A Mayday Call to Action

“We need to find ways to bring people closer to the rivers and help them see what is at stake. Many local residents won’t realise that they have such a rare species on their doorstep, or how close it is to extinction. This is a ‘mayday’ moment for wild chalk stream salmon. We are watching an ancient species disappear in plain sight”. – Jim Murray MBE, Project Founder

Over the May Day bank holiday weekend (May 1–3 2026), Project White Hart joined forces with world renowned street artist, Julian Beever, to unveil a striking public art installation in the heart of Winchester. The art piece – a spectacular 3D chalk salmon which appeared to leap out from the pavement outside Winchester City Museum, was a high profile public focal point intended to build a broader public understanding of chalk stream salmon and what is at stake.

The partnership intends for this to mark the first step in an ambitious, growing movement - and to establish May Day as an annual, local, community-led celebration of wild salmon in Hampshire’s chalk streams and a rallying point for action to save them.

Creative Arts at the Heart of the Project

At the heart of Project White Hart is the belief that the breadth, scale, and urgency of action needed can only be achieved with strong public support. The project will use creative arts to make the invisible visible and inspire people to take whatever action they can. This art installation builds on a wider international conservation movement that recognises the role of creative arts. There is growing recognition, both in research and in practice, that creative arts can play an important role in environmental conservation projects, broadening support to a wider group than otherwise might be involved.

Join the mission and refuse to let our wild salmon disappear in plain sight.