Education Shelter

The Friends and their 833 Lottery Club helped to finance a new shelter for Lucy and her team to use during their many children’s education days. “It’s so helpful,” Lucy told us, “for really hot, sunny days or for when we have a light shower. It means we can stay outside as much as possible, which is why the children are coming here in the first place.”

It is situated next to the path down to the Discovery Centre.

The shelter was designed by Joseph Williams and is made of sustainable eco-friendly materials including bamboo for the uprights and a stretchable fabric awning. The awning can be taken down and packed away easily when not in use, which makes the shelter almost invisible.

The Friends shared the cost of the shelter with the 833 Lottery, and Lucy and her team also contributed to it. We hope that lots of classes will be glad of its shade and shelter during our increasingly hot summers.

Sea Kale Film

This dream-like film presents an unfamiliar vision of the complex, structure and sumptuous colours of one of the most typical plants of our shingle shore. Hastings film-maker Simona Zineviciute has gone down low and up close, enhanced by Julius Zubavicius’ mysterious soundtrack, produced from natural sounds recorded on site. The film is the fourth produced by Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve.

Sound Trails Workshops

The Friends arranged a Sound Recording Course, comprising three workshops, experimenting with a variety of commercial and improvised recording devices to capture the natural sounds of the reserve.

See the event report for more details of what went on. It is intended to repeat the course in the near future.

Drone Films

The Friends asked Sam Moore of Visual Air to produce three inspirational drone films which show the reserve in a dramatic new way.

See the Reserve page to view the films.

Book Seaside Flowers

Books

The Friends commissioned two books about the Reserve:

  • Seaside Flowers of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve
  • The Shingle Shore

See the Merchandise page for more details and where to buy.

Writer in Residence

Anthology of poems titled New Ways of Looking

The Friends provided the seed funding for the original Writer in Residence project. Our first WIR was award-winning nature poet Jane Lovell who organised monthly meetings to walk the reserve and to write about nature. The pilot project was so successful that the writing group produced an anthology of poetry and artwork, New Ways of Looking, inspired by the reserve. The book is on sale for £15 at the Discovery Centre and has proven so popular that it is already on its second print run.

The WIR project is now run by the Sussex Wildlife Trust and our current WIR is Louise Kenward.

Defibrillators

Defibrillator

The Friends bought two new defibrillators for the reserve using funds from the 833 Lottery Club. One is kept in the Discovery Centre, the other is a mobile unit that travels out with work parties on the reserve.

833 Lottery Club

The Draw

The Trustees of the Friends of Rye Harbour Nature Reserve and the 833 Administration Team decided to close the 833 Lottery Club, with July 13th 2024 as the last draw.  The Lottery was set up at the end of 2019 to raise funds for the development and ongoing management of the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre.  Since that time the building has been finished and its management and activities firmly established. 

We thank all the Lottery members for their generous support over almost 5 years.

Bird Hides

Rye Harbour Bird Hide

The friends have funded five hides on the reserve, all of which are wheelchair accessible.

Discovery Centre

Rye Harbour Discovery Centre

The Friends provided the initial £1.5M contribution towards the cost of the new Discovery Centre and have pledged a further £300k towards the Rye Harbour Discovery Centre Project.

The knowledgeable staff and volunteers on the Information Desk will help you make the most of your visit.

Enjoy hot and cold drinks with tasty snacks in the Lime Kiln Cafe.

Rye Harbour Discovery Centre View

Take in the stunning views of the Reserve through the large, panoramic windows.

Rye Harbour Wall Displays

Discover more about the Reserve from the informative wall displays.