New woodland created on Carden Hill

Work has started to create a new woodland on Carden Hill in Hollingbury.

Over the past few weeks, Brighton & Hove City Council’s Park Rangers and Tree Planting Officers have been busy planting more than 2.000 native trees and shrubs with a further 6,000 to be planted over the coming years.

Creating wildlife havens

The trees are part of a project to improve Carden Park for local people and for wildlife. Other work will include restoring the species rich chalk grassland by introducing grazing and creating a flower-rich ‘B-Bank.’

B-Banks are free draining, nutrient poor slopes, planted with flowering species that are found in grasslands across the South Downs. They are important to both bees and butterflies, but also attract hundreds of other insects, making them stand out as busy wildlife havens.

The new trees will also play an important role in capturing carbon through photosynthesis and storing it for centuries.

New volunteer group

As the project progresses, and Covid-19 restrictions ease, the rangers are hoping to set up a new volunteer group this summer to help plant the remaining woodland..

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can email cityparks.volunteers@brighton-hove.gov.uk for further details.

More information about the planting, including a map ofthe site.  

The project forms part of the council’s response to the biodiversity and climate emergencies, and supports its objectives to become a carbon-neutral city by the year 2030.