Chalk grassland

Chalk grassland is an important habitat at The Sustainability Centre, and one that is under threat nationally. Plants species such as marjoram, carline thistle, agrimony, weld, pyramidal orchid and greater knapweed all thrive here.

Chalk grassland has been created over time through a combination of factors including grazing sheep. A large number of plants have adapted to the sheep's eating habits, the shallow, chalky soil and low nutrient levels. Chalk grassland can contain as many as 40 plant species in every square metre. It has much more biodiversity than the other types of grassland in this country. Some 35 of Britain's 56 butterfly species can be found on chalk grassland, and its protection is a high priority.

We also have mounds that have built up on the chalk grassland. These are huge anthills, built up over many generations. They are very important to some of the rare plants; the ants bring chalk to the surface and produce a light airy soil not found elsewhere. The anthills even create their own mini-climate around them, which attracts butterflies such as the Common Blue and Chalkhill Blue. Green Woodpeckers feed here too.

If chalk grasslands are ploughed up, overgrazed or allowed to revert to coarse grassland and scrub, many beautiful plants and butterflies will become extinct.

Here at The Sustainability Centre we are reclaiming and restoring overgrown areas of chalk grassland, thus providing a haven for plants and insects.