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Join a Lost Woods event; get to know people in your community and help protect ancient woodlands.
We update this page regularly, please keep checking for future event dates.
Himalayan Balsam Bashing - Volunteer Days
Join our volunteer group to help tackle Himalayan balsam, an invasive plant that threatens native wildlife and river habitats. Come along, meet like-minded volunteers and help care for nature in the Lost Woods.
Monday 6 July & Thursday 16 July, Wiston Estate
Monday 13 July, Storrington
9.30am - 2pm
To find out more or to sign up, please email Liz.Holmes@ruralsussex.org.uk. And please don't worry if you wouldn't know how to spot Himalayan Balsam- we will help you identify it and provide training on how to remove it.
Introduction to Coppicing
Monday 12 October 2026, 9.30am - 4pm (approx), Lag Wood, Hassocks
For absolute beginners who want to learn the basics, this course is an essential introduction to a fundamental skill for woodland management. Join us in this classic woodland setting for a practical day with Chris Keeler, a fourth generation forester and coppice worker with over 20 years of experience.
Fee: £45
Lag Wood is a ten minute walk from Hassocks train station for those using public transport.
Artist's Charcoal Making - Session 1
Thursday 5 November 2026, 10am - 12pm, Lag Wood, Hassocks
Join us to learn how to make artist's charcoal in an ancient woodland, and find out more about the special woodlands of the Low Weald and Downs.
The course will demonstrate a small-scale technique that produces a wonderful and sustainable art material.
Fee: £20
Please note this course is not suitable for children.
Lag Wood is a ten minute walk from Hassocks train station for those using public transport.
Artist's Charcoal Making - Session 2
Thursday 5 November 2026, 12pm - 2pm, Lag Wood, Hassocks
Join us to learn how to make artist's charcoal in an ancient woodland, and find out more about the special woodlands of the Low Weald and Downs.
The course will demonstrate a small-scale technique that produces a wonderful and sustainable art material.
Fee: £20
Please note this course is not suitable for children.
Lag Wood is a ten minute walk from Hassocks train station for those using public transport.
Introduction to Woodland Management
Two-day course on 11 and 12 November, 9.30am - 4pm (approx), Sussex Wildlife Trust HQ, Woods Mill.
Suitable for: Beginners, improvers
What to wear: Sturdy shoes, clothes that you can get messy.
What to bring: Paper and pen for taking notes.
Build the background knowledge needed to manage your woodland sustainably, and work towards creating resilient, productive woods. Tailored to your individual needs, you are encouraged to share details of woodlands you are familiar with to aid your learning.
Your tutor: Chris Keeler
Fee: £85
Chris is our dedicated training officer, who co-ordinates and teaches woodland management and heritage skills, as well as being the lead trainer for the Lost Woods project in Sussex.
He was born into an estate forestry family, and has worked in the coppice, woodland, and arboriculture industry for over 20 years. Chris learned his trade from some of the last ‘proper’ woodsmen who cut trees with axe, hook, and hand saw and still uses these tools to this day. He is passionate about passing on this knowledge to others, as well as communicating his love of all things nature.
"I have a lifetime of experience working in the coppice woodlands of Sussex and Kent, and I love to show how these traditional activities support the health of woodlands and enhance biodiversity."
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