Hedgerows

Hedgerows are living things that need to be managed to stay in good condition. To better protect hedgerows we need stronger regulation and more funding to support the work farmers do in maintaining them. Hedgerows, like our dry stone walls are a key part of our biodiversity superhighway.

This country has lost hundreds of miles of hedgerows over the past 50 years. We campaign to protect the hedgerows of North Yorkshire and push for more legislation to protect them. Recent applications have included the ‘translocation of ancient hedgerows’ – Madeleine Beaufoy, one of our members, led the way in illustrating that there is no data to support than an ‘ancient’ hedgerow can indeed be trans-located.

England’s hedgerows offer a valuable habitat for wildlife, amongst many other benefits, and we’re working to protect them and create more.

Hedgerows are the vital stitching in the patchwork of our countryside. Not only are they beautiful, with shifting seasonal colours, but they also benefit wildlife and the wider environment. They store carbon and help slow climate change.

We think they need protecting, and support the Climate Change Committee’s call for a 40% increase in the extent of hedgerows by 2050 to help address the climate emergency.