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Sussex Woodlands Bloom: 5,500+ Ancient Trees Recorded
3 Oct
Summary
- Over 5,500 ancient, veteran, and notable trees have been recorded.
- Volunteers are mapping trees across a 121-sq-miles area in Sussex.
- The project is a partnership of four charities funded by the National Lottery.
A project dedicated to restoring ancient woodlands in Sussex has achieved a major milestone, with more than 5,500 trees now officially recorded. Since March 2024, dedicated volunteers involved in the Lost Woods project have been meticulously documenting ancient, veteran, and notable trees within a vast 121-square-mile zone stretching from Lewes to Storrington.
These latest figures reveal a total of 5,570 trees cataloged, a number exceeding initial expectations and marking a critical achievement for the initiative. The project is a collaborative effort involving Woodland Trust, Action in Rural Sussex, Sussex Wildlife Trust, and Small Woods Association, with financial support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Approximately 20 volunteers are actively involved, each assigned a specific area to survey. The verified tree data is then added to the Ancient Tree Inventory, a long-standing program that has mapped the UK's oldest and most significant trees for two decades. The project aims to identify and record all ancient and veteran trees in the designated area by next year, though a substantial portion remains to be covered.
