What does delivering 30by30 look like in practice?

Group photo of ministerial, conservation and farming representatives on Pewsey Downs overlooking open chalk grassland and arable farmland in the Wiltshire countryside

What does delivering 30by30 look like in practice?

Last week, Big Chalk and partners were proud to welcome Emma Reynolds MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and Katie White OBE MP, Minister for Climate in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to Pewsey Downs in Wiltshire for the launch of the Government's 30by30 delivery plan and wider vision for nature and climate.

There could hardly be a better place.

Located at the heart of Big Chalk, Pewsey Downs sit in a landscape where productive farming, thriving wildlife and climate resilience are being delivered together through innovation and long-term partnership.

The visit showcased how the Pewsey Downs Farmers' Group, nature organisations and public bodies are working side by side to restore nature while building resilient farm businesses. From regenerative and mixed farming systems that improve soil health and reduce inputs, to restoring species-rich chalk grassland and connecting habitats for iconic wildlife such as the Marsh Fritillary butterfly, this is a landscape which demonstrates nature's recovery and food production can go hand in hand.

Pewsey Downs, looking towards Salisbury Plain, offers expansive views of rolling chalk hills and open countryside. The landscape features sweeping green fields and distant, undulating plains, with Salisbury Plain visible on the horizon. The scene is tranquil and panoramic, showcasing the natural beauty and wide-open spaces of the region.
Wildflowers at Pewsey Downs include a diverse array of species thriving in the chalky, open grasslands. Common sights are vibrant orchids like the pyramidal orchid, delicate bluebells, and bright yellow buttercups. You might also find clusters of scabious, with its spiky blue or pink blooms, and patches of fragrant wild thyme. The area’s unique habitat supports a rich variety of wildflowers that add colour and beauty to the rolling landscape.
Marsh fritillaries (Euphydryas aurinia) are striking butterflies with intricately patterned wings. Their wings are orange with a mosaic of black and cream markings, edged with a row of small white spots. The underside of the wings features a paler, more muted pattern, ideal for camouflage. These butterflies are often found fluttering in damp meadows, grasslands, and marshes, where they lay eggs on the leaves of devil’s-bit scabious, their host plant.

A big thank you to Joanna Lewis from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Simon Smart from Smart Land Management and Ecology and Charlie Rudler from Pewsey Farmers' Group, who shared how they're turning shared ambition into practical action for nature. Together with Big Chalk partners including North Wessex Downs National Landscape, Natural England, the National Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Plantlife International and many others, they're helping build a bigger, more connected and more resilient landscape for nature.

It's also a powerful example of what the Big Chalk Nature Recovery Fund is designed to support. By investing in projects that reconnect habitats, strengthen ecological networks and help deliver 30by30, our Fund is helping turn local action into landscape-scale change.

As we prepare to reopen the Big Chalk Fund with an even stronger focus on supporting the UK government's 30by30 ambitions, this visit was a timely reminder that lasting change doesn't happen through one organisation or one farm acting alone. Realising the step change in ambition and delivery that Defra aspires to in its new 30by30 delivery plan will only happen through effective partnerships.

Across 20% of England, that's exactly what Big Chalk is building - we're proud to be helping build momentum towards 2030 nature goals across our iconic chalk and limestone landscapes.

13 July 2026
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