About Sussex Wildlife Watch . . . for Grown ups

Sussex Wildlife Watch is the junior branch of The Sussex Wildlife Trust.
Our aim is to encourage children to engage in their environment and the issues affecting it. There are five principles which underpin all Watch activity:

• increasing understanding of our whole environment fostering awareness and feeling for the world we live in.
  
• encouraging a caring attitude towards wildlife and participation in conservation.
  
• creating factual, informal, fun ways to investigate our surroundings.
  
• ensuring that young people’s environmental concerns, ideas and opinions are recognised and developed, and opportunities are created to act upon them.
  
• We do this though Watch groups, projects and members' publications.
  

Wildlife Watch Groups in Sussex
Across the UK thousands of adult volunteers are dedicated to running Wildlife Watch groups where children can meet and enjoy exploring their environment. Going regularly to a group, along with their peers, enables young people to have lots of fun and make new friends whilst they develop real understanding and commitment.

Across Sussex we run four Wildlife Watch groups where children can meet and enjoy exploring their environment mostly at weekends. The groups are based in Bognor, Brighton, Lewes and Mid Sussex.

For the children and their parents, going regularly to a group, along with their peers, enables young people to have lots of fun and make new friends whilst they develop real understanding and commitment.

Sussex Watch groups give children opportunities to discover local wildlife and get stuck into practical activities likely to encompass anything from environmental artwork and waste recycling, to barn owl surveys, pond dipping and wild flower fun days. All groups operate within a monitored framework of child welfare and safety.

If you would like to help with your local WATCH group please email People and Wildlife Officer or call: 01273 497562

Become a Wildlife Watch leader or helper
Please visit our volunteering pages

Publications for watch members

• Watchword
  Our children’s magazine packed with wildlife features, environmental stories, quizzes, competitions, cartoons and news. A great way to make topics accessible to all, with three issues each year.
  
• Wildlife Extra
  A mini-magazine that folds out into an A2 sized full-colour poster. Each issue concentrates on a particular theme and is packed with advice on taking positive practical action to benefit wildlife and our environment. There are three issues each year, mailed in January, May and September.
  
• What’s On 4 Wild Kids
  Local events for children and families around Sussex.