Farming with Nature: National Hedge Week 5 – 11 May

No doubt many of the SuSH readers had fun getting involved in some form of hedge-y activity during the recent National Hedge Week: what great weather for encouraging folks to be outside! Since I am lucky enough to spend every day outside with our hedges, I thought I should attend the National Hedge Week webinars and learn new things about hedges from the experts!

The National Hedge Week is sponsored by the Tree Council, and this year was under the banner headline “The Future of Hedgerows”, which included 3 ‘webinars’. The first was “The Future of Hedgerows: Research at the Cutting Edge”. Wow! There is so much we don’t understand, and so much research going on. Climate mitigation, reservoir of biodiversity, positive hydrology impacts, micro-climate, hi-tech scanning to help measure carbon and investigate hedgebank root systems, detailed
research into all aspects of Cornish Hedges, soil diversity, and how all these benefits can positively influence adjacent agriculture.

The second was “The Future of Hedgerow Trees, Living with Ash Dieback”, introducing the brand new Tree Council ash dieback guidance. This event is also part of National Plant Health Week.

The third was “Hedgelink: Working together for the future of hedgerows”, chaired by John Stokes of the Tree Council (and also Chair of Hedgelink), with panel members from the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES, which began life looking at doormice and hedgehogs, but which now looks at all species associated with hedges), the Devon Hedge Group, and the RSPB.

The webinar highlighted that research across England shows that roughly a third of all rural hedges have now developed into a “line of trees”, and therefore in urgent need of action (such as coppicing) to rejuvenate them. Coppicing can also prevent large hedgebank trees from being blown down, which often results in significant damage to hedgebanks.

PTES administer the very important Great British Hedgerow Survey. Their research shows that it takes a new hedgerow about 10 years to reach a level of biodiversity activity anything like comparable to a mature hedge of (say) 50 years. PTES also sponsor the “Healthy Hedgerow” App, which is a tool of great benefit in supporting farmers or landowners to assess the condition of their hedges, including recommending action to improve them. There was general agreement from the panel that the value of hedgerows to farm businesses is still not widely recognised, and more needs to be done in this area.

Of interest is that the RSPB lay hedges on their reserves on a 3-year rotation, which no doubt optimises bird nesting potential. This contrasts significantly with our (roughly) 10-year rotation here at Hillside, which suits our resources to manage hedges and which ensures there are always hedges at different stages of development.
All three of these webinars can be viewed in full via the National Hedgerow Week website…definitely recommended!

If you know anyone with a hedge who would like it laid, then do encourage them to contact the Devon Rural Skills Trust, they are always looking for suitable hedges for the Hedge Laying Courses they run. Contact details are on their website. Similarly they also need sites for stone wall repair or stone-faced bank restoration.

Mike Pearey

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