“When it hurts, we return to the banks of certain rivers." (Poet Czeslaw Miłosz) From the fruitful Euphrates, and the Tigris, to Ancient Egypt and the Nile, to the Indus Valley, 'rivers run through our civilisations like strings through beads.' Our chalk streams link us to our ancient heritage.

NBY's stream-dipping session at the Hughenden Stream was a hoot - thirty people, across a range of ages, discovered the river's life, and discussed the ambitious restoration work ahead, which will seek to restore flow and fish passage across the stream - Because hope is the thing that flows! 🌱🐟

Eid Mubarak to those who celebrate it!🌙Wherever you are celebrating, we hope you have the most wonderful time!  . @chilternsnl.bsky.social  @heritagefunduk.bsky.social  . Photo: Martha Glennon . #chalkstreams

Join NBY for the Hughenden Summer of Play stream-dipping, in our beautiful Hughenden chalk stream. Saturday June 20th, from 10am - 12pm - Free tickets available through the link in bio, all equipment provided, bring your wellies 👢👢! . @heritagefunduk.bsky.social

Did you catch NBY's Martha on Countryfile last Sunday? Vick Hope joined us on the sparkling Hamble Brook with CCSP to do a RiverFly kick sample, and discuss the transformative restoration work that has given the river its voice back.  . @chapcic.bsky.social  @heritagefunduk.bsky.social

Well today had been just brilliant! First, a morning with @bucksarchives.bsky.social and @notbourneyesterday.bsky.social Callum showed us around the archives, informing and entertaining like a mastercraftsman of the Buckinghamshire past. Then, I return home to find my carnyx arrived!!! What a day!

NBY's Martha at the recent Friends of the Ewelme, premiering our new film, exploring the deep history of our chalkstreams, to their more recent genesis, inviting communities to share the meanings chalk streams have for them. It was a joy to make - if you have 12 mins to spare, you know what to do! 🐚

Wishing all those who celebrate a very Happy Easter! 🌿🐣 As spring brings new life to our streams, we hope you’re able to enjoy the beauty of these ancient landscapes and the stories they have to tell. Thank you for being part of our programme seeking to connect people to them!💧🌼

Have you seen the wonderful Dr Wendy Morrison - @hillfortian.bsky.social in our NBY film on YouTube? If not, I can think of no better activity for your long weekend - I will link our film below...👣🌿 @heritagefunduk.bsky.social  @chilternsnl.bsky.social

Wishing all our followers celebrating Passover a joyful and meaningful festival. 🌿✨ May this special time be filled with reflection and connection.  . @chilternsnl.bsky.social  @heritagefunduk.bsky.social

We recently held an event with Mind Wycombe, Chiltern Rangers and our wonderful advisory artist James Aldridge along the River wye in High Wycombe 🐟🦆 We stream-dipped for creatures, alongside a group drawing and river clean-up. Thank you all for a wonderful morning!  @heritagefunduk.bsky.social

In this clip, NBY's Martha talks about the importance of chalk stream to local communities through the years - follow the link in our bio to watch our full film discussing the historical status and importance of chalk streams in the Chilterns 📽️👣 @chilternsnl.bsky.social  @heritagefunduk.bsky.social

Have you watched our beautiful new film, Stories of Chalk Streams? And if so, would you like an autograph? 😉 Follow the link in our bio to watch our film, and let us know what you think! . @chilternsnl.bsky.social  @heritagefunduk.bsky.social  @hillfortian.bsky.social

On the 21 March, thirty brown trout were released into the River Wye by the NBY team, alongside Dadima’s CIC, an intergenerational community walking group 🐟👣 Each child released their own trout into the gravel base, discussing the chalk stream ecosystem, and wishing the trout luck on their journeys!

Today we’re celebrating the lifeblood of our landscapes — water. This World Water Day, we are looking to our precious chalk streams, from which so much water is drawn to feed our homes and businesses. These rare habitats, flowing through our communities, support life itself across the Chilterns.

Eid Mubarak to our wonderful followers who celebrate🌙 In this clip from our new film, Raheed reflects on the Islamic tradition, and its teachings about water and nature conservation. Wishing you a joyful and peaceful Eid, filled with reflection and celebration! @heritagefunduk.bsky.social

Have you watched NBY's new film yet? And if not, Wye not? 🌷 In this clip, our Development Manager, Fran, discusses the global rarity of chalk streams.  Follow the link in our bio to watch the full film - we promise, it is worth it! @nicolaschaferfilm.bsky.social  @hillfortian.bsky.social

Current-ly giddy about our new film 'Not Bourne Yesterday: Stories of Chalk Streams' with the wonderful Nicola Schafer📽️ and @hillfortian.bsky.social  - join NBY to make the unheard voices heard. Full film on our YouTube - linked in bio. @nationallottery.bsky.social

I came up with an idea a few months ago, and subsequent collaborative development with @notbourneyesterday.bsky.social and @nicolaschaferfilm.bsky.social resulted in this, which has grown into so much more than my original concept. Well done to all involved. youtu.be/NM1e4N9JYZk?... #chalkstreams

Not Bourne Yesterday: Stories of Chalk Streams

YouTube video by Chilterns National Landscape

youtu.be

Wishing everyone in the NBY community a joyful Festival of Colours — a time for renewal, connection, and celebrating the vibrant rivers and communities in the Chilterns. . @chilternsnl.bsky.social @heritagefunduk.bsky.social

Nine of the three hundred chalk streams in the world are here in the Chilterns. Do you have a chalk stream local to you? . @chilternsnl.bsky.social @heritagefunduk.bsky.social . #chalkstreams #engagement

Attention! Our community survey closes in just over one week! 📢📢 Thank you to those who have already helped shape our chalk stream programme. Add your voice to the story by following the link in our bio, and be in with a chance of winning a One4All voucher ✨️🪿

Ramadan Mubarak to all our Chilterns community who are observing this holy month. Wishing you a peaceful Ramadan filled with reflection, generosity and hope ✨️ 🏞 @heritagefunduk.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social

👀 something ex-stream-ly hot this way comes 🐟🌊 Keep your eyes peeled on NBY for a big announcement... . @heritagefunduk.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social #chalkstreams #engagement

Have you ever wondered where chalk streams really come from? 💧 Beneath our feet sits a chalk aquifer - a huge natural sponge made of porous chalk rock. Rain slowly soaks into it, gets filtered and stored, and seeps back out through springs to feed our chalk streams 🏞🐟

Rivers slowly, surely, shape our landscape. Spring-fed rivers have an ethereal nature. “There is a mystery about rivers that draws us to them”, writes Olivia Laing, 2023, “for they rise from hidden places, and travel by routes that are not always tomorrow, where they might be today.”

What's the most boring event you ever attended? Last Saturday, @hillfortian.bsky.social led a brilliant ✨️soil boring✨️ session alongside @the-wildlifetrusts.bsky.social Youth Rangers at @naturalengland.bsky.social Hexton. We await the lab results! Thank you for joining our thoroughly boring day! 🤨😊

Exciting day working with the @notbourneyesterday.bsky.social team and @naturalengland.bsky.social at Hexton Estate. The @wildlifebcn.org Youth Rangers came out to help take samples to see if we can get some ancient pollen. Yes, I told them today would be a truly boring exercise 😜

What stories life beneath our feet? 🤔 NBY will be soil coring at chalk springs, taking slender samples to read the earth's hidden history. By analysing layers of soil and tiny traces of life, we can illustrate deep time. Without a time machine, we must look to the earth, and core! 🌱

Hope springs eternal for NBY if you fill out our survey, linked in bio 🤭🌱 . @heritagefunduk.bsky.social @chilternsnl.bsky.social