Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks’ (SSEN) team of arborists on the Isle of Wight is helping animals at the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary by putting waste materials collected during essential network maintenance to good use as free bedding and a food source.
Instead of disposing of the tree and hedge cuttings they gather throughout their day, the team provides the Sanctuary with woodchip, branches and foliage for free on a regular basis; supporting the welfare of the animals while reducing waste from work the arborists carry out to keep the Island’s overhead power lines safe and reliable.
At the Sanctuary, nothing goes to waste: woodchips are used for bedding and to encourage natural foraging behaviours, branches, leaves and bark provide valuable browse – the soft vegetation, leaves and high-growing tree shoots – for a range of animals, and larger branches can be used in climbing areas and habitat spaces.
The variety of material gathered across the island by SSEN’s arborists is helping to provide greater nutritional diversity and environmental enrichment for the Sanctuary’s animals.
Its largest residents, bears Benji and Balu, use pine branches to scent their fur, while hawthorn forms an important part of their winter diet. Hawthorn grows quickly and readily in small patches and gardens, but can be difficult to source in the larger quantities needed to benefit the bears’ health. SSEN’s access to hawthorn waste across the island enables them to supply exactly what the bears need to sustain them through the colder months.
Although Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is developing its own area for collecting woodchip and browse, growth takes time and the additional and more diverse supplies that SSEN can provide are still needed.
In the past 3 years, the arrangement has helped the Sanctuary avoid spending money on purchasing these materials, allowing more funds to be directed elsewhere in its work caring for its rescued residents.
And for SSEN, the partnership provides an outlet for materials that would otherwise need to be disposed of; reducing costs and supporting a sustainable approach to vegetation management across the Isle of Wight.
Charles Vivash, from SSEN Distribution’s arborist team, says:
“As someone who lives and works on the Isle of Wight and has supported Wildheart Animal Sanctuary for a number of years, I could see there was a real opportunity to create a simple, sustainable loop that benefits everyone.
“Our teams carry out essential tree cutting work to help keep power supplies safe and reliable for our island communities, and that means a regular supply of cuttings are gathered. Being able to share suitable woodchip, branches and foliage with the Sanctuary means those materials can go on to support animal care, enrichment and nutrition instead of going to waste.
“It is a great example of how we can work with local organisations to find practical, positive uses for by-products from our work, while also helping to reduce disposal costs.”
Lawrence Bates, CEO of Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, adds:
“Our partnership with SSEN is a fantastic example of how working together locally can create meaningful benefits for both people and animals.
“As a charity, keeping our costs as low as possible is incredibly important, so being able to turn materials that might otherwise go to waste into natural enrichment, browse and bedding is a huge benefit.
“Sustainability and reducing our impact on the environment are central to our mission, so partnerships like this are incredibly valuable to us – helping us support the wellbeing of our rescued animals while reducing waste and making use of resources that are already available within our local community.
In 2025, SSEN invested £25 million in its central southern England overhead network maintenance programme; a substantial investment which has directly resulted in a reduction in power cuts caused by trees and vegetation coming into contact with electricity lines.
A further £23.5 million is now being invested this year, reaffirming SSEN’s commitment to delivering a safe, reliable, electricity supply to the 3.1 million homes and businesses in the communities we’re proud to serve across the south.
These essential works are carried out, all-year-round and in all weathers, by SSEN’s highly-skilled team of 101 arborists, surveyors, trainees, and apprentices. Their high level of technical and environmental knowledge works to keep power flowing to SSEN’s customers, while protecting and enhancing local environments and biodiversity.
