Wilder Ouse end-of-year report ‘hugely encouraging’: praise for landscape recovery project

The council said Wilder Ouse is delivering ‘nature-based solutions’ and ‘nature recovery networks’ by working with communities and landowners in the area.

The project, which has now released its first end of year report, is hosted by Sussex Wildlife Trust and supported by the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust, the Woodland Trust, the Environment Agency and Lewes District Council.

Councillor Emily O’Brien, Cabinet Member for Climate, Nature and Food Systems, said: “Reading the Wilder Ouse end of year report it is hugely encouraging to see how much has been achieved in such a short time. I am delighted that since the brilliant Sussex Flow Initiative evolved into this more diverse, landscape recovery project, we can celebrate such inspirational work.”

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She said: “I encourage anyone interested in playing a part in this vitally important work to consider volunteering with Wilder Ouse and helping them to reverse the desperate decline in nature in the UK.”

To find out more about Wilder Ouse and volunteering opportunities visit sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk/get-involved/projects/wilder-ouse.

Henri Brocklebank, director of conservation at Sussex Wildlife Trust, said: “The UK is signed up to 30 per cent of land being restored/protected for wildlife for 2030. It’s a huge ambition, but Wilder Ouse is showing us what this can look like at a local level. There’s so much more to do and we are very grateful to Lewes District Council for their ongoing support and ambition for this work. The project delivers more year on year.”

The council said the project has now seen 4.512 trees and 700 metres of hedging planted, while 23 ponds have either been created or restored. The council added that 12 landowners are taking action for nature recovery with invasive plants being removed from three sites. These achievements have boosted ‘carbon capture’ with the wetlands accounting for 4,116 tonnes of carbon every year while 38,000 kilograms are captured by the planted hedgerow.

Some of Wilder Ouse’s five-year targets include planting 20,000 trees, restoring 30 hectares of woodland, meadows and wetland, and creating 20,000,000 litres of natural water storage.