Sussex Tree Festival to celebrate elms in Brighton and Hove

The Sussex Tree Festival begins this weekend (June 14) and hopes to highlight the beauty and value of trees across Sussex.

The festival offers a range of events including a digital tree trail through Brighton and Hove.

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The trail follows a route around the city and surrounding areas, highlighting 23 elm trees which are considered rare due to their type, size, or age.

Ahead of the festival, Brighton and Hove City Council has praised the success of their ongoing programme to monitor elm trees and manage infected trees, as well as highlighting the work of their new programme of inoculation to protect the city’s trees and prevent the spread of elm disease.

Earlier this year, the council faced backlash from the public who slammed their decision to fell a number of trees across the city due to elm disease and ash dieback.

This included trees in Hollingbury Wood, Wild Park, Coldean Lane, and Stanmer Park.

The council held a public meeting in March where they apologised to residents for the lack of communication on the situation and outlined the need for the works.

Residents at the meeting in March (Image: The Argus Staff) They also assured residents that no profit had been made from the felling, as well as addressing issues surrounding obtaining tree licences, ecological surveys, and the future of replanting the woodlands.

The Sussex Tree Festival has been organised by countryside charity CPRE Sussex, alongside volunteers and local groups.

It is also sponsored by Connick Tree Care and Rampion Offshore Wind and supported by The Living Coast UNESCO Biosphere.

The festival’s digital trail will include two elms in Stanmer Park Arboretum, one of which is thought to be the only surviving example and the other one of only two left in the world.

It will also feature an elm in Portslade, which is the only known mature example left, as well as two elms in Stanford Avenue, which are the biggest examples of ultra-rare cultivars in the British Isles.

Brighton & Hove also holds the national collection of elms and has recently been awarded a bursary from Plant Heritage to propagate and provide learning on how to conserve and improve these rare species.

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Councillor Alan Robins, Cabinet member for Sports, Recreation and Libraries,. said: “Our elms are completely unique – and it’s even more remarkable that we have such a diverse collection in an urban environment.

“We are proud of our work with residents and conservation experts to protect our tree heritage.

“The tree festival is a great opportunity for residents and visitors to get out into nature and explore local green spaces on your doorstep, from your local park to nature reserves.

“Many events are being hosted by community groups and I’d like to thank them for making the tree festival bigger and better than ever this year.”

The festival runs over two weekends, 14-15 and 21-22 June, with the first event to be the Branch Out conference in Shoreham on June 14.

A full list of events across Sussex can be found on the CPRE website.