In England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are designated by Natural England, which is responsible for protecting England's natural environment.
Designation as an SSSI gives legal protection to the most important wildlife and geological sites.
[1] Berkshire lies in the valleys of the Thames and its tributary, the River Kennet, and in the west it is crossed by chalk hills.
It is governed by six unitary authorities: Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham.
[4][5] Eight are Geological Conservation Review sites, three are Nature Conservation Review sites, two are Ramsar sites, five are Special Areas of Conservation, five are Special Protection Areas, five are Local nature reserves, one is listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens and two contain Scheduled monuments.