ouse project     What's a Robin's Pincushion? Living up to its name, the Robin's Pincushion is a red, round, hairy growth that can be seen on wild roses. This gall is caused by the larvae of a tiny gall wasp.   Find out more   Upcoming events 27 October: Crafting your Screenplay - Rye Harbour Nature Reserve 11 November: Beginning Nature Photography - Henfield 13 November: Forest School Training Level 1 - Tilgate Park, Crawley 15 November: An Introduction to Gulls - Goring-by-Sea 16 November: An Introduction to Gulls - Seven Sisters County Park More events here 

Thank you to everyone who has already donated to our Forest Copse Appeal. With your help, we’re now over two-thirds of the way towards the £110,000 needed to buy three fields adjoining the northern edge of our Ebernoe Common nature reserve. If you haven't donated already, can you help us reach our target and create more space for wildlife?   Yes, I want to help     Explore Forest Copse In this video, Sam Buckland, our Western Reserves Manager, walks us through the three fields we hope to add to Ebernoe Common. Sam also shares his vision for transforming this land to benefit wildlife, including Nightingales and Dormice.   This is a rare chance to expand one of the UK's most important nature reserves and create new wildlife habitats. We have a limited time to raise the funds for this land purchase. If you have not already donated, please support this amazing opportunity.   Donate today

Congratulations to the 12 finalists in the Sussex Wildlife Trust 'All Shapes and Sizes' photography competition. Now it's over to you to vote for the overall winner.   Voting closes on Tuesday 31 October 2023   Vote for your favourite here   1. Cormorant at Sunrise - Tim Nightingale Our Judges said "Beautifully composed image of a Cormorant against the sun showcasing the Sussex coastal landscape." 2. Deep Freeze - Simon Bone Our Judges said "This stunning image, following a heavy snowfall, creates a wonderful winter wonderland scene." 3. Eurasian Jay - Phil Winter Our Judges said "A key species to ensure the regeneration of Oak – the Jay collecting acorns to cache for winter larder." 4. Fulking Mist - Lloyd Lane Our Judges said "A beautifully captured portrait of our changing seasons and changing landscape." 5. Great Green Bush Cricket - Claire Milham Our Judges said "Showing the diversity of Sussex chalk downland species at their best." 6. L.E.D. - Simon Grinyer Our Judges said "Breathtaking image of this rare insect captured as the female shines her light to attract a male." 7. Nuthatch on Fungi - Brian Watkins Our Judges said "Superb take on this iconic woodland bird demonstrating the typical Nuthatch pose." 8. Poppies in the Sun - Claire Andrews Our Judges said "A lovely backlit composed shot highlighting the fragility of flower and bee populations in our county." 9. Siblings - Brooke Haycock Our Judges said "Charming capture of two Fox cubs learning about life through vigorous play." 10. Spring has Sprung in Sussex - Lloyd Lane Our Judges said "Stunning iconic image of Bluebells captured in spectacular light." 11. Vineyard Hare - Emma Varley Our Judges said "Inquisitive and alert – one of our most dynamic mammals captured in a fleeting moment in wonderful light." 12. Wing to Wing - Billy Evans-Freke Our Judges said "Excellent image of Kittiwakes in a setting highlighting the everchanging fragile chalk cliffs habitat it calls home."                          

While increasing efforts to reduce carbon emissions is vital to tackling global warming, we must also accelerate these efforts by deploying technologies that remove carbon from the atmosphere. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one of these technologies. How does CCS work? The purpose of carbon capture is to prevent CO2 released by industrial processes, i.e., the burning of fossil fuels, oil, gas and coal from entering the atmosphere. The process involves three steps: 1. Capturing CO2 is separated from other gases released by industrial processes, such as coal and natural-gas-fired power generation plants 2. Transporting CO2 is compressed and transported via pipelines, road transport or ships, to be stored. 3. Storage The CO2 is injected into rock formations deep underground for permanent storage. According to the British Government, the North Sea is the most suitable storage site as it contains many empty oil and gas reservoirs, as well as permeable rocks called saline aquifers. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage There is also a related concept known as carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) which describes the re-use of carbon emitted by industrial processes by converting it into other materials e.g., plastics, concrete or biofuel. Where is CCS being used? According to a Global CCS Institute 2022 report, there were 61 new facilities added to the project pipeline bringing the total number of global CCS facilities to 194. However, only 30 of these are in operation, with 11 under construction and the remaining 153 in various stages of development. Of the total number of projects, 27 are based in the UK. None of these are in operation. The CO2 capture capacity of all CCS facilities under development grew to 244 million tonnes per annum – a significant increase of 44% compared to 2022. UK Government plans Carbon capture power plants – power stations equipped with carbon capture technology - form part of the Government’s plans to remove carbon from UK electricity production by 2035. It was proposed that the first plant will be built by the mid-2020s. In March 2023, the Government agreed to funding three carbon capture facilities near Redcar on Teesside that would transport captured CO2 to the North Sea for storage. One plant will capture carbon from a gas-fired power station and the other two from hydrogen production. There is also development of carbon clusters – hubs where different industrial processes can plug into the same CO2 pipes and storage systems. The cost of CCS The infrastructure required for CCS is expensive and there are some who believe renewables and power storage would be better investments. Particularly as none of the Government’s proposed carbon capture plants claims to capture more than 2m tonnes a year – a very small percentage of the 331.5Mt of CO2 emitted by the UK in 2022. However, there is hope that the price might fall over time in the same way that it has for renewable energy in the last decade. Dr Doug Parr of campaign group Greenpeace UK argues that the power stations are “another excuse for the Government to show preference to their friends in the oil and gas industry, making energy more expensive to everyone else's disadvantage.” Carbon solutions If you need help starting your carbon neutral journey, we’re here to help. In partnership with Auditel, we’re on our own carbon neutral journey and would like to extend this service to our clients. For further guidance on reducing carbon emissions without the usual associated costs, please contact our Client Relationship Managers, Nigel A. and John Loizou. Contact Nigel on 07500 027480 or email him at nigel.addison-evans@cec.uk.com Contact John on 07425 102 023 or email him at john.loizou@cec.uk.com

2024 Wildlife Calendar Our two 2024 calendars - Wildlife of Sussex and Rye Harbour Nature Reserve are now available to pre-order from our online shop. The 2024 Wildlife of Sussex calendar features 12 stunning full colour images from the portfolios of wildlife photographers who support the work of Sussex Wildlife Trust. The 2024 Rye Harbour Nature Reserve calendar features 12 wonderful photos of wildlife found at one of the most spectacular nature reserves in Sussex. Both also include seasonal wildlife facts and reminders of key UK dates.Each calendar costs £6.99 including p&p. Calendars will be dispatched by 27 October 2023. Pre-order your calendars today   Have you seen a Hornet? Sunny days in September can be a good time to spot European Hornets. They can be over 30mm in length, but are much less aggressive than the Common Wasp. They are also an important pollinator and garden pest controllerYou may have heard about the invasive Asian Hornet, in our blog we explain how to identify the Asian Hornet and where to report any sightings. Find out more   Upcoming events 01 October: Birds and Breakfast - Rye Harbour Nature Reserve 27 October: Crafting your Screenplay - Rye Harbour Nature Reserve 11 November: Beginning Nature Photography - Henfield 15 November: An Introduction to Gulls - Goring-by-Sea