CPRE, The Countryside Charity, in Avon and Bristol has been awarded £50,000 to restore hedgerows in South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset.
The charity said that the investment will enable it to provide a better environment for wildlife and improve farming landscapes. It noted that since the Second World War, half of the UK's hedgerows have disappeared, contributing to a fall in nature and rising carbon emissions.
In a statement CPRE said: "Hedgerows are nature’s super highways, they enable wildlife to move around so they can get the food, water and shelter they need to thrive. For example, they provide nesting sites for declining species of birds; hedgehogs and dormice.
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"On farmland they shelter livestock and act as a physical barrier to water flows during heavy rainstorms, reducing flood risk and erosion of soils. They also store carbon in their woody stems. Hedgerows are good for farming and for nature. When it comes to hedgerows, farmers don’t need to choose between food production or nature, they support both in harmony."
A mixed hedgerow might typically contain hawthorn, blackthorn, spindle, hazel, holly, alder, dogwood and even elm.
The charity is looking for volunteer 'Hedgerow Heroes' to bring West Country hedgerows back to life and help reach its target of 40 by 50 . That is 40% increase by 2050.
The project began with a great group of volunteers in South Gloucestershire last year. The charity worked with South Gloucestershire Council who have since changed their management of hedgerows to be more nature friendly.
This new grant funding enables them to extend the project to Bath and North East Somerset and work with the Council and farmers and land managers.
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