As part of the Campaign to Protect Rural England’s centenary project to plant 100 miles of new hedgerows during 2026, regional sustainability charity Groundwork Five Counties has been working with CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and local volunteers to plant and restore 2km of new hedgerows in Derbyshire. Thirteen planting sessions in March are still available to participate in.
The UK is reported to have lost up to 50% of since WW2 – more than the length of our country’s entire road system.
Andrea Watwood, Vice Chair of CPRE Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, says: “Hedgerows are a living legacy and are fundamental to the character and function of our countryside. As well as shaping our landscapes, hedgerows help fight climate change by capturing and storing carbon, provide shelter and shade for livestock, mitigate flooding and support more than 2,000 species.
“Our volunteer-led Hedgerow Heroes project has been running since November with great success and we are on track to deliver over 2,000 meters of new hedgerow by the end of March.”
Rish Mills, Environment Delivery Manager at Groundwork Five Counties, says: “You can help us to look after our fantastic countryside, gain valuable green skills, learn about hedgerows, and meet like-minded people.
“We welcome people of all ages and abilities to become a Hedgerow Hero. For instance, a group of primary school children joined us who were very excited to get their hands mucky. They did a fantastic job and had a lovely day out of the classroom!”
Over the past months, Rish and his team of habitat management experts have been joined by dozens of Derbyshire locals to plant hedgerow whips. These will grow 1 – 2 feet per year, so will be fully grown in just a few short years.
There are a number of planting sessions that residents and local community groups can participate in: Shirland (DE55): Monday 2nd – Friday 6th March, Smalley (DE7): Monday 16th – Tuesday 17th March, Wirksworth (DE4): Tuesday 17th – Friday 20th March, Chesterfield (S42): Tuesday 24th, Friday 27th and Tuesday 31st March.
All sessions are 9:30am – 3pm and volunteers can attend one or multiple days.
For more information about the project and to sign up, visit: https://www.groundwork.org.uk/gwfc-hedgerow or https://www.cprederbyshire.org.uk
