Staff and students are being encouraged to support a University-backed campaign for Brighton’s natural environment to be recognised as a UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) Biosphere Reserve.

The University of Sussex is one of 19 organisations in the Brighton & Hove and Lewes Downs Biosphere Partnership, which is calling on the UN to grant the special status in order to help to create in the local area a world-class environment that is economically successful and enjoyed by all.

The partnership is currently carrying out a consultation exercise in order to gather supporting evidence ahead of the bid later this year.

To take part, you can fill in a short questionnaire on the partnership’s ‘HERE HERE’ campaign website. The consultation runs until 22 April.

The partnership is also looking for help with various events over the Easter period. If you can spare an hour or two to help to distribute the new ‘Biosphere Bus’ flyers on local shopping streets (Saturday mornings), outside the train station (morning rush hour), or at the Food Festival (29-30 March) or Saddlescombe Farm open day (21 April), then please contact them at info@biospherehere.org.uk saying when and for how long you are able to help. An introductory briefing and materials will be given to all volunteers – you don’t have to be an expert to help out.

There are currently 610 Biosphere Reserves spanning 117 countries including areas as diverse as the Amazon rain forest, Canary islands, and city surrounds of Paris, Cape Town and Sao Paolo. In the UK there are six Biosphere Reserves.

The application for Brighton & Hove and Lewes Downs will be submitted in September this year, with UNESCO’s decision due in July 2014.

For more information about the campaign, go to the ‘HERE HERE’ website.

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