The Chalkstream Invertebrates Project
The Chalkstream Invertebrates Project is a partnership between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency to protect and raise the profile of our threatened chalk river invertebrates. 
Why Chalkstream Invertebrates?
A diverse invertebrate community is fundamental to a healthy chalk river or stream, providing food for fish and mammals and acting as freshwater detritivores, herbivores and predators. However, these species are often overlooked in conservation, with major causes of invertebrate decline a result of:
- Habitat loss - often simply due to poor river and bankside management;
- Pollution;
- Invasive species.
Species
The Chalkstream Invertebrates Project will try and re-dress this balance, focusing on two National and European threatened species, southern damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale and white-clawed crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes. Furthermore, due to the risks they pose to our native white-clawed crayfish, the Chalkstream Invertebrates Project will be also focus on the introduced and highly invasive American signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus. 
What we are doing
The Chalkstream Invertebrates Project has three key objectives:
- Working with land and river owners and managers to encourage habitat enhancement and sympathetic management of rivers and the adjacent land for chalkstream invertebrates.
- Raise awareness of the issues threatening our chalkstream species - with particular focus on our three target species.
- Improve knowledge of the ecology and distribution of crayfish and southern damselfly and other chalkstream invertebrates in the two counties.
How you can help
You can help in the following ways:
- The Chalkstream Invertebrates Project is keen to work with landowners and river managers to create and manage suitable habitat for southern damselfly and white-clawed crayfish.
- Follow best practice to minimise the risk our activities pose to the rare species of our chalk rivers and streams.
- Send in your records of southern damselfly and crayfish to the Chalkstream Invertebrates Project Officer at feedback@hwt.org.uk or 01489 774400.
- Volunteer with the Chalkstream Invertebrates Project and help on southern damselfly or crayfish surveys.
