Friends of Creatureland crowdfunder

We are a community group based at a 14 acre plot of land near Heathfield in East Sussex which we call “Creatureland”. Our mission is to care for the land and make it a welcoming place for wildlife though habitat creation and sensitive management. At the same time it is a space for people to come together and be close to nature.

We are currently raising funds to help with the costs of our hazel coppice restoration project, and running a community veg plot and orchard.

Coppicing hazel increases biodiversity in the woods through habitat creation, providing areas for many of Britain's most threatened wild flowers and insects to flourish, and nesting sites for species including dormice and nightingales. This ancient method of woodland management has largely been lost as it's not commercially profitable so we're excited to be able to bring it back to this part of Sussex through the work of our volunteers. We need extra funds to pay for tree surgeons to fell larger and diseased trees, and to pay for timber extraction using low-impact horse drawn methods. We also need to set up insurance to allow more volunteers to come together and carry out the coppicing work.

Through the community veg plot and orchard we aim to make quality organic produce available to all regardless of their background or income. We work together on volunteer days and everyone takes a share of the produce. Those who are able to can contribute to costs of buying the seeds, rotted organic manure and water needed, but we are seeking additional funding to help subsidise those on low incomes.

Any support you can give will help us continue with creating a space where people can be together in nature, and harvest produce in the way that compliments and benefits the local environment.