About Us

Chalkeith Conservation is a charitable company formed by a group of like minded individuals whose primary aim is to secure sites throughout Mid-Suffolk for nature recovery and regeneration.

Our Story

We have witnessed the dramatic decline of nature over recent decades and are committed to helping reverse this loss by protecting, restoring, and enhancing sites for wildlife, including places where species have long disappeared.

By empowering local people, improving access and understanding, and combining practical conservation with scientific knowledge and environmental advocacy, we aim to conserve biodiversity and heritage while creating healthier landscapes for wildlife and communities alike.

Meet Some Of The Team

William Barnes

William has a life-long interest in birds and in wildlife. He farms at Creeting St Mary where he and his wife Caroline have committed a large portion of the farm to benefitting nature. William has run the working parties at Lilley’s Wood for Creeting St Mary parish council for some years and has also been a long-standing member of the Bonny Wood working parties for Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

Richard Cage

Richard has a passion for all wildlife with a special interest in ancient woodland and has been a voluntary warden for the Suffolk Wildlife Trust at Bonny wood since 1988, organising and running work parties and leading guided walks. Richard also volunteers with the RSPB and is involved with Operation Turtle Dove small plots project, creating feeding plots for turtle dove.

Gordon with trees July 2026_edited_edite

Gordon Crosby

Gordon has over 40 years of experience in habitat restoration and land management. He has created and managed diverse wildlife habitats along the River Gipping, including woodland, meadow, grassland, hedgerows, and orchard habitats. His conservation work has involved close collaboration with environmental authorities, and he has supported local mink control initiatives that have helped the recovery of endangered water voles.

Rupert Masefield

Rupert Masefield is Planning and Advocacy Manager at Suffolk Wildlife Trust. His career has focused on conservation campaigning, planning, and environmental policy in the UK and Europe, including work with BirdLife Malta and the RSPB. He now leads Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s engagement with planning and infrastructure policy to improve outcomes for nature, and serves on the Suffolk County Wildlife Sites Panel and the board of Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service.