Big Chalk is THE largest landscape-level conservation initiative in the UK.
Professor Sir John Lawton, author of the Making Space for Nature “Lawton” report, 2010.
Big Chalk is a big idea.
Unparalelled in scope, Big Chalk aims to restore thousands of kilometers of globally-significant habitats, including 80% of the world's chalk streams, and spanning 14 protected landscapes in southern England.
Central to the UK’s pledge to protect 30% of its land by 2030, these landscapes protect historic and cultural heritage, water supplies and carbon stores, as well as enhancing natural beauty and safeguarding community health and wellbeing.
Big Chalk is the future of nature recovery; connected, cross-border restoration measures that prepare our landscapes and communities for a new climate “normal”.
How?
Thriving calcareous landscapes can deliver an array of public goods including sustainable employment and products, carbon sequestration, water supply (to tens of millions of people) and quality, flood management and soil stabilisation.
And finally, the access to beautiful, thriving open spaces is essential for good public health and wellbeing.
Big Chalk (the red outline), covers 19% of England and spans 14 Protected Landscapes (dark green), which make up a third of Big Chalk.
Big Chalk in numbers...
80% of the world's chalk streams
19% of the land in England
14 protected landscapes
>150 partners
Want to hear more?
We are currently working with our partners, Finance Earth, on how we can work with the current nature markets to help fund this vital work.
If you would like to be involved and help drive this large scale nature restoration, let's talk.
