At the centre of this work are the charity’s Pollination Education Stations (PES). Designed to support bees, butterflies and other insect life, these planted patches are also outdoor classrooms.
Each includes an A2 educational plaque explaining what pollinators need, why they matter, and what we can do in our own gardens, schools or shared spaces to help them thrive. The aim is not just to protect wildlife, but to invite people into a deeper conversation about our role in the living world.
Last Friday the charity installed their 22nd PES in Cuckoo Fields a Barratt Homes development in Hailsham. Barratt also funded an ecology session with young people from Hailsham Youth Service, they seed bombed the area and helped plant pollinator friendly plants in the new Pollination Education Station. The plants and early spring bulbs for these PES being kindly donated by Greenwood Plants who are part of the charity’s Green Business Network.
For Sussex Green Living, these youth and community sessions are about more than planting. They are about giving people, especially the next generation, the knowledge and confidence to take positive action. Whether it’s noticing bees in the playground, sharing a homegrown herb, or choosing not to mow part of the garden, the charity believes that small steps, repeated and shared, can begin to shift how we live with the natural world.
This business supported environmental education has recently been expanded thanks to donations from another developer, Wates Developments. Their donation is enabling Sussex Green Living to deliver environmental education in ten Horsham District primary schools. To date the sessions have been delivered in Greenway Junior School and Barns Green Primary School, where pupils took part in a whole-school assembly followed by a hands-on workshop focused on composting and food waste reduction. These workshops help build awareness of climate and ecological issues through play, reflection and real-world problem solving.
Carrie Cort, Founder and CEO of Sussex Green Living, said: “We are delighted to receive funding and support from these businesses, enabling us to deliver environmental education in schools and the community”. She continues “We love sharing inspiring solutions and actions that parents and children can take to reduce their impact on the planet and build a more sustainable world for all.”
To learn more about Pollination Education Stations or to support this work in your community, visit www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/renature