The power of communities coming together and spreading the word to further the environmental cause should never be underestimated. Pens of the Earth’s recent publication, Wild Seas, Wilder Cities, has continued to raise money for the Trust’s Solent Seagrass Restoration Project. The current total is an amazing £4,028.75.  

As awareness of the book continues to gain traction, supporters of the project are working hard to raise awareness through word of mouth, blogs, interviews, and articles.  

Wild Seas, Wilder Cities can now be found in a growing variety of outlets, one of the most recent additions being the FatFace Foundation store, another key supporter of seagrass restoration.  

Some of the other amazing events and creative collaborations that have supported this project include the recent Portsmouth Bookfest, the sales of Jane Andreoli’s beautiful textile art, promotion and interviews on Radio Shine and Victory Radio, and the support of Portsmouth Authors Collective.  

Thank you so much to all those who have supported this project. 

It was lovely to welcome Helen Salsbury, Founder of Pens of the Earth, to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s World Seagrass Day celebrations at FatFace HQ.  

This positive and uplifting event allowed key supporters of the Solent Seagrass Restoration Project to discuss the issues that continue to threaten marine biodiversity in the Solent, whilst also celebrating the progress made in the project. £130 was raised from book sales at this event alone! 

So, what is happening next?  

Pens of the Earth will be launching Wild Seas, Wilder Cities at Medina Bookshop on the Isle of Wight on 26^th April 2025. Award-winning local poet Maggie Sawkins will compère this wonderful event. She will be joined by Jamie Marsh, Director of Nature Recovery, Wilder Wight, Solent and Seas, talking about the new and exciting rewilding work on the Isle of Wight.  

The evening will include a number of Isle of Wight speakers and spoken word performers talking about environmental initiatives and readings from the book. This event will also be supported by Naked Fig Leaf Collective, a community-focused venture that supports creative opportunities on the Isle of Wight.  

Tickets to the event are available here.

Thank you so much to Pens of the Earth, and everyone who has supported Wild Seas, Wilder Cities. Your incredible support has allowed us to continue our work to protect the Solent, restore marine habitats and tackle nature’s decline.  

If you are interested in fundraising for the Trust, please reach out to  fundraising@hiwwt.org.uk.