Our Jewels in the Downs project aims to enhance the connectivity and quality of chalk grassland and woodland habitats in the Darent Valley.
The Darent Valley is home to an extraordinary array of flora and fauna. And with the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss worldwide, there’s never been a more important time to encourage nature to flourish in our local areas.
Through this project we will improve the connectivity and quality of chalk grassland and woodland habitats on Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT) managed sites in its Darent Triangle Living Landscape area and improve connectivity to sites nearby.
Fencing at Fackenden Meadow and Polhill is now complete and the fencing will enable the site to be grazed by livestock which is essential for the long term management of the site. Much of the necessary scrub clearance work has been completed by volunteers on several sites. Kent Wildlife Trust have been working with the Kew Gardens to introduce the rare Kentish Milkwort to one of the site with the progress of the seedlings is being closely monitored by volunteers.
Fencing work at Kemsing Down is underway, the work aims to repair the fence line so that grazing animals can be used to manage the site again.
We aim to improve the biodiversity, management, access and interpretation across the various sites, whilst reducing the potential negative impact of this work on the supply of water to the River Darent.
- Chalk grassland and woodland improvements
- Focus on connecting sites
- Improving biodiversity, management, access and interpretation
If you would like more information on our Jewels in the Downs project, please contact darent.valley@kentdowns.org.uk
