Volunteers making difference at magical Sussex forest that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh

Supporting the Rangers and Forest Centre staff, they give up their time to look after the landscape that means so much to them. The work is varied and ranges from outdoor tasks like clearing encroaching scrub to ensuring that the Visitor Centre provides a warm welcome and information.

The volunteers come from all backgrounds and range in age from 13 to 70. The most recent volunteer recruits are the young people in the new Youth Volunteer Group. The team members, whose ages range from 13 to 17, meet once a month to undertake important tasks on the Forest. These have included tree clearance work, plant monitoring and a survey recording the wide range of bird species.

Lisa Stevens is part of the Ashdown Forest Education Team and leads the Education Youth Group. She explained: “The young volunteers come to us for all sorts of reasons. Some are working towards their Duke of Edinburgh bronze or silver awards, others are building their CV, whilst some are students from Agricultural Colleges who use the volunteering to enhance their knowledge. Some of our young volunteers have been coming to the Forest Education Centre since their primary school days and want to maintain their connection to this very special place.

“Our young people can feel anxious and overwhelmed by issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss. When they are in the Forest working as part of a likeminded team, they feel part of a positive community who are making a difference and it gives them hope”.

Thirteen-year-old Connor Carruther, from Lindfield, said: “I really like nature, that’s why I come and I want to protect it. When we are protecting nature, we are protecting ourselves too. We have lost 50% of our biodiversity already – that’s why the Youth Volunteer Group is so important.”

Fellow volunteer Xavier Reynolds-Beck, also 13 and from Chelwood Gate, said: “It’s interesting and inspiring to spend more time in nature.”

Ashdown Forest Countryside Manager Ash Walmsley said: “Volunteering is a two-way experience. We learn just as much from our volunteers, with their unique perspective and experience, as we hope they do from our fantastic educators. The Youth Volunteer Group gives the young people a unique overview and understanding of the complexity of caring for a space like Ashdown Forest. The natural world is both fascinating and vital to the future and standards of living of our population.

“Our remarkable volunteers are taking action to care for the planet that we all call home. They are the future protectors of Ashdown Forest. I’d like to thank each and every one of our amazing volunteers. The contribution they make is invaluable to us. Managing Ashdown Forest is a huge and complicated task and we are lucky to have such a dedicated team of volunteers.

We are always looking for new recruits, and there are details of how to join us on our website.” www. ashdownforest.org/get-involved.

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