Conservation Work on Chailey Common

Over three winter days a group of enthusiastic Year 9 students have been working with the Sussex Wildlife Trust helping to rebuild and connect with nature on Chailey Common. 

Over the three days we learned to safely use axes, different types of saws and mallets to help us fell small silver birch trees and make stakes and brash. It was interesting looking at the different sized and shaped Birches and deciding which ones to cut down – this was for two reasons, one: to clear the wood land so it is less compact allowing sunlight in and two to use the trees to make stakes. 

We have seen how our work over the three days has already had an effect on the landscape, slowing down the flow of water and creating small marshy areas which are great for different types of wildlife and plants. We learned that Chailey Common is home to the rare carnivorous plant, the Sun Dew’ and hope that what we have done will encourage more of them. We have learned new skill to help us care for nature and how to build on our knowledge to continue to care for nature in the future. We all became more aware of how important it is for us all to care for and look after the natural environment to help preserve the wildlife. We also learned that Chailey Common is an important area in the flood management of the Ouse Valley and hope that our work will help with this. 

On the final day, with ice and snow on the ground, which made the Common look beautiful, we lit a fire, heated a kettle and made delicious ‘campfire jam doughnuts’ which helped to warm us up.