Hedge Planting in High Winds

Despite the weather’s best efforts, we spent three days at the end of March transforming two major areas of our site here at Cow Close Farm.

Campaign to Protect Rural England’s Hedgerow Heroes scheme is in stage five of its long-term project to plant and restore hedgerows across the UK. Fortunately for us, one of their current areas of focus is Derbyshire, where their eager volunteers hope to plant or restore 2,300 meters of hedgerow across the county.

In the years to come, we hope these hedgerows will grow thick and strong, providing vital habitat and shelter for a wide range of wildlife, from small mammals and nesting birds to insects and pollinators.

Together, we made fantastic progress. A T-shaped hedgerow now stretches across the top field, while additional whips have been planted along two sides of Barn Owl field. These new green boundaries are an exciting step in our ongoing rewilding efforts.

In the years to come, we hope these hedgerows will grow thick and strong, providing vital habitat and shelter for a wide range of wildlife, from small mammals and nesting birds to insects and pollinators.

The volunteers were not only incredibly efficient but also a joy to work with. Despite the blustery weather, spirits stayed high, helped along by welcome breaks with hot tea and an ample supply of Marks & Spencer biscuits.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us. Your hard work is already making a lasting difference.

If you’d like to see us in action, you can check out a reel we made on the day, here!

Hannah, the communications officer at Wild & Other.