Lead organisation
Partner organisations
Project description
Wyken Farm Partnership is transforming 30 hectares of chalk meadow and adjacent mini wetland at Wyken Estate, creating a resilient, biodiverse mosaic where wildlife can flourish and communities can connect with nature. Through the purchase of eight cattle hurdles, a cattle crush, and three NoFence collar batteries, we will deliver precise, sustainable grazing management that uplifts sward quality, enhances habitat diversity, and safeguards rare species.
By enabling conservation grazing, this equipment will reclaim wetland edges and chalk grasslands from scrub encroachment, establish feeding and refuge habitats for invertebrates and breeding waders, and restore natural processes that make chalkland ecosystems thrive. Each intervention is designed to strengthen ecological connectivity, linking Wyken Estate with nearby Stowlangtoft Thicks ancient woodland and Micklemere Wetland, and creating a lasting legacy of healthy, resilient habitats.
The Chalkland Revivals project is funded by North Wessex Downs National Landscape's Farming in a Protected Landscape programme.
Project location
Wyken Estate, Suffolk, adjacent to Stowlangtoft Thicks and Micklemere Wetland, forming a key ecological stepping stone in the wider Big Chalk Programme area.
Contribution to Big Chalk
This project exemplifies the Big Chalk vision by uniting people, nature, and innovative management to deliver long-term ecological transformation. Precision grazing will enhance chalk grassland and wetland habitats, boosting biodiversity for species including lapwing, snipe, and pollinating invertebrates. By creating a model of sustainable, equipment-enabled conservation, the project strengthens landscape-scale connectivity, contributes to the Nature Recovery Network, and inspires future collaboration across multiple sites.
Wider social and environmental considerations
Beyond biodiversity, this project uplifts the landscape for communities, enhancing recreational and educational opportunities while connecting people with nature. Volunteer involvement and public engagement ensure that habitat creation is shared, celebrated, and stewarded for generations. At a landscape scale, restored wetlands and chalk meadows buffer rare chalk stream habitats, increase climate resilience, and leave a living legacy for wildlife and people alike.
The Big Chalk programme and Nature Recovery Fund is funded through the Protected Landscapes Partnership, supported by Defra.
One lapwing from the six breeding pairs at Wyken
Aerial view of Wyken showing connectivity with nearby ancient woodland
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.