The Moulsecoomb Forest Garden and Wildlife Project is celebrating 30 years with an open day today (Friday 12 July) from 12 noon to 6pm.
The project – credited with helping hundreds of children as well as adults with learning disabilities – is tucked away behind platform 2 at Moulsecoomb railway station.
It occupies a hilly space equal to about three or four football pitches and has been called “an amazing little oasis”.
And while the team behind the project grow all sorts of fruit and veg, they also help youngsters – especially those who find classroom learning a struggle – to build their knowledge and grow their confidence.
Since the project started in 1994, hundreds of children from Moulsecoomb Primary School are among those to have planted seeds, picked produce and baked their own pizzas in their own little paradise.
The children work for the knowledge that they cultivate and many of the youngsters have been able to take pride in showing others around and sharing tips and insights.
Project founder Warren Carter said: “You can look at world events and become overwhelmed but we can make a difference in our own little part of the world.
“We’ve built an amazing little oasis and we’ve transformed the woods behind us – and we’ve given a lot of youngsters a chance to learn and grow in confidence.”
While the idea of a “forest school” has become more widespread, when the project started, Mr Carter said, “Moulsecoomb Primary School got in touch with us and they led the way with outdoor learning”.
He said: “There are quite a few more now but I think we were one of the first.
“We work with people with learning difficulties and people who struggle in the classroom. We also work with the whole of year 4 at Moulsecoomb Primary School.
“We’ve built up some fantastic relationships with people and organisations in the east Brighton area.”
He said that he and his colleagues were now seeing the children of some of those who came along as youngsters themselves.
Some pupils complete learning modules that enable them to earn certificates and Mr Carter added: “One year 10 student said to me recently that it was the first certificate that he’d got for anything.”
The project hosts school trips from elsewhere and runs holiday schemes – and the children who go along most regularly get to eat their own work.
Mr Carter said yesterday: “Education should be fun. Today they were digging up the potatoes they’d all planted.
“Along with the education, the mentoring side is as important, boosting children’s self worth.”
It’s not hard to imagine that the adults helping out at the open day today might end up in the Bevy afterwards, with the community pub proving to be another positive project in the area.
To find out more about the forest garden or to donate or volunteer, click here.
Thanks for writing about this. I will head over today after work to find out more 🙂