In a nutshell...
Funding: £67,500pa (scalable project)*
Length: 5 years+
Location: Chilterns National Landscape
Aim: Building on 5+ years of Citizen Science recording and mapping species with volunteers to identify long-term changes in wildlife to guide future land management strategies and projects. Roll out successful blueprint to other landscapes.
Opportunities: Corporate visit days and volunteering.
*subject to additional management fees.
Riverfly training, photo credit Chilterns Chalk Streams Project
River Chess Citizen Science project: A Blueprint for Business-Backed Environmental Stewardship
Empowering communities. Restoring ecosystems. Delivering measurable impact.
The River Chess Smarter Water Catchment initiative has completed a landmark four-year citizen science programme, revealing critical insights into the health of one of England’s rare chalk streams. This collaborative effort has demonstrated how community-led science can drive meaningful environmental change. You can support the future of this project.
What has been achieved so far?
- Multi-Method Monitoring: Volunteers collected thousands of data points across riverfly surveys, water vole counts, sediment analysis, and hydrological assessments.
- Scientific Rigor Meets Local Knowledge: Citizen Scientist data was integrated with expert input from universities, consultants, land managers and research bodies, creating a robust and holistic picture of river health.
- Restoration Evaluation: River surveys tracked biodiversity and hydrogeomorphological changes before and after habitat interventions, enabling evidence-based decision-making.
- Water Quality Insights: MudSpotter surveys identified fine sediment hotspots, informing strategies to improve spawning conditions and groundwater exchange.
Community at the Core:
- A full-time Citizen Science Coordinator provided training, support, and feedback—transforming raw data into actionable insights.
- Volunteers ranged from seasoned naturalists to first-time participants, fostering environmental literacy and a shared sense of purpose and place.
- The programme built a resilient network of local stewards that continues to expand and grow, ready to respond to future challenges.
Be part of something bigger: The Chilterns National Landscape sits within the vast Big Chalk partnership, covering 1/5th of England to strategically protect and restore these globally rare chalk and limestone landscapes. Find out more here: Big Chalk
I have always taken an interest but all of the survey work has encouraged me to look more and inspired me to do more as well – it’s been a really exciting couple of years! Getting acclaim for what I’ve being doing for decades. It inspires me to do more. That makes me feel really proud.
Farmer, River Chess CitSci project
River Chess citizen scientists, photo credit Chilterns Chalk Streams Project
The project
Future Role of Citizen Science in the Chess Smarter Water Catchment Project
Citizen science will be integral to the continued development of the Chess Smarter Water Catchment project, supporting robust evidence-gathering, improved ecological outcomes and stronger community stewardship.
Expansion of Citizen Science Activities
Opportunities exist to broaden monitoring across water quality, hydrology, habitat condition, biodiversity, and invasive species. Enhanced spatial coverage and more frequent data collection will strengthen the project’s evidence base and support adaptive management of the River Chess.
Volunteer Training and Capability Building
A structured training programme—covering introductory skills, advanced ecological monitoring, data literacy and equipment use—will ensure high-quality data and sustained volunteer engagement. Accreditation pathways, refresher sessions and mentoring roles for experienced volunteers will enhance consistency and safety.
Sharing Best Practice
Standardised survey protocols, open-data platforms, and regular knowledge-exchange events will facilitate learning across partners and volunteers. Public-facing communication tools will ensure methods and outcomes are clearly understood and widely accessible.
Blueprint for Wider Application
Documenting the project’s approach to citizen science, partnership working, data use and restoration planning will create a transferable model for other chalk streams and river groups. This blueprint can support replication, improve regional coordination and promote higher standards of catchment management.
Flow monitoring on the Chess, photo credit Chilterns Chalk Streams Project
ESG & CSR Alignment
This project exemplifies the principles of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR):
• Environmental: Restoration of a rare chalk stream ecosystem; biodiversity monitoring
• Social: Community empowerment, education, and inclusive participation
• Governance: Transparent collaboration across eight organizations; data-driven decision-making
Supporting the next phase of this initiative offers:
- Brand Leadership: Position your company as a champion of nature-based solutions and community engagement.
- Strategic Impact: Align with UK environmental goals and global frameworks like the UN SDGs.
- Innovation Potential: Help scale citizen science as a cost-effective, replicable model for environmental monitoring.
The Road Ahead
With continued funding, the Chilterns National Landscape team aim to:
- Expand monitoring to new sites and species
- Deepen community engagement through education and outreach
- Evaluate long-term restoration outcomes and adapt strategies accordingly
If you'd like more detail on the success of this project from 2021-2025, you can download the full report here: Citizen Science on the River Chess: A report on our findings from 2021 to 2025
Let’s make the River Chess a flagship for business-backed environmental recovery. Your support will help protect this precious chalk stream and inspire similar efforts across the UK and beyond.
Volunteers testing for emerging contaminants, photo credit Chilterns Chalk Streams Project
Partners & Collaborators
Big Chalk Partnership
The River Chess Association
Chilterns Chalk Stream Project
Chiltern Society
Buckinghamshire Council
Environment Agency
Queen Mary University of London
Imperial College London
Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust
Interested in hearing more?
Get in touch with the team today.