Chalk stream project supported with £350k grant

Chilterns National Landscape said the condition of the endangered chalk streams "continues to worsen"

A project that aims to restore and protect the Chilterns’ chalk streams has received a £351,083 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Not Bourne Yesterday is being developed by nature reserve Chilterns National Landscape (CNL), which covers 833 sq km (322 sq miles) across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.

The project encompasses 12 interweaving initiatives that aim to conserve the rare rivers' environmental and cultural heritage, which spans 8,000 years.

CNL said another goal was to promote "a deeper connection with communities" through art, archaeology, citizen science, and habitat restoration.

The Chilterns' chalk streams' story spans 8,000 years

Chalk streams are globally rare and the majority of them are found in England.

The Chilterns’ chalk streams, which have a are endangered habitats, facing severe threats from pollution, low water levels, habitat loss, and the impacts of climate change.

CNL said that their condition "continues to worsen" and was "nearing a critical tipping point".

It called the development support from the Heritage Fund "vital in helping to reverse the decline of these precious rivers and to provide them with a brighter future".

CNL heritage and archaeology manager Dr Wendy Morrison said the suit of projects would "ultimately tell the story of these rivers over thousands of years in the past and connect them with the communities living around them today".

CNL said that it would be releasing details about a series of the project's community-run events.