Name: Big Chalk
Price range: $

Lead organisation

Partner organisations

Project description

Across the Buckinghamshire Chilterns, we’re building a chalk highway for wildlife — connecting fragmented habitats and giving threatened butterfly species the space they need to recover and move.

This project will deliver 13 ranger-led sessions across eight sites, bringing together at least 90 volunteers to carry out hands-on conservation work. Together, they will contribute more than 450 hours of scrub clearance, hedgerow planting, and wildflower establishment, restoring the delicate balance of chalk grassland and scrub mosaic habitats.

It’s practical, targeted work. Removing scrub to open up 13.3 hectares of habitat. Planting cowslip, bird’s-foot trefoil, kidney vetch and horseshoe vetch to support key species. Creating shelter and structure along hedgerows to support breeding sites for the Duke of Burgundy butterfly — building on proven approaches that are already helping this species return to new areas.

With the right tools and equipment, this work can go further and faster — enabling more volunteers, more sites, and more impact across the landscape.

Project location

The project spans eight sites between west High Wycombe and the Speen–Bradenham–Saunderton corridor, forming a chain of stepping stones across the Chilterns.

Together, these sites connect chalk grassland habitats within and just beyond the protected landscape, strengthening ecological links between rural, urban fringe, and community spaces — and creating a more joined-up landscape for wildlife.

Fit with the Big Chalk Programme

This project brings the Big Chalk vision to life on the ground: restoring species-rich grasslands, improving habitat condition, and connecting landscapes for nature recovery.

By focusing on key chalk specialists such as the Duke of Burgundy, Grizzled Skipper and Brown Hairstreak, it delivers targeted conservation action aligned with Local Nature Recovery Strategy priorities.

It also reflects the Lawton principles in action — bigger, better, and more joined habitats — helping species adapt and move in response to a changing climate.

Wider social and environmental considerations

This is as much about people as it is about wildlife. Volunteers, schools, and community groups are at the heart of delivery — building skills, confidence, and a shared sense of stewardship for the Chilterns.

By investing in tools, training, and partnerships, the project strengthens long-term capacity for conservation, ensuring this work continues beyond the life of the project.

The result is a growing network of connected habitats, supported by a growing community of people — working together to restore chalk landscapes and secure a future for some of our most threatened species.

The Big Chalk programme and Nature Recovery Fund is funded through the Protected Landscapes Partnership, supported by Defra.

Volunteers carrying out hedgerow planting

Duke of Burgundy butterfly

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.

Chilterns Chalk Highway