How to help butterflies thrive

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Sadly, of the UK’s 59 butterfly species, 33 have been in decline in recent years, with favourites like the once common Small Tortoiseshell on the brink of disappearing altogether in parts of southeast England. But there are lots of ways we can all help our butterflies thrive. You can get involved by volunteering with a local conservation group such as Wild About Warnham, or your local branch of Butterfly Conservation. Or why not take some simple steps to make your garden more butterfly-friendly?   Read more

Delay your big garden tidy-up: Nature needs the mess 

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Nature is still sleeping, so the best thing you can do is sit back and relax. Delay your spring garden clean-up until temperatures are consistently above 10°C for at least a week—often late April or when apple trees bloom. Top tips for an untidy garden and its benefits:

  • Wait and Observe: Let the garden “sleep in” to support local ecology. 
  • Protect Pollinators: Many butterflies, bees, and beneficial insects overwinter in dead, hollowed-out plant stems and fallen leaves. 
  • Delay Lawn Care: Avoid mowing, walking on the lawn or wet spring soil to prevent damaging its structure. Soil compaction restricts air and water movement, leading to poor drainage, waterlogging, and limited root growth. It is better to wait until the soil is dry enough to not form a ball in your hand.  

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National Emergency Briefing held in Westminster 

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On 27 November 2025, Central Hall Westminster, London, was buzzing with an invite-only audience of around 1,250 politicians, scientists and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media. Also in attendance were familiar faces like Chris Packham, Deborah Meaden, Jennifer Saunders, Mark Rylance, Brian Eno,  Roger Harrabin and four of the Sussex Green Living team.

They learnt about the latest implications for health, food, national security and the economy. They weren’t there for show. They came because the National Emergency Briefing, convened by brothers Simon and Nick Oldridge, brought together some of the UK’s most respected scientific voices to share the latest evidence on nature and climate risks — with the solutions already proving effective.

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A Beekeeper’s View: Simple Ways to Help Sussex Pollinators

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In Britain there are around 250 different species of bees. A few of these are social insects living in large organised communities such as bumblebees and of course honeybees. All bees feed on nectar for energy and feed their larvae on pollen for protein, both collected from flowers.

Pollination is a vital part of how plants reproduce. Crops and wildflowers rely on insects like bees to transfer pollen, helping them set seed and grow the next generation. A large proportion of our food depends on this process. Apples, raspberries and peas all benefit from insect pollination. Without pollinators yields would be lower and we would lose much of the variety in our diets.

Bees are an excellent indicator of a healthy environment and sadly all of our pollinators are under threat. The reasons are complex and include habitat loss and climate change. But the good news is that there is plenty we can do to help and it often starts at home.  Read more

Exciting new family friendly event in Horsham

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Growing together – Food – Fun – Family – Free

From 10am-4pm on Saturday 26th April, Horsham will come alive to celebrate green living in Sussex – perfect for mums, dads, and little ones alike. It’s a day packed with local food, expert talks and eco-friendly fun that will inspire you and your family to live more sustainably. Spread across four unique venues in central Horsham, come along for a day of free goodies, family-friendly activities, and caring community vibes at the Plant to Plate Festival! Read more

Residents call on MPs to vote for landmark Climate and Nature Bill

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Residents in Arundel and South Downs are calling on local MP Andrew Griffith to vote for a landmark piece of environmental legislation at its second reading on 24 January 2025. Members of Greening Steyning, Sussex Green Living, and South East Climate Alliance gathered this weekend for a photo opp to raise awareness about the Climate and Nature Bill (or “CAN” Bill).

If made law the CAN Bill would ensure that the UK has a joined up, science-led and people-powered plan to tackle climate change and nature loss, together. It is currently supported by 187 MPs, 372 local councils, 1,000 organisations, and over 1,200 leading UK climate and nature scientists.

The CAN Bill is being championed by Dr Roz Savage MP (Lib Dems), a longtime environmental campaigner and world record breaking solo ocean rower. She is supported by 11 co-sponsors from Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems, Greens, Plaid Cymru, and SNP. Read more

Country Ways

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Country Ways: Val volunteers with Transition Horsham which runs the community allotment. She has decades of experience, as since childhood, she worked alongside her father on his allotment.
When she married, she and her husband grew everything: cabbages, turnips,
swedes, cauliflower, runner beans, potatoes, radishes, gherkins, onions…and nothing was wasted. Even the swede and turnip leaf greens were a healthy part of their meals.
Their early home had been derelict, condemned and unmortgageable and it took them many years to demolish and rebuild; everything was a hard slog. At one point a whole bay window fell out, and when it rained the water came up through the floor, so sometimes they ate dinner with friends in the upstairs bedroom! It was definitely a time of ‘Make do and mend’. Read more

Sussex is Really Buzzing

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Getting Sussex Buzzing again!

Sussex is really buzzing in 2024 thanks to exciting new collaborations between Sussex Green Living and local businesses: a new way of combining practical solutions to current and future environmental issues with community outreach, fundraising and business wellbeing. The Pollination Education Stations and Green Business Network have been developed in collaboration with Billingshurst based agency PMW Communications as part of their generous gift of pro bono work with 30 local charities to celebrate their 30 years in business.

One week after Sussex Green Living launched these new endeavours at the Sussex Green Hub, the first Pollination Education Station (PES) has been installed. Horsham based business, Envitia Ltd, a digital and data services company based in Horsham, will focus on one charity each quarter and on Monday 4th March, as part of their fundraising and collaboration with Sussex Green Living, they set up their Pollination Education Station, a haven for pollinators, with a community herb bed and an information board.

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The Importance of Nature

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We all want a world where our climate is stable, nature thrives, and where all people have health, happiness, and prosperity – it’s our human right, right?

Unless we change things, we are on track to breach the 1.5°C temperature increase limit set by the Paris Agreement by 2030. The breach risks irreversible environmental degradation and runaway climate change that will affect all our societies and economies.

An essential ally against the climate crisis is nature. We are losing nature at an alarming and unprecedented rate. For anyone who has been watching David Attenborough’s latest BBC programme, Wild Isles, you will know that Britain is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

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Clive Cobie

Improving Soil Health with biochar

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It was the first experience I’ve had of using a retort kiln. Normally I use a ring type.

The ice crystals were glistening on the metal door as I pulled hard. It creaked with resistance as the morning sun shone upon what was left of the wood.  It had been reduced by half through a process called pyrolysis, (heating wood in the absence of oxygen).  The fire turns volatile oils into gases which heat the wood.

I always love that first encounter when I open a kiln, picking up a handful of charcoal and dropping it gently; listening to the tinkle as pure carbon cascades down while sunlight and left over heat create peacock blues or rainbow patterns over the blackness.

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