Hedgerow Heroes is a wider CPRE project launched in 2021 to support the national campaign to increase the hedgerow network by 40% by 2050. To date, Hedgerow Heroes has seen 75.6km (47 miles) of hedgerow in England rejuvenated and created. This project also aims to inspire individuals and give a greater understanding of the importance of hedges to our environment and wildlife. We at CPRE Warwickshire are thrilled to be a part of the project this season and are excited to partner with local communities, schools, landowners, and farmers, to raise awareness about the importance of hedgerows, manage existing ones, and plant and restore one kilometre hedgerow.
Why? Well, since 1945 England has lost over half of its hedgerows which are vital for nature, bursting with life and they support one in ten of the UK’s vulnerable species, including the hazel dormouse and the beloved hedgehog, whose decline is closely linked to hedgerow loss. The lines of hedges crisscrossing our countryside act as wildlife corridors, linking habitats together and providing safe movement for many scurrying, flying and scuttling animals such as endangered dormice and rare brown hairstreak butterflies.
This season we have ‘cut and laid’ 100m of mature hedge at Tysoe village’s community football pitch and have planted 450 metres of new hedgerows at a farm near Grandborough (next to an important ridge and furrow field grazed by rare breed Manx Loaghtan sheep), at a children’s playground at Northend and on land adjacent to an ancient footpath between Bishops Itchington and Warwick. We have further planting planned to complete this year’s target, at Myton School, Folly Fields community orchard at Luddington and on Shakespeare’s footpath near to the new marina at Stratford upon Avon.
We intend to seek funding for the 2025/26 season and are keen to hear from any Parish Council that might have a suitable hedge requiring restoration or a strip of land that would benefit from a new hedgerow border. We provide all the equipment and plants, and in the case of hedge laying, the expertise from fully qualified people from the National Hedge Laying Society. All we ask is that the Parish Council helps promote the event in their community, hopefully gathers a team of willing volunteers together to undertake the work and if possible provides shelter and ‘facilities’.
If you would like to participate in the campaign, please contact our office and Gary, Patrick or Myles would be pleased to give you further details.
CPRE Warwickshire 41a Smith Street, Warwick CV34 4JA
office@cprewarwickshire.org.uk
01926 494597