Lead organisation
Partner organisations
Surrey Biodiversity Information Centre
Surrey Fungus Study Group (British Mycological Society)
Project description
Thanks to funding from The Banister Charitable Trust, Natural England and the Hamamelis Trust, Surrey Wildlife Trust is working with partners to create an inventory of old and irreplaceable grasslands within Surrey.
As some of Surrey's most biodiverse habitats, ancient grasslands are havens for wildflowers and wildlife. Creating an inventory of these little-known and at-risk sites will help ensure they are better protected and understood, including in local planning decisions. The sites will be identified by surveyors, who will search for assemblages of ancient grassland indicator species such as Pyramidal Orchids, Kidney Vetch, Lady's Bedstraw and Fairy Flax, recording their findings in a new app.
The inventory will inform Surrey's Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which promotes a landscape scale approach to identifying and protecting at least 30% of Surrey's area for nature's recovery by 2030.
Project location
The project area is the administrative County of Surrey.
Contribution to Big Chalk
The project will achieve greater protection and recognition of old and irreplaceable grasslands within Surrey and therefore fits well with Big Chalk's vision of encouraging a wildlife rich landscape. The project aims to influence management undertaken by landowners, ensuring these old grasslands are well managed for wildlife and support connectivity across the landscape.




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.