The backstory
’10 years, 10 buildings, 10,000 volunteers’ – that’s the title of a documentary about Wilderness Wood released recently to mark the project’s 10th anniversary, and it nicely sums up the journey that Emily Charkin and Dan Morrish have been on since they purchased this 62-acre woodland site in 2014. The chestnut coppice in the heart of the East Sussex countryside, about 20 minutes’ drive from Tunbridge Wells, was already a popular local spot, but when Dan and Emily arrived with their three young children, they had grander ambitions. They wanted to create a sustainable community hub where visitors could learn more about the natural environment and actively take part in the stewardship of the woods.
