Rare local chalk grasslands are vital for pollinators like bees and butterflies but are at risk of being lost without active management. Funding will support ongoing restoration to protect these diverse wildflower-rich sites and the important species they sustain, now and for future generations.
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Chalk grasslands are among our region’s most biodiverse habitats, supporting county-rare species like Common Fragrant-orchid and Chalk Hill Blue butterfly. Over the past 50 years they've seen greater declines in species than any other Hertfordshire habitat, putting pollinators and wider ecosystems at risk. Urgent restoration and ongoing management is needed to control scrub, invasive and non-native species, pressures intensified by climate change and lack of suitable grazing.
We’ll run a series of volunteer work parties to remove scrub that can build up on site and dominate weaker plants and wildflowers, tackle non-native species, such as Hungarian Spurge and Turkey Oak through targeted action, and cut and collect grass to reduce nutrients from the soil (crucial for chalk grasslands). We’ll also increase the number of sheep and extend the length of grazing on our sites as part of our traditional management approach.
