Crawley College students volunteer to help restore heathland at Tilgate Park

Heathland is one of the UK’s most threatened habitats. It attracts a wide variety of wildlife, including roe deer, summer warblers and adders.

The students worked with the Gatwick Greenspace Partnership to help carry out some important heathland management tasks, which included the removal of birch trees from the heathland.

By removing tree saplings from these areas, the light levels and temperatures are maintained for the animals and insects that inhabit the heath.

Student Experience Co-ordinator at Crawley College Beth Hutchinson said: “It’s really important that heathlands are given the opportunity to thrive and not revert to wooded areas.

“The work our students did will help to maintain and increase biodiversity in the area.”

Student President Chloe Harrison said: “Volunteering is really important to us, as a college, and gives our students an opportunity to take part in experiences that wouldn’t normally be available to them.

“Hearing everyone talk about sustainability made the students start thinking about what we need rather than what we want. This was really interesting and it opened everybody’s eyes.”

Student volunteer Amanda said: “For me, it was an enjoyable day because we all got to know a bit more about all the work that people are constantly putting into Tilgate Park to maintain and preserve species that live in the area.

“We also experienced the complexity of the tasks and the effort that it takes to complete them.”