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One and a half miles south of Henfield lies Woods Mill, a water
mill dating back to the early 18th century, which worked until 1927,
and has been the home of the Sussex Wildlife Trust since 1966. Finding
an established home has enabled the Trust to develop into an organisation
that now owns or manages 32 nature reserves across the county, and
has a professional staff of nearly 80, plus hundreds of active and
dedicated volunteers. Woods Mill is the administrative heart of
the Trust, but is also the main point for its educational programme.
The 42 acre nature reserve is an ideal classroom, especially for
the younger age ranges, and schools from all over Sussex and beyond
enjoy exciting and informative days throughout the year. Each season
has its specialities. During April and early May, the wood is a
carpet of bluebells, while a visit during these months provides
you with an excellent chance of hearing the wonderful song of the
nightingale. Throughout the summer brightly coloured butterflies
and dragonflies patrol their hard won territories, and over half
of the dragonfly species that breed in the UK have been recorded
on the reserve. Autumn brings colour and food in the form of berries
and seeds that help  feed
the migrant birds before they return to Africa. The Nature Reserve
is open all year everyday except Christmas
week. The office is open Monday - Friday from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00
p.m. (Contact: 01273 492630. Website: www.sussexwt.org.uk)
Henfield Birdwatch
Henfield Birdwatch was set up in 1999 to monitor the populations
of the birds of the parish and to involve as many people in the
community as possible. Over 100 people took part in the first survey,
contributing over 37,000 records, making it the largest community
wildlife survey in the UK and from which the Henfield Birdwatch
2000 report was published. The second survey in 2004 involved nearly
150 villagers who produced over 40,000 records and was published
as Henfield Birdwatch 2005. In 2009 even more people were involved
gathering information for the 2010 book. Contact: Mike Russell:
01273 497560. Email: mikerussell@sussexwt.org.uk
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