Regional charities Groundwork Five Counties and CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire have concluded their collaborative nature restoration project. The aim of the ‘Hedgerow Heroes’ project was to restore 2 kilometres of hedgerows, which they have surpassed with a total of 2.6km.
The UK is reported to have lost up to 50% of hedgerows since WW2 – more than the length of our country’s entire road system. Nationally, CPRE trusts have been fighting to restore these assets to our landscape, which provide vital food and shelter for wildlife and are crucial to combat climate change.
Local branch CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire enlisted the help of sustainable charity Groundwork Five Counties to plant and rejuvenate 2km of hedgerows in Derbyshire. This project is part of CPRE’s ambitious national effort to plant 100 miles of new hedgerows across England in celebration of the charity’s centenary.
Andrea Watwood, Vice Chair of CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, says: “Since December, we have facilitated dozens of planting sessions around the county, including Amber Valley, Derbyshire Dales and Erewash.
“We have been joined by 155 local volunteers, from primary school children to professionals on a team day to retired nature-lovers. Every single person has worked hard to help us reach our 2km goal. I’m pleased to say we’ve achieved a total of 2.4km new and over 200 metres of rejuvenated hedgerows, which is just fantastic.”
Rish Mills, Environment Delivery Manager at Groundwork Five Counties, says: “We have planted a total of 11,393 native hedge plants at 13 sites. They grow fast, so within a few short years these will be full-sized hedges and will make a big difference to the local environment.
“At Groundwork we are committed to restore the natural environment that we have lost, and we are very pleased to have worked with CPRE on this project. It has been a huge success, and we couldn’t have done it without all our enthusiastic local volunteers.”
