White Cliffs Countryside Partnership
The White Cliffs Countryside Partnership was created to help conserve, enhance and celebrate the special coast and countryside of Dover and Folkestone & Hythe districts. The sites that are managed include rare wildlife, walking routes, cycling trials and stretch all the way from Sandwich to Romney Marsh and Dungeness. You can take part in education activities for children (the Green Gang) or join a conservation task to help care for these special local places.
The Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) stretches from the white cliffs at Dover and Folkestone all the way to the Surrey border.
The Kent Downs AONB occupies about one quarter of the county of Kent.
The Coalfield Parishes were once home to coal mines and other industry. The parishes of Ash, Aylesham, Chillenden, Eastry, Eythorne-with-Elvington, Goodnestone, Nonington, Northbourne, Shepherdswell-with-Coldred, Staple, Tilmanstone and Wingham comprise the Coalfield Parishes. The site of former Shakespeare Cliff Colliery is now part of Samphire Hoe.
The Green Gang is a programme of activities for children and their families, which is organised during each school holiday. A digital programme is produced for each school holiday and sent to teachers in Dover and Folkestone & Hythe Districts.
Green Gang Summer 2021
The Western Heights Nature Reserve, Whinless Down and High Meadow are all chalk ridges that extend into Dover offering a refuge for wildlife and people. The River Dour flows through chalk and is one of the best breeding grounds in the south east for the brown trout. In the surrounding countryside WCCP manage Samphire Hoe, South Foreland Valley and various sites in the Coalfield Parishes. Other sites include Langdon Cliffs managed by the National Trust and Lydden Temple Ewell managed by the Kent Wildlife Trust.
Dover and Folkestone & Hythe districts are rich in wildlife and are of world importance for vegetated shingle and chalk grassland. There are wetlands and broadleaved woodlands of national importance, as well as an internationally important area of sand dunes at Sandwich Bay. The ancient woodlands situated on the chalk around Alkham, Swingfield and Lydden (near Dover) have been designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest for wildlife such as lady orchid, green hellebore and the dormouse.
Volunteers
The White Cliffs Countryside Partnership has a range of opportunities for volunteers. This could include
- Practical conservation volunteers
- Office volunteers
- Site wardens
- Livestock lookering
Contact the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership
Open 9am - 5pm Monday-Friday
Email: wccp@dover.gov.uk
Telephone: 01304 241806