Hedgerow Heroes – CPRE Hertfordshire launches new project

James Lunt, CPRE Hertfordshire’s new Hedgerow Heroes Project Officer, introduces this important new project for our countryside.

For much of the natural world this time of year heralds a quieter period to come, after the leaves have fallen and the last berries have been plucked by chattering blackbirds. The air will turn crisp, and thoughts will look to the bustle of next spring. Not so for those of us planting the hedges of tomorrow, when the October leaves tell us that sap is moving downwards in the stems, and the time is right to get plants in the ground. The trees may be dormant, but the hedge planter is not.

Most of us who have spent time in the English countryside will recognise the hedgerows that give it such a unique character. These are the seams of thread that hold together the patchwork of fields and woodlands. Composed of many different species, hedges help connect populations of threatened species, such as birds, that will feed on the berries in autumn, pollen in spring and make nests within them in summer. Many butterflies use these “corridors” to move across the countryside, such as the White Letter Hairstreak, which favors elm, a tree its caterpillars will almost exclusively feed on.

However, due to shifting agricultural policy, increasing machinery size, and a lack of appreciation for their importance, many hedges were cleared from our landscapes to increase the size of fields. The Tree Council estimates that 50% of our hedges were lost in the last 75 years. This has had a devastating impact on our wildlife, such as dormice.

CPRE the Countryside Charity however, did appreciate their importance. CPRE has been campaigning for their protection since 1926, with petitions and lobbying resulting in the importance of hedgerows becoming recognized in UK law in 1990. 35 years later and CPRE is now looking at taking things another step and planting new hedges to help repair the frayed network we have left; reconnecting habitats and threatened populations, as well as offering resilience against flooding and shelter for livestock.

Join CPRE Hertfordshire’s Hedgerow Heroes

The project is called Hedgerow Heroes, and this year Hertfordshire has joined 12 counties in hosting an officer to help support their own ambitions for planting new hedges. That’s where I come in, gathering volunteers to help me get young plants, known as whips, in the ground, and to restore 2km of hedgerow over this season. This contributes to the wider national aims of 40% more hedgerows across the country by 2050, as well as the county councils’ own ambition for 100km by 2030. Locally, this project is also supported by Herts and Middlesex Butterfly Conservation, who will offer expert guidance on planting hedges that will benefit Hertfordshire’s threatened species.

You can do your part this winter, by signing up to volunteer with CPRE Hertfordshire. We will be kindly hosted by Rye End Farm, part of the Mimram Farm Cluster in North Hertfordshire, and the Woodhall estate, near Watton at Stone, in East Hertfordshire. With around 10 planting dates between November and March, there will be plenty of time to get involved, and we aim to make these days inclusive, informative and fun, providing people with the space to enjoy meeting like-minded people, while doing their bit to safeguard the future of our precious countryside.

To volunteer for CPRE Hertfordshire Hedgerow Heroes, email us at volunteering@cpreherts.org.uk or click here to find out more about this volunteer role.

About me

My name is James, and as you can tell, my passion is all things hedgerows. Having grown up on the opposite side of the M25, in Surrey, I spent much of my life in the incredible forests and heathland the county is home to. I graduated from the University of Nottingham three years ago, with a 1st class degree in Environmental Biology, which gave me a strong background in ecology, agriculture and science. In fact, my dissertation took the form of a management plan of the university’s hedgerows!

Since then, I have worked as a Farm environment advisor in Gloucestershire, talking to farmers about habitat management and regenerative practices, as well as appearing on BBC Countryfile talking to Adam Henson about his hedgerows. Most recently, I worked on the farm team at Rothamsted Research, Harpenden.

This position as the Hedgerow Hero officer is an amazing opportunity, and I’m so excited to play my part in protecting and enhancing the unique Hertfordshire countryside that I have been able to explore over the past few months, helping nature and people on the way.