Celebrating community and nature at our 2025 community get-together

We're working with local communities across the Low Weald and South Downs to support their nature restoration efforts and bring more people closer to nature. Karen Laver, Lost Woods team leader for Action in Rural Sussex, reflects on our recent Community Get-Together and how you can get involved in the project and Lost Woods festival:

"Tell us your good news", we asked at our third annual community get-together event. The packed barn at the beautiful Macs Farm in Ditchling kindly obliged.

We heard about Sandgate Conservation Group engaging young people in volunteering and gaining funding for pond restoration. Friends of Ashenground and Bolnore woods has recorded more species of birds now than in the early 2000's - an incredible achievement. Folk singer Claire (who performed at our very first Community Get-Together) has gained a distinction for her dissertation The Way Through the Woods:’ An Autoethnographic and Folkloric Study of Human Relationships with Sussex Woodland, whilst another participant has received funding for their PhD. And Plumpton College is a finalist for a Nature First Award; we wish the college good luck.

There’s a saying in the community development world of "don’t have a meeting if you can have a party", so it was lovely that so many people described the Community Get-Together as fun, inspiring and interesting. We numbered over 100 including Lost Woods volunteers, conservation groups, people who’ve attended our woods on prescription sessions, woodland owners, forest school leaders and special guests, students from Plumpton College.

Last year, our Get-Together focused on the theme of inclusivity. We highlighted the work of the conservation group from Burnside Day and Opportunities Centre for people with learning disabilities. Through our Conservation for All sessions, we’ve also been working closely with Plumpton College students, so this year we designed a day to include them. In collaboration with Henfield Men’s sheds, they built bat boxes for their campus and with the support of Lost Woods wildlife champions, they have identified the best places to locate them. It was wonderful to have the young people with us and hear about the wildlife projects they are involved with.

Lost Woods Festival 2026

Looking ahead to our Lost Woods festival of events next year, we also want to know, “what can we do with more people?” and “what’s the smallest thing we can do with the biggest impact?" So, workshops at the Get-Together were designed to inspire, support and give people skills to run engagements events for their local communities as part of the festival, and grow our community.  

Feedback was that people were inspired by the event: To record our local trees on the woodland trust ancient tree inventory, look at wellbeing opportunities in the woodlands and their further protection, and plan some walks and activities in nature. Thanks to everyone who was able to make it.

“Thank you so much for the fantastic Community Day yesterday. It was so brilliantly run, and I was so grateful to be a part of it. I came away feeling so inspired by all the amazing organisations, charities and individuals who all share my love of woodland spaces. Fantastic to feel part of a community with so much passion.”

Would you like to get involved?

Contact us. We can support you if:

• You have an idea and would like support to run an engagement event as part of the festival

• You’d like to be part of a steering group to guide our work during and beyond the life of the Lost Woods programme

• You’d like to support conservation activities, wellbeing and children and family sessions or spreading the Lost Woods message at events and talks

• You know of a group who would benefit from support to access woodland activities

We'd love to hear from you - you can get in touch via this form. Or send us an email.

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