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Tree Festival 2025

Celebrating the immense value of trees

June 14-15 and 21-22

 

The Tree Festival 2025 highlights the extraordinary beauty and value of our trees across the Sussex Living Coast.

Running over two weekends in June, the Tree Festival 2025 offers a host of free events for everyone to enjoy – from talks and walks to poetry and music. There are also opportunities to get involved before the festival with special events and the ‘I love this tree because…’ photography competition.

The Tree Festival is supported by CPRE Sussex, the countryside charity, volunteers and local groups. The festival is sponsored by Connick Tree Care, Rampion Offshore Wind and The Living Coast.

All events

Tree trails

Use a computer or iPhone to discover where our amazing trees are – and more about them!

Find out more

Photography competition

I love this tree because..’ Submit an evocative picture of your favourite tree or trees taken in the Living Coast Biosphere area.

Find out how to enter

26 April, 2pm: Steyning For Trees

Join David Buckett and Jo Gordon to hear about planting hedges to create wildlife corridors and tree planting along road verges.

Book free tickets

27 April, from 1pm: Apple Blossom Day

The Permaculture Trust invite you to come and see their beautiful orchards.

Find out more

7 May, 8.45pm: Why do trees matter to bats?

Venture out for an evening walk with the Sussex Wildlife Trust and be enchanted

Book free tickets

May 10, 10am: Weaving Willow - Workshop

Weave willow rods into wonderful leaf shapes at Apron Community Garden, Shoreham

Book free tickets

22 & 23 May, 7pm: The Music of Trees – Geoff Robb

Join Geoff Robb, winner of the Brighton Fringe Live Music Award, for an evening of magical storytelling and virtuoso guitar that promises to transport you out into the woods.

Find out more

24 May, 2pm: Story & Song Egret’s Way Walk

Celebrate the Trees of Newhaven with storyteller Xanthe Gresham-Knight, singer-songwriter Kate Daisy Grant and multi- instrumentalist Nick Pynn. A river walk sharing myth, medicine and songs.

Book tickets

1 June, 9am: Chapter & Trail

A chance to gather with like-minded people for a day full of nature, walking, and words. The day includes a breakfast book club and a nature hike with author and wildlife gardener Kate Bradbury

Find out more

9 June, 7.30pm: Sing A Song of Sussex

Ropetackle Storytellers hosts tale teller Heidi McNie with a collection of dark, magical, funny and enchanting stories inspired by local legend and folklore.

Find out more

14 June, 10am: Branch Out – The Tree Festival Symposium

We need trees & trees need us! Inspirational speakers paint the big picture. With Susan Raikes, Tony Whitbread, Juliet Sargeant, Paul Wood and more.

Book tickets

June 14, from 10am: Newhaven’s trees exhibition

Their value to town, nature and the future. The exhibition covers the ecological and cultural services provided by our town’s urban and semi-rural trees.

Book free tickets

14 June, 10.30am: One Garden Tree Tour

Join Alex Waterfield our Grounds and Gardens Manager for an enjoyable and informative talk as you wander around One Garden’s inspiring walled garden.

Book free tickets

14 June, 11am; Hassocks ancient woodlands walk

Walk with the Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs project. A guided, circular walk of 2.5–3 miles through ancient woodlands with Bob Epsom.

Book free tickets

14 June, 10am: A Small but Perfect Walk

Get to know the stunning trees in Blakers Park. Look out for the UK Champion elm!

Book free tickets

14 June, 11am: Tree Hunt & Family Fun!

Join tree enthusiast Henry Frankel in Preston Park and help Goldfinch find his friends, where are they? Collect a map (£2) and start hunting!

Book free tickets

14 June, 10am: TreeAction – Southwick Rec tree trail & workshop

Meet up with TreeAction’s conservation volunteers and learn about tree maintenance and our projects.

Find out more

14 June, from 10am: Poetree on Shoreham Beach

Throughout the Shoreham Beach Dreams Community Festival from 13-15 June. Celebrate trees with us through the words of poets, rappers and comedians.

Find out more

14 June, 11am: Tree Hunt & Family Fun!

Join tree enthusiast Henry Frankel and help Goldfinch find his friends, where are they? Collect a map (£2) and start hunting!

Book free tickets

14 June, 12pm: TreeAction – Adur Rec tree trail & workshop

Find out about Adur Rec’s historic woodland and the new trees we’ve planted.

Book free tickets

14 June, 2pm: Queen’s Park Walk

Discover the history of Queen’s Park and its splendid trees with arboriculturist, Alister Peters.

Book free tickets

June 14, 3pm: Stanmer's Wonderful Woods

Enjoy a guided walk through the woods and find out more about the ecology and history of Stanmer’s trees.

Book free tickets

15 June, 10am: Wilding Waterhall – walk & talk

Explore Brighton’s nature reserve on the city fringe with ranger Paul Gorringe

Book free tickets

June 15, 2pm: Queen’s Park Walk

Join arboriculturist, Alister Peters to explore the history of Queen’s Park and its splendid trees.

Book free tickets

June 15, 2pm: Make an Insect Hotel! Workshop

Learn how insects and trees work together and make homes for insects to support biodiversity.

Book free tickets

15 June, 2.30pm: Southover Grange Gardens

Explore the garden’s native and exotic trees including a venerable Mulberry and a magnificent Tulip tree.

Book free tickets

June 15, 2pm: Drawing Trees with Shelly Morrow

Join the class to unravel the mysteries of how to draw some of the Park’s beautiful trees.

Find out more

June 20, 7pm: The Wisdom of Trees

Amelia Ace Armande and Joshua Crisp of the Ropetackle Storytellers share the wit and wisdom of our elders (and oaks and willows too!)

Find out more

June 21, 9.50am: Wandering Emotions

Join a fee activity-filled wellbeing walk in Hove Park by Wandering Emotions, designed to help children and adults develop emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and sensory awareness skills.

Book free tickets

June 21, 10am: TreeAction in Lancing

TreeAction are looking for loads of volunteers to give some TLC and attention to over 200 neglected young trees planted at McIntyres Field in Lancing last year.

Find out more

21 June, 10.30am: One Garden Trees Tour

Join Garden Manager Alex Waterfield at One Garden at Stanmer Park

Book free tickets

21 June, from 10.30am: Woodland family day

Join us at Apron Community Garden for a great time at our woodland family day for all ages!

Book free tickets

21 June, 10.30am: Unique Elms

Elm expert Alister Peters is your guide to some of the city’s special elm trees in the Pavilion Gardens and Valley Gardens.

Book free tickets

21 June, 12pm: Orchard Trees Tour

Join Carol Springgay for a tour of the Southwick’s Community Orchard and learn what it takes to plant and maintain a community orchard.

Book free tickets

21 June, 1pm By Poplar Demand – Still Standing!

Celebrate Shoreham’s much loved landmark Poplar Tree with the passionate folk whose persistence saved the tree from the chop.

Find out more

21 June, 1pm & 2.30pm: Woodcraft workshop

Try your hand at making elder wood beads and fire bricks with Adur Woodcraft Folk.

Book free tickets

21 June, 2pm: Come to the Midsummer Fair!

The Shoreham Midsumer Fair has something for everyone with music, art activities, demonstrations and community stalls. Help map the tree canopy of the town’s ‘Great Big Back Garden.

Find out more

21 June, 2pm: Whispering Trees

Discover the magic of Craven Wood’s trees with the Friends of Craven Wood.

Find out more

21 June, 2pm: Withdean Park walk

Withdean Park, best known for its beautiful lilac collection, is also home to a little- known collection of special trees to visit with your guide, Ian Lamb.

Book free tickets

21 June, 3.30pm: Celebrate Solstice

Join Friends of the Meads to celebrate the solstice. Sculpt clay sun plaques and tree boggarts in our new orchard.

Book a free place

22 June, 9.30am: Trees make wonderful homes

Join a walk through the St Anne's Well Gardens to enjoy the birdlife that live in our amazing trees

Find out more

22 June, 10.30am: Laughton Greenwood Walk

How to improve woodland for nature. Relax and enjoy a shady nature wander in the Greenwood

Book free tickets

22 June, 11am: Stanmer’s Wonderful Woods

Join a guided walk through the woods at Stanmer Park and learn more about the ecology and history of its trees

Book free tickets

22 June, 1pm: Cording & Braiding workshop

Join Rosie Denham and learn to make belts, hairbands, bookmarks and bracelets, or just braid hair

Book free tickets

June 22, 2pm: Monuments on the Downs – walk and talk

Join archaeologist Gary Webster of the National Trust to to explore and discuss the Downs extraordinary history and amazing archaeology

Book free tickets
Photo by Bozhin Karaivanov on Unsplash

June 22, 2pm: Enjoy the splendours of nature

Enjoy a visit to the Race Hill Community Orchard with the Permaculture Trust

Book free tickets

June 22, 2.30pm: Southover Grange Gardens, Lewes

Explore the garden's native and exotic trees

Find out more

20 Sept, 9pm: The Downs, Dusk & Dark

Join the night birds with Steve Geliot for a wonderful circular walk

Book free tickets

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