Medway Smile

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Medway Smile LL-Culand Pits from Bluebell Hill (S Weeks)

creating a connected network of good wildlife habitats

Kent Wildlife Trust

The Medway towns are among Kent's most built-up and industrialised areas. But stretching around the south of Medway, like a smile, there remains a distinctive landscape of ancient woodland and chalk grassland, interspersed with wide arable fields and leading down to the wetland habitats of the River Medway.

The aim of the Medway Smile Living Landscape Scheme is to make these areas for wildlife bigger and to work with local landowners and local communities to make the surrounding land better for wildlife, creating a connected network of good wildlife habitats.

Virtual tour by Mike McFarlane

What's happening?

Projects include:

Extending and enhancing existing reserves and creating a new reserve at Nashenden Down.
Helping local people to restore the management of Bredhurst woods.
Improving footpaths and combating the problem of antisocial use of the woods.
Implementing a conservation grade lamb project.
Supporting local businesses and contributing to more sustainable local food production.
Working with local people in Medway to create a corridor for wildlife through the heart of the urban area.
Working with the Valley of Visions partnership to deliver a range of landscape and wildlife enhancement projects.

Start date: 2008

Scheme area: 5,000 hectares

Trust reserves within the scheme

Nashenden, Wouldham Common, Peter's Pit, Holborough Marshes, Burham Marsh, Burham Down, Westfield Wood, Queendown Warren and Stockbury Hill Wood

This scheme is helping species including...

Adonis blue and silver-spotted skipper butterflies, adder, early spider orchid, lady orchid, meadow clary, arable weeds, farmland birds

Current threats to the landscape

Agricultural intensification, habitat fragmentation, abandonment of traditional woodland and grassland management and anti-social behaviour.

This scheme is also...

Reducing flood risk, improving access for people, producing local food

Partners

Natural England, Forestry Commission, Woodland Trust, Local Authorities, local landowners, Kent Downs AONB, Trenport Ltd, Lafarge Aggregates Ltd, Blue Circle - Lafarge Cement, Aylesford Newsprint Ltd.

To find out more

Email: info@kentwildlife.org.uk | Tel: 01622 662012 | Medway Smile

Living Landscapes

Find out more about our Living Landscape conservation work - targeting areas for landscape-scale nature conservation and transforming places for people and wildlife.