One of 30 Sussex Wildlife Trust nature reserves, Ebernoe Common is a National Nature Reserve just north of Petworth in West Sussex. The 76 hectare site comprises ancient woodland with glades, ponds and architectural remains, which support an amazing and diverse variety of fauna and flora.

It is home to 13 of the 16 species of bat which occur in the UK, including the rare Bechstein’s and barbastelle bats. In 2002 Restore Our Planet provided a grant to Sussex Wildlife Trust to help purchase redundant farmland adjacent to Ebernoe Common. This redundant farmland will be managed with minimum intervention allowing natural regeneration of woodland areas. These will develop over time into pasture woodland to be managed by the reintroduction of grazing.

This is a long-term project and in time the more newly acquired land will develop the same biodiversity as the ancient woodland.