Celebrating our biodiverse campus
Posted on behalf of: Student Communications
Last updated: Monday, 14 October 2024
Sussex campus in the autumn
Wildflowers on campus
At Sussex, we are lucky enough to be nestled within the Brighton & Lewes Downs UNESCO Biosphere Region, recognised for its dry chalk valleys, floodplain meadows, vegetated shingle and chalk reefs.
There are 701 UNESCO World Biosphere Regions in the world, and our area is one of only two currently in the UK!
Becoming one of the most sustainable universities in the world
Our unique location in the Sussex South Downs National Park and UNESCO biosphere means we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to make our campus as biodiverse as possible.
Our ambitious Biodiversity Strategy and Biodiversity Policy, published in 2021, sets out our vision of staff and students working together to become the most biodiverse campus in the UK, and we have been making strides in this area ever since. One of the objectives is to increase the percentage of the University of Sussex campus set aside for nature from the 2022 baseline of 38% to 42% by December 2027. This was developed in consultation with staff and students.
Earlier this year Sussex was presented with a Green Flag Award for its beautiful Falmer campus, marking eight times in a row the University has won this award. The award recognises our green spaces and the work our teams at Sussex do to maintain biodiversity on campus.
Explore local biodiversity with our Digital Media Creator!
We have a variety of biodiversity to explore on campus, including the woodland walk, dew pond, and low management wildflower-rich areas.
Student Digital Media Creator, Sophie, shared her favourite biodiverse spots on campus and the surrounding area in a video on Instagram. Check it out below!
View this post on Instagram
Biodiversity projects you can get involved in
Read about biodiversity projects going on at Sussex, and find out how you can get involved.
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Love Your Scrub – a rewilding project to expand scrub habitat on campus and increase biodiversity. Read more and find out how to get involved.
- Nature Positive Ambassadors – join the international network to link up with students around the world wanting to make changes for nature on their campus. Sign ups for the 2024/2025 Nature Positive Student Ambassador Programme are now open! The deadline to sign up is 3 November 2024.
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Sussex Forest Food Garden Society – a Students’ Union society which meets on Thursdays to maintain and develop the Forest Garden, while socialising and learning together.
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Roots (Communal Gardening) Society – a Students’ Union society which meets on Wednesdays and Sundays to garden and grow food in the allotment on campus.
Don't forget – you can log Spirit of Sussex Award points for involvement in sustainability activities under the ‘Environment & Sustainability’ category.
If you have enjoyed reading about the work going on by staff and students across campus to help increase biodiversity and you would like to take part, then visit the biodiversity webpages or contact sustainable@sussex.ac.uk to find out how you can get involved!