Chalk and limestone landscapes across southern England are among the most species-rich environments in Europe—yet their special habitats are also some of the most fragmented. Farmland covers most of these iconic landscapes and when managed with nature in mind, provides crucial wildlife-rich habitat and corridors.
Through the Big Chalk partnership, farmers, estate-owners, land managers and conservation organisations are demonstrating that productive agriculture and ecological recovery are not competing priorities, but mutually reinforcing investments in resilient landscapes.
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.
At the heart of nature-friendly farming is a clear proposition: practical, evidence-led interventions—strategically deployed—can help unlock landscape-scale recovery. Hedgerow corridors, pollinator margins, adaptive grazing systems, species-rich seed mixes and river buffering are not cosmetic measures; they are infrastructure for wildlife, embedded into farm business models. Big Chalk-funded projects are showing that these measures can be integrated into commercial agriculture without compromising productivity, delivering tangible benefits for soil health, water retention, pollination services, resilience to climate change, and species such as Lapwing and Silver Washed Fritillary butterflies.
Why nature friendly farming matters
Chalk and limestone landscapes support productive agricultural systems as well as containing ecological strongholds. The challenge is not choosing between food production and wildlife—it is designing and delivering land management practices that deliver both.
Nature-friendly farming recognises productive land can also function as ecological infrastructure. On chalk and limestone soils, where water drains rapidly and nutrients are easily lost, small structural changes in management can have outsized ecological impact.
Through this approach, Big Chalk’s partners are turning isolated patches of habitat into connected, thriving landscapes. Nature-friendly farming is not just about individual fields—it is about creating bigger, better, more and joined-up spaces for wildlife across landscapes, creating the conditions for farm businesses and wildlife populations to flourish together.
Alongside the projects featured here, Big Chalk is supporting a growing network of established nature-friendly farming initiatives already delivering results at landscape scale. From Chalkland Revival, transforming former farmland into species-rich chalk grassland, to the Cambridge Nature Network, creating connected farmland and woodland habitats, and the Wylye Valley Landscape Recovery Project, restoring species-rich grasslands and improving river catchments, these partners are actively shaping productive land that works for wildlife and people.
Together, they are strengthening ecological networks, boosting resilience to climate change, and showing that our farms can support thriving nature and food production.
These are not bolt-on conservation measures. They are investments in farm and landscape resilience—improving drainage, stabilising free-draining soils, increasing drought tolerance, and enhancing natural pest control.
In fragmented chalk and limestone landscapes, connectivity is essential if wildlife is to adapt to climate change. By connecting landscapes with hedgerows, field margins, grasslands and river corridors, nature-friendly farming transforms isolated parcels of habitat into functional ecological networks—without compromising the viability of farm businesses.
This is farming designed for the long term: commercially grounded, ecologically informed, and structurally connected across the landscape.
Contributing to national goals
Nature-friendly farming is a priority within England’s Environmental Improvement Plan. Big Chalk and its partners are contributing directly to Defra’s ambition to recover nature at scale by delivering evidence-based habitat restoration, adaptive grazing systems, and targeted wildlife measures on productive farmland.
This approach supports multiple goals:
- Protecting and restoring priority habitats on farmland, including hedgerows, species-rich grasslands, and pollinator corridors.
- Strengthening ecological resilience to climate change by creating connected habitats that allow species to move across landscapes.
- Combining practical farm management with local expertise to ensure beneficial outcomes for wildlife and people.
Big Chalk partners are showing how national ambition and local action can come together to deliver measurable outcomes that together help create nature-positive, productive landscapes.
Big Chalk-backed nature-friendly farming projects
We’re delighted to be part-funding four projects through the Big Chalk Nature Recovery Fund, embedding sustainable, wildlife-friendly practices on farms and vineyards - from planting hedgerows and pollinator corridors to seeding new grasslands and introducing conservation grazing, helping productive farmland support thriving nature.
Native Hedgerow and Tree Corridor Creation - Hambledon Wineries Ltd | Hambledon Vineyard, South Downs National Park
At Hambledon Wine Estate, productive chalkland farmland is being transformed into a more wildlife-rich landscape. This project is creating 600 metres of mixed hedgerows and planting 92 standard trees, forming continuous wildlife corridors that link existing mature hedges and copses across a 12 hectare block of the vineyard.
These new hedges and trees provide shelter and food for pollinators, birds, and invertebrates, and wind buffering for vines, while improving soil microbiome and water infiltration on chalk soils, reducing soil erosion on sloped ground, and embedding wildlife-friendly farming practices across a working vineyard. By connecting fragmented habitats, the project enables species movement and supports the wider ecological network of the South Downs.
Project impact
- 600 metres of hedgerows and 85 trees planted to create wildlife corridors
- Improved habitat for birds, pollinators, and invertebrates
- Enhanced soil health, drainage, and erosion control
- Farmland integrated with connected wildlife habitats
“The Nature Recovery Fund has enabled us to integrate ecological corridors into the commercial layout of the vineyard. This isn’t separate from production — it strengthens it. We’re building resilience into the estate while contributing to landscape recovery across the South Downs.”
— Oliver Atkinson MRICS FAAV, Hambledon Wineries
Newly planted young trees
Bere Mill and Cowlease Renaturing Project – Bere Mill, Freefolk Manor, and New Barn Farm Trust | Upper Test Valley, Hampshire
In the Upper Test Valley, 24 hectares of chalk grassland are being restored, alongside the planting of 800 native trees and shrubs and reinstating hedgerows to buffer the rare chalk-stream habitat of the River Test. This project forms the first stage of a wider plan to create 121 hectares of connected chalk habitat, supporting birds, pollinators, and invertebrates.
Key works include hedge coppicing, fencing installation, and acquisition of a brush seed harvester, which enables collection of local provenance seed for future grassland expansion, reducing costs and ensuring new habitats are adapted to the local chalk landscape. By combining grassland restoration with careful river catchment management, it demonstrates how farming and habitat creation can support a thriving local landscape.
Project impact
- 24 hectares of species-rich grassland restored
- 800 native trees and shrubs planted
- Hedgerows reinstated to enhance connectivity and buffer waterways
- Infrastructure installed to support future habitat expansion hip
“Bere Mill and Cowlease Renaturing Project covers the riverbank and river valley sides of the Upper River Test – one of England’s precious chalk streams. Big Chalk funding is allowing us to restore the chalk grasslands bordering the river, helping wildlife move, thrive, and recover at a scale that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.”
— Rupert Nabarro, Bere Mill and partners
Honeybee in active pollination
Cattle Handling System for Conservation Grazing – Wyken Farm Partnership | Wyken Estate, Suffolk
Wyken Estate is introducing conservation grazing across 16 hectares of meadow and wetland, using Belted Galloway cattle to improve habitats that support Lapwing, Snipe, invertebrates, and chalk grassland species. The project includes the purchase of cattle hurdles, a crush, and NoFence collars, enabling precise grazing management across newly restored habitats.
By balancing grazing pressure, vegetation structure, and wetland management, this initiative enhances biodiversity while keeping the land productive for farming. Targeted grazing ensures optimal sward conditions, benefiting both wildlife and farmland ecosystems.
Project impact
- Conservation grazing implemented across 16 hectares of meadow and wetland
- Habitat tailored for breeding waders and chalk grassland species
- Evidence-led management using precision grazing tools
- Strengthened connectivity with nearby reserves and woodlands
“The investment in handling infrastructure and precision grazing tools gives us control. We can manage sward structure in real time, which means better outcomes for breeding waders and better pasture management overall.”
— Sam Carlisle, Wyken Farm Partnership Team
Group of grazing Belted Galloway cattle
Lower Barton Farm Chalk Grassland Restoration – Lower Barton Farm | South Wessex Downs, Dorset National Landscape
At Lower Barton Farm, 7 hectares of chalk grassland are being restored using locally sourced wildflower seed, creating habitat for species such as the Duke of Burgundy and Marsh Fritillary butterflies. The restored grassland connects to Black Hill Down SSSI, expanding the network of species-rich habitats across the South Wessex Downs.
This project combines site preparation, sowing, and adaptive management advice delivered by ecologists and farm advisors to ensure the grassland thrives. By integrating habitat restoration into productive farmland, it strengthens ecological connectivity while maintaining farming activity.
Project impact
- Seven hectares of chalk grassland restored with local wildflower seed
- Habitat improved for Duke of Burgundy and Marsh Fritillary butterflies
- Adaptive management advice implemented to sustain long-term outcomes
- Enhanced connectivity with surrounding chalk habitats
Duke of Burgundy butterfly
Group of Marsh Fritillary butterflies
Partnerships driving change
Together, these projects show the power of collaboration in embedding nature-friendly practices into working farmland. From hedgerow creation and adaptive grazing to planting pollinator corridors and restoring grasslands, Big Chalk-backed initiatives are helping farms become productive landscapes that also support thriving wildlife.
Across the partnership, organisations are combining practical farm management, ecological expertise, and local knowledge to scale up nature-friendly farming across southern England’s chalk and limestone landscapes—demonstrating that farmland, biodiversity, and resilient ecosystems can flourish side by side.
As these projects progress, we’ll continue to share updates, celebrate learning, and spotlight the full range of Big Chalk Nature Recovery Fund themes—from nature-friendly farming, to grassland restoration, bringing rare species back from the brink, people powering nature’s recovery, and reconnecting our chalk and limestone landscapes through chalk stream restoration—demonstrating how farmland, wildlife, and communities can thrive together.
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.