Chalk and limestone landscapes across southern England are coming alive. Throughout the Big Chalk partnership, organisations, communities, and land managers are restoring habitats, reconnecting habitats for wildlife to move between, and strengthening climate resilience.
With £750,000 of investment through the Big Chalk Nature Recovery Fund supporting 21 innovative projects, this collective effort is helping to restore 160 hectares of grassland, enhance 570 hectares of connected habitats, re-naturalise over 1 km of chalk streams, and plant more than 600 metres of new hedgerows— transforming isolated sites into bigger, better, and more connected landscapes for wildlife.
Among these efforts, chalk streams—globally rare freshwater ecosystems—are a key focus, forming vital landscape arteries for wildlife and people alike.
Why chalk streams matter
Chalk streams are among the world’s rarest rivers, with 85% found in England – a globally important habitat we must safeguard and restore. These clear, mineral-rich waters support specialist wildlife—from water voles and brown trout to aquatic invertebrates—and form vital green corridors that connect communities to nature.
Yet centuries of urbanisation, river modifications, and pollution have left many chalk streams degraded, fragmented, and vulnerable to climate change. Only around 12% are currently in good ecological condition.
The Rivers Trust and Catchment Based Approach (CaBA) are collaborating through the Chalk Streams Initiative to improve water quality, reconnect floodplain habitats, and create more resilient rivers. You can read more about their efforts in our guest blog by Alison Matthews at The Rivers Trust, or explore CaBA’s Chalk Stream Annual Review and Executive Summary here. Big Chalk partners are playing their part, bringing chalk streams back to life in places including ... (include links to relevant BC website project listings).
Contributing to national goals
Chalk streams are a priority in the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan for England. CaBA, The Rivers Trust and Big Chalk partners are all contributing to Defra’s ambition to improve the ecological condition of rivers and increase their resilience to climate change.
This work has many benefits:
- Reconnecting floodplains to reduce downstream flood risk and restore natural flow regimes.
- Enhancing habitat diversity with riffles, pools, and native vegetation to support water voles, brown trout, and invertebrates.
- Creating accessible urban river spaces for learning, volunteering, and wellbeing, bringing communities closer to nature.
These interventions demonstrate how coordinated investment, expert-led restoration, and community engagement can deliver measurable outcomes at a landscape scale—showing that rivers, wildlife, and people can thrive together. But there is still much to do.
Big Chalk-backed urban projects
We’re delighted to be part-funding two urban chalk stream projects through the Big Chalk Nature Recovery Fund, helping to transform city waterways into thriving habitats while helping connect local communities to nature.
Richmond Green river restoration, London Borough of Sutton | River Wandle, Greater London
At Richmond Green, 300 metres of urban chalk stream is being carefully restored to bring back its natural character and wildlife. The project will re-naturalise the channel using riffles, pools, and large woody material to gently narrow the river, vary flow, and create a richer mosaic of habitats.
Rotten wooden toeboarding will be removed, with brash berms used to stabilise the banks and all newly restored areas planted with native vegetation. Together, these interventions replace artificial edges with living riverbanks, providing shelter and food for birds, small mammals, aquatic invertebrates, and riparian plants—helping the river function more naturally and support a wider range of wildlife.
The restoration brings together practical, nature-based techniques with careful monitoring to accelerate the river’s recovery. Riffles and pools vary water depth and flow, supporting fish and invertebrates, while large woody material and brash berms gently narrow the channel, increasing flow velocity, cleaning gravels, and building resilience to low-flow events. Together, these interventions restore natural processes that were lost when the river was widened and straightened, helping the chalk stream function as a living, dynamic system once again.
Communities are central to the project’s success. Local volunteers will help plant native vegetation, and opportunities to take part in citizen science—such as water quality monitoring and wildlife surveys—will be offered throughout the project. These hands-on activities not only strengthen the river’s recovery but also deepen people’s connection to their local chalk stream and the nature on their doorstep.
Project impact
- 300 metres of stream and floodplain habitat restored
- Expected increase in water vole populations and invertebrate and fish diversity
- Enhanced flow variability and habitat complexity, improving resilience to extreme weather and climate changes
“Restoring the River Wandle isn’t just about wildlife—it’s about reconnecting people with their river and their environment,” says David Warburton, London Borough of Sutton.
“The Wandle is a pretty unique chalk river, with a huge number of people contained within a very short distance. Bringing this river back to life through restoration projects like this is a win for wildlife and the local community.”
River Wandle before enhancement works
Restoring urban chalk streams in Cambridge, Cambridge City Council | Cherry Hinton Brook, Coldham’s Common and Hobson’s Brook
Across the city of Cambridge, 1km of chalk stream habitats at Cherry Hinton Brook, Coldham’s Common, and Hobson’s Brook are being re-naturalised. The project enhances water flow, stabilises banks, and creates a network of high-quality habitats for aquatic and riparian species, while linking fragmented green spaces across the city. By reintroducing berms, gravels, and brushwood shelves, the streams gain diversity in flow and structure, providing shelter for juvenile fish and aquatic invertebrates and improving conditions for river plants.
Banks are carefully regraded and planted with native species, replacing artificial edges and supporting pollinators and other wildlife. Sensitive scheduling ensures minimal disturbance to breeding birds and aquatic species; while monitoring and adaptive management track the river’s recovery over time.
Community involvement is at the heart of the restoration. Local volunteers help with planting and habitat management, while schools and community groups participate in water quality monitoring and wildlife surveys. Public engagement events give residents the opportunity to learn about chalk stream ecology and witness the transformation happening in their local rivers.
Project impact
- 1km of river channel restored, improving flow diversity and ecological connectivity
- Enhanced habitat for river flies, aquatic plants, and urban wildlife
- Improved bank stability and resilience to flooding, demonstrating a nature-based solution to climate impacts
- Urban chalk stream case-study, informing restoration, pollution mitigation, and research, while supporting community engagement, citizen science, and education
“This project shows how targeted habitat enhancement can sit at the heart of a wider effort to understand and restore our urban chalk streams. By improving the physical structure of the river, we can better support the specialist species that depend on it, while also creating case-study sites where citizen scientists and leading researchers can explore the pressures these streams face and help shape future solutions. Seeing these restored sites establish, and the knowledge they generate, will be incredibly rewarding. We’re grateful to Big Chalk for supporting the habitat works that are making this possible.”
- Rob Martyr, Greater Cambridge Chalk Stream Project Lead, Cambridge City Council
Helping chalk streams thrive
These projects form part of a wider mosaic of action by CaBA, The Rivers Trust and across the Big Chalk partnership, reconnecting rivers, enhancing habitats, and building resilience while creating spaces for people to experience, learn, and help nature recover.
Explore how Big Chalk partners are helping create thriving chalk streams.
Discover all projects taking place across the Big Chalk partnership.
Partnerships driving change
Big Chalk and its partners will continue to provide updates and share lessons learned from these brilliant projects, so watch this space! We will also spotlight projects supporting other Nature Recovery Fund themes—from people powering nature, to nature-friendly farming, re-connecting our chalk and limestone grasslands, and helping the amazing wildlife of chalk and limestone recover.
Join us on our journey to create nature-rich chalk and limestone landscapes that benefit all of us.
The Big Chalk programme and Nature Recovery Fund is funded through the Protected Landscapes Partnership, supported by Defra.
Do you have a project that could strengthen the future of southern England’s iconic chalk and limestone landscapes?
The Big Chalk programme brings together a dynamic suite of partner-led projects, each unique in its focus, area, and partnerships but sharing a commitment to our collective vision.
If your project contributes to the Big Chalk mission, we invite you to register it as a Big Chalk Project. Registered projects gain access to networking, shared learning, and best practice—alongside the Big Chalk brand, boosting your profile and connecting you to a powerful, growing network of partners.
Together, these projects form a united effort to secure the future of southern England’s chalk and limestone landscapes, making a lasting impact for nature and communities.