CPRE Hedgerow Heroes project
April 2022 update:
CPRE Shropshire is delighted to announce that funding has been approved for Phase 2 of its Hedgerow Heroes project
More information will follow on these pages in the next few weeks.
Below please find information about what was delivered as part of Phase 1.
If you are a landowner who has a potential site for hedgerow creation in Shropshire this winter, please contact us (sites may be farms, smallholdings estates, community spaces but not private gardens). We welcome collaboration with community groups.
(Hedges are planted with volunteers and not contractors).
Please sign up for our mailing list to get updated information and early offers for events and training.
Below is more information about our plans for hedgerow creation and restoration in Shropshire, walks and talks on all things hedgerow and hedgerow maintenance training workshops.
Hedgerow Planting & Restoration
Why not volunteer to help us plant new hedgerows in South Shropshire this Autumn/Winter!
Hedge-laying workshops
Learn traditional hedge-laying with an expert with our free workshops
Hedgerow
Walks
Take A Walk Around the Hedges to learn about hedgerow plants and trees. There may even be a bit of foraging!
Hedgerow
Talks
Listen to talks from experts in their field on all things hedgerow - from plant folklore and Shropshire field names to hedgerow history.
Why a hedgerow project and what will it deliver?
As elsewhere in the UK, and as evidenced by a glance at George Foxall’s Field Name maps (based on the Shropshire tithe maps of 1847), there have been huge losses of our hedgerows over the last century as well as a decline in overall sensitive management.
Along the county’s roads and lanes, and in conjunction with verges, hedges are essentially a ‘woodland edge’ habitat with all the potential ecological benefits that brings – they are really important wildlife corridors as well as having the capacity to store carbon, help prevent flooding and erosion, providing shelter and windbreaks.
CPRE Shropshire is taking part in a national CPRE Hedgerow Heroes project and for the first time will be tackling some 'boots on the ground' practical work as well as organising walks and talks on the subject of our wonderful hedgerows!
The project will deliver:
* Hedgerow creation on selected sites (the planting will be done by volunteers) in the autumn/winter of 2021/22 (More here)
* Hedgerow restoration (gapping up planting done by volunteers; any hedgelaying or coppicing work done by local professionals/contractors). Autumn/winter 2021/22 (More here)
*Hedgerow ID walks (South Shropshire mainly) (More here)
*Hedgerow management training - in particular hedge-laying, coppicing (More here)
*Outreach to schools and children - (More here)
*A series of online talks on all things 'hedgerow' (More here)
*Partnership working with a number of local environmental organisations including the Stepping Stones Project (National Trust), Trees for Shropshire, Shropshire Hills AONB, Middle Marches Community Land Trust, Severn Tree Trust, B-Lines project (Buglife), Small Woods Association, Caring for Gods Acre, Restoring Shropshire Verge Project, Marches Meadow Group, and others.
Project officer for Shropshire: Sarah Jameson (admin@cpreshropshire.org.uk)
Project Partner/adviser: Rob Rowe
