Winchester Science Centre has opened a chalk stream-themed play area intended to help children understand and value one of England’s rarest freshwater habitats. The initiative matters because prolonged hot, dry weather is putting added pressure on chalk streams and the wildlife they support, while conservation groups seek stronger protection for them.

The exhibit explains how water flow, temperature and oxygen affect chalk streams, and how chalk grassland species cope with heat through shade, varied vegetation and connected habitats. About 85% of the world’s chalk streams are in England, and a new cross-party Westminster group has been formed to protect them, with support from the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust.