Lead Organisation
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Partner Organisations
- 17 farmers/landowners
- Natural England
- National Trust
Project Description
A group of landowners and farmers working to maintain, restore, and create priority habitats including lowland calcareous grassland, ancient and native woodland and arable field margins.
The group will manage four priority species including Barn Owl, Corn Bunting and Chalkhill Blue. Opportunities to slow the flow and reduce sediment losses are a priority in the River Bride and Fleet Lagoon catchment.
The project has flourished with the support of three Farming in Protected Landscape grants and guidance from Dorset National Landscape, enabling critical steps such as funding facilitator time to establish the cluster and conducting baseline surveys for winter and breeding birds, butterflies, pollinators, and priority habitats.
We will work with the County Archaeologist to enable understanding of the unique history of the area and ensure management protects scheduled monuments.
Woodland and hedgerow planting and management will be encouraged to deliver cross cutting benefits of biodiversity, water quality, carbon sequestration and reducing flood risk.
A strategic landscape nature recovery map will be produced, with landowners linking up habitats. A baseline of species and habitats has been produced.
Project Location
The project area covers 3,000 ha of Dorset with a further 250 in process of joining.
Contribution to Big Chalk
Our project vision fits with all the Big Chalk vision – just on a smaller scale!
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.
