What is the BLUE Campaign?

This year, the Council are supporting the BLUE Campaign’s ‘Rewilding Britain’ nationwide initiative to help combat this loss by allowing 39 areas in the District to ‘rewild’.  These special areas are identified by blue heart information signs and blue heart symbols at larger sites.

Rewilding sites in Mid Sussex

Now in its 4th successive year, the Council has identified 39 areas of open space for rewilding across the District this summer.

These sites are roped off at the start of the growing season and can be easily identified by blue heart signs and symbols.

A list of the BLUE campaign rewilding areas in Mid Sussex can be found by clicking the drop down arrow below or find their location by clicking on our interactive map.

BLUE Campaign Areas 2023

Site Name

Town

Hunters Mead

Albourne

Ansty Recreation Ground

Ansty

John Pears Recreation Ground

Ashurstwood

Newlands Open Space

Balcombe

Cants Lane Open Space

Burgess Hill

Chanctonbury Road Open Space

Burgess Hill

Chestnut Close Open Space

Burgess Hill

Edward the Confessor Churchyard

Burgess Hill

Greenlands Drive Open Space

Burgess Hill

Maple Drive Open Space

Burgess Hill

Marle Place Recreation Ground

Burgess Hill

Orchard Road Open Space

Burgess Hill

Railway Lane North Open Space

Burgess Hill

Royal George Recreation Ground

Burgess Hill

Triangle Open Space

Burgess Hill

Wisden Avenue Open Space

Burgess Hill

Humphry’s Field Recreation Ground

Copthorne

Burleigh Wood Estate Open Space

Crawley Down

Cuckfield Recreation Ground

Cuckfield

Whitemans Green Open Space

Cuckfield

Brooklands Park

East Grinstead

East Court Recreation Ground

East Grinstead

Herons Ghyll Open Space

East Grinstead

Imberhorne Lane Recreation Ground

East Grinstead

Maple Drive Open Space

East Grinstead

Shepherds Walk Open Space

Hassocks

Beech Hurst Gardens

Haywards Heath

Butlers Green Open Space

Haywards Heath

Clair Park

Haywards Heath

Dolphin Leisure Centre

Haywards Heath

Frankton Avenue Open Space

Haywards Heath

Heath Road Car Park

Haywards Heath

Oaklands

Haywards Heath

Vale Road Open Space

Haywards Heath

Woodvale Lane Open Space

Haywards Heath

Constance Wood Recreation Ground

Horsted Keynes

Nursery Close Open Space

Hurstpierpoint

Lindfield Common

Lindfield

West Common Open Space

Lindfield

 

BLUE Campaign 2022 End of Summer report

Read the 2022 report here

Over the summer, the Countryside Rangers monitored our 40 BLUE Campaign areas, noting some amazing species that appeared.  There was a good variety of plant species at all sites, along with a selection of invertebrates that had been attracted to the new habitats created. 

It was great to see meadow grasses such as Yorkshire fog and Timothy grass, wildflowers such as birds-foot trefoil, buttercups, bugle, and bedstraws. Lots of insects were also spotted including grasshoppers, bees, and numerous butterflies, moths, hoverflies, beetles, bugs, snails, and spiders. 

At the majority of sites we recorded between 10-15 wildflower species, and over 35 species at a few sites.

Most notably, we recorded orchids at a number of BLUE Campaign sites, including bee orchids again this year in Burgess Hill and common spotted orchids across numerous sites.  Perhaps one of the most successful sites was at our own council offices campus in central Haywards Heath. Here we saw a green-veined orchid, common spotted orchids, and autumn lady’s tresses orchids.  Lots of Butterflies were seen at this location including a Chalk Hill Blue! 

Large areas of camomile have also flourished in the Black Hill area of Lindfield Common.  At the end of the summer all sites were cut and cleared, as if left, any cuttings would decompose and enrich the soil with nutrients. Wildflowers thrive in nutrient-poor soil.

Green Veined Orchid

Chalk Hill Blue Butterfly

Autumn Ladies Tresses

Camomile at Lindfield Common

Blue Campaign site at Nursery Close, Hurstpierpoint

Oxeye Daisies

How to get involved

At Home

If you have an area of your garden you can leave to rewild this will help to support all the animals and insects in your garden. More information can be found on the BLUE Campaign's gardeners page 

At School

Schools can get involved too through the Eco schools programme (part of Keep Britain Tidy). All schools can sign up to and join the Eco-schools programme and as part of this follow the BLUE Campaign. To find out more please visit the Schools page on the BLUE Campaign website

At Our Sites

If you live close to one of our BLUE heart sites, you can help by taking photos throughout the growing season of different plants, insects, birds and wildlife that you see. Send your photos, with the location and date the photo was taken via email to parksopenspaces@midsussex.gov.uk  The team can then use this information to help build up a list of the different species found at each site.

Last updated: 05 August 2024