Mending the Misbourne: reviving a Chiltern chalk stream

his talk is organised by Prestwood Nature and Wild Amersham. This talk is free to attend but please consider making a donation to help support our work.

Chalk streams are a characteristic and attractive feature of the Chilterns landscape. They are globally rare and important habitats for a wide variety of rare plants and animals. They also have a fascinating history. The river Misbourne, running from Great Missenden to the river Colne near Denham is a chalk river. Despite efforts to improve the Misbourne by many people over many years, the health of the river is declining and it is now of poor ecological status due to pressures from issues such as abstraction for domestic water supply, sewage pollution and construction of the HS2 rail line. In this online talk Allen Beechy from the Chalk Rivers Project will talk about chalk rivers in general and the Misbourne in particular, including what is being done to mend the Misbourne.

Allen Beechy has managed the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project since July 2005. He has a background in chalk streams & water resources management both from a water supply and environmental protection perspective having worked for both the Environment Agency (Hampshire) and Vivendi Water (now Veolia Water). Allen studied Environmental Biology at Nottingham University & Aquatic Resource Management at King’s College graduating in 2000.