Chalkland Revival
A landscape-scale collaboration across farm clusters
Chalkland Revival is an ambitious, multi-cluster collaboration bringing together five farm clusters across more than 40,000 hectares of chalk landscape in the North Wessex Downs, an area roughly the size of the Isle of Wight.
It is rooted in a simple idea, that many of the challenges facing nature and farming, from wildlife decline to water resilience and climate pressure, are best tackled together.
By connecting neighbouring farm clusters, the project is pioneering a new way of working: farmers collaborating beyond individual clusters to deliver joined-up, practical action for nature, while keeping decision-making firmly grounded with those who manage the land.
Shared priorities across the chalk landscape
In its first year, Chalkland Revival focuses on a set of priorities that matter across all the farms, habitats and catchments:
Farmland bird recovery
Including targeted action for priority species such as lapwing, through habitat management, protection of nesting sites, and farmer-led delivery at scale.
Innovative monitoring and evidence
Using a network of 60 acoustic monitors to build a landscape-wide picture of farmland bird presence and activity. This will support shared learning, adaptive management and smarter future investment.
Deer management
Working with the British Deer Society, Chalkland Revival will develop a collaborative deer management action plan across participating estates and farms. The project takes a coordinated, peer-led approach, recognising the growing impact of deer on woodland regeneration, chalk grassland restoration and wider biodiversity.
Alongside this, the project will explore sustainable, local routes to market for wild venison, led by the Soil Association, helping to link effective deer management with viable, climate-positive food systems.
Wetland opportunity mapping
Working with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Freshwater Team, Chalkland Revival will identify opportunities for pond and wetland creation across the landscape. This work will support biodiversity, improve water quality, enhance flood resilience and climate adaptation, and help unlock future nature-based investment.
More than a project
Chalkland Revival is only just getting started. Alongside early delivery, the project is creating the conditions for a multi-year programme, building trust between clusters, and identifying where future funding and private investment can deliver the greatest impact.
By showing how clusters can work together at scale, Chalkland Revival is laying the groundwork for long-term, farmer-led nature recovery that is practical, investable and rooted in the chalk landscape.
Chalkland Revival is about moving from isolated projects to collective momentum and showing what’s possible when farmers lead nature recovery together.
Chalkland Revival is made possible with support from the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) and the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.