Nature And Landscape

Not Bourne Yesterday:Chalk Stream Communities of the Chilterns (NBY)

85% of the world’s chalk streams are in England; they are globally rare and precious, and in rapid decline. Nowhere is this crisis more pressing than in the Chilterns, where these fragile habitats are threatened by pollution, low flows, habitat loss and climate change. Not Bourne Yesterday is an interconnected suite of projects aiming to restore and protect these unique streams. Together with our partners and volunteers, we will discover the 8000-year biography of these rivers, and their confluence with the everyday lives of the people - past, present and future- who live alongside them. Heritage engagement through art, archaeology, citizen science and habitat restoration volunteering, as well as an apprenticeship programme and community grants scheme will provide a legacy of rejuvenated chalk streams more closely linked with communities, who are inspired and equipped to help care for them. This will, ensure sustainable stewardship of these waterways for future generations.