Over 35 years of local countryside management work in action
The Downlands Partnership was established in 1988 and provides an urban fringe countryside management service, maintaining and enhancing the local environment for biodiversity, people and wildlife.
The aims of the Downlands Partnership encompass the whole range of countryside management activities relating to landscape, biodiversity, sustainability, access, information and community involvement.
The Partnership area contains a variety of habitats and features, but is dominated by the rare chalk grassland habitat found on the scarp and dip slopes of the North Downs. We work seasonally on many different countryside sites in north east Surrey and adjoining parts of Croydon and Sutton, which we help to manage for our local authority partners and for private land owners. A lot of the sites are Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) and/or Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
Come and countryside volunteer with us
A dedicated, enthusiastic group of countryside volunteers vitally support the Partnership service through practical conservation work and new volunteers are always very welcome. The Partnership is also very pleased to welcome corporate groups for volunteering sessions too, from local companies and further afield.
Why not check out our varied programme of seasonal countryside volunteering tasks on offer throughout the year? Also have a look at our Surrey Countryside Partnerships Facebook page to see what our great conservation crews get involved with. Other useful information about countryside volunteering with us is available on our Surrey Countryside Partnerships homepage.
Volunteering in the glorious local countryside is great for happiness, health and habitat. Come and join our happy conservation crew very soon!
The Downlands Partnership also runs an extensive conservation grazing programme across the Partnership area and beyond. The grazing service is run from Surrey County Council owned private farm Old Lodge Farm near Carshalton.
The Partnership has its own flock of sheep (breeds: Herdwick, Beulah Speckled Face & Jacob), Sussex cattle and British feral goats, and manages its own lambing season every spring. The animals seasonally rotate graze the chalk downland as part of the long-term countryside management partnership programme. The grazing service is vitally supported by over 100 voluntary livestock checkers and a dedicated farm volunteer crew, that also support the staff with hosting bespoke corporate volunteering events at Old Lodge Farm and with attendance at local countryside public events as well.
Find out more about our conservation grazing work and all our animals by visiting Downlands Partnership Grazing on Facebook, @downygrazers Instagram and @downygrazers X.