Reminiscence Sessions:
We held 13 reminiscence sessions with older people to discuss their wildlife memories of Sussex, the South Downs and beyond. Sessions were held with Growing Together at Plot 22 Community Garden, at The Hop 50+ Café, with Wellbeing in Nature at Lewes Railway Land Nature Reserve, with Stanmer Preservation Society, with residents at Sycamore Court, Valerie Manor and Dean Wood care homes and with members of the community at Patcham, Portslade and Jubilee Libraries.
These sessions provided a space for older residents of the area to share their memories of nature. We’ve had the privilege of hearing some fantastic memories from our participants so far, from spending a summer watching a breeding pair of kingfishers feed their young, to observing cormorants diving off Brighton’s West Pier from the comfort of a kayak, and of course not forgetting witnessing the toads of Stanmer Park marching in their hundreds towards their breeding pond.
Reminiscence Display:
Participants were recorded sharing their wildlife memories of Sussex during the sessions, and these were incorporated into a graphic display that toured across Brighton and Hove in late 2024. The display was installed at One Garden Brighton, Jubilee Library and the Hop 50+ Café, Hove. The display showcased a series of illustrations by local artist Alexi Francis, created in response to the wildlife memories shared, as well as information on the themes present in these memories – from amphibians and reptiles to traditional farming techniques!
You can listen to these memories and view Alexi’s illustrations by clicking the links below. We hope that you enjoy learning how our natural heritage, and relationship with it, has changed throughout our recent history.