Defending the sustainability and function
of British hedgerows
Every autumn, trillions of tonnes of foodstuff and acres of shelter are lost to tractor-driven blades,
stripping out forage and foliage that would otherwise support wild creatures.
The trend to cut to the same height each year violates all known guidelines.
Cutting annually 'to the knuckle' destroys food stocks, shelter, hibernation sites and breeding grounds.
The blanket of weeds at the base of the hedgerow (sward) is removed so warm, safe hiding places are laid bare. Exposed to the elements, unable to provide sustenance or rejuvenate a canopy in time for nesting birds in spring,
most hedge lines (spanning half a million miles in the UK) are barren, silent, and devoid of life.
Landowners and contractors can do so much to stop this devastation -
The UK right now is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world!!!
Hedgerow Defenders is set to become a national charity -
Please fill in the contact form below to register your interest.
stripping out forage and foliage that would otherwise support wild creatures.
The trend to cut to the same height each year violates all known guidelines.
Cutting annually 'to the knuckle' destroys food stocks, shelter, hibernation sites and breeding grounds.
The blanket of weeds at the base of the hedgerow (sward) is removed so warm, safe hiding places are laid bare. Exposed to the elements, unable to provide sustenance or rejuvenate a canopy in time for nesting birds in spring,
most hedge lines (spanning half a million miles in the UK) are barren, silent, and devoid of life.
Landowners and contractors can do so much to stop this devastation -
The UK right now is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world!!!
Hedgerow Defenders is set to become a national charity -
Please fill in the contact form below to register your interest.
Statement made for Hedgerow Defenders by Joanna Lumley DBE, February 2023,
addressing the government policy of the time:
"Hedgerows are the life-line for so many of our small wild animals and birds - they stabilise the land and capture carbon; I urge them to put nature first on their agenda. They must act immediately: they may not be forgiven if they do not.”
Since Joanna made this comment, hedgerow guidelines have been published in many advisories from Government, charities and research organisations.
But guidelines are not enough. See below!
Image Credit: Gemma Levine
addressing the government policy of the time:
"Hedgerows are the life-line for so many of our small wild animals and birds - they stabilise the land and capture carbon; I urge them to put nature first on their agenda. They must act immediately: they may not be forgiven if they do not.”
Since Joanna made this comment, hedgerow guidelines have been published in many advisories from Government, charities and research organisations.
But guidelines are not enough. See below!
Image Credit: Gemma Levine
We lobbied the BTO to contribute evidence on this environmental massacre.
In 2024 they published the Hedgerow Nesting Bird Report which gives a record of the current situation. You can read it here:
www.bto.org/our-science/publications/research-reports/breeding-periods-hedgerow-nesting-birds-england?dm_t=0,0,0,0,0
The Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024
maintained the no-cutting season between March and September
but DO NOTHING to protect mature hedgerow!
Please -
Click here for links to organisations providing advice on hedge management.
Contact local and national politicians through the envelope below.
The ecocidal elimination of British wildlife cannot be permitted to continue.
Click here for guidelines on sustainable hedgerow management from the NFFN
THE FACTS
Cutting to the same height each year
aka 'cutting to the knuckle' or 'thugging' - hugging the hedge with tractor-driven blades
prevents fruiting and flowering
Insects, birds and small mammals starve without these food reserves.
Sustainability of the UK's ecosystem is being reduced year after year.
strips out winter shelter and essential harvest
Fruit only forms on second-year growth.
stops birds reliant on hedge habitat from breeding
Thugged hedgerows cannot regenerate in time for nest sites to develop in spring.
increases flood risk and reduces capacity for carbon absorption
leaving little or no foliage left for photosynthesis or water uptake from root systems.
In 20 years, the popularity of overcutting has led to losses on an unprecedented scale.
Species once familiar and abundant are now absent from our landscape as a result.
Click here for a (sample) list of the species we have lost
We urgently need this habitat to be restored in our countryside!
Please fill in this Contact Form so we can keep you appraised of developments and let you know when there is news.
Hedgerow Defenders will soon become a charity needing your support to help us push for urgent change and protect the hedgerow habitat against continual depletion.
Hedgerows like this offer no protection to wildlife or livestock.
Which species
are most at risk? |
Behind every picture there's a story.
|
Nothing can survive without food and shelter, left open to the elements.
What about
carbon footprint? |
Hedgerows cut back to bare sticks every year cannot perform any function for which they are naturally intended. This was not always the case - 'cutting to the knuckle' is a trend that has grown in the last 20 years, at the expense of billions of wild lives.
Hedgerows were thriving green corridors full of life, colour and harvest across the UK
until the Hedgecutting Attachment became a popular tractor accessory.
The structure of a hedge and the value of its components can be found here
at the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species guide to healthy hedgerows.
Hedgerows were thriving green corridors full of life, colour and harvest across the UK
until the Hedgecutting Attachment became a popular tractor accessory.
The structure of a hedge and the value of its components can be found here
at the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species guide to healthy hedgerows.
DEFRA missed an opportunity to protect mature hedgerow last year following a 'consultation' which was not widely publicised.
Since launching its campaign 2021, Hedgerow Defenders has:
Initiated coverage of hedgerow management by Adam Henson on Countryfile
Successfully lobbied the BTO to produce the Hedgerow Nesting Bird Report
Secured a constructive relationship with nature-friendly charities
and is currently in communication with local government authorities.
Developed and maintained an active Facebook Page -
find us here!.
We are actively initiating and partaking in environmental projects and educational networks,
so please let us know of your local campaigns and events that we might engage with.
Wherever the potential exists to change the trend in hedgerow management,
we have to take that opportunity before cascade failure becomes irreversible.
Hedgerow is an inherent feature of the British landscape; the ecosystem it supports is irreplaceable.
While hedgerows require management to keep them viable and prevent them from becoming tree lines,
sensitive techniques need to be adopted and supported by Government and landowners alike.
Since launching its campaign 2021, Hedgerow Defenders has:
Initiated coverage of hedgerow management by Adam Henson on Countryfile
Successfully lobbied the BTO to produce the Hedgerow Nesting Bird Report
Secured a constructive relationship with nature-friendly charities
and is currently in communication with local government authorities.
Developed and maintained an active Facebook Page -
find us here!.
We are actively initiating and partaking in environmental projects and educational networks,
so please let us know of your local campaigns and events that we might engage with.
Wherever the potential exists to change the trend in hedgerow management,
we have to take that opportunity before cascade failure becomes irreversible.
Hedgerow is an inherent feature of the British landscape; the ecosystem it supports is irreplaceable.
While hedgerows require management to keep them viable and prevent them from becoming tree lines,
sensitive techniques need to be adopted and supported by Government and landowners alike.
Copy and paste this letter or parts of it, adding your own words for best effect.
Contact official Parliamentary representatives in your area through the link here:
"Hedges help to stop flooding, sustain flora and fauna, provide interest to all. They protect land and provide shelter for animals. There are so many benefits; we have to stop all this destruction. Furthermore, 'hedges are brilliant at capturing carbon. A new hedgerow can absorb the carbon produced by a car travelling over 600 miles'. Evidence suggests they are natural barriers to harmful air pollution in our streets if they are at the level of pedestrians. What is there not to like about this?"
Diana W
See many more statements from concerned people on the Comments page
A healthy hedge line is a rare sight in the British countryside today!
Where there is blossom, as pictured above, there will be fruit in the autumn.
Safe places for nesting wildlife will be ready by early spring.
Hedgerows need managing sensitively to benefit livestock, environmental health and biodiversity.
On most of the hedgerows we see across the landscape now, there is no blossom or fruit.
The hedges pictured below cannot develop a full canopy before May, so birds will not nest in them.
Bare sticks and exposed pleaches are not representative of a sustainable ecosystem.
Any hibernators or creatures needing shelter from harsh weather will die.
These hedges won't be growing blossom or producing fruit next year.
No food, no shelter, no nest sites, no sustainable growth.
Where there is blossom, as pictured above, there will be fruit in the autumn.
Safe places for nesting wildlife will be ready by early spring.
Hedgerows need managing sensitively to benefit livestock, environmental health and biodiversity.
On most of the hedgerows we see across the landscape now, there is no blossom or fruit.
The hedges pictured below cannot develop a full canopy before May, so birds will not nest in them.
Bare sticks and exposed pleaches are not representative of a sustainable ecosystem.
Any hibernators or creatures needing shelter from harsh weather will die.
These hedges won't be growing blossom or producing fruit next year.
No food, no shelter, no nest sites, no sustainable growth.
Click on the links below for further experiential evidence of what best-practice hedgerow management can do:
https://www.nffn.org.uk/farmer-stories/patrick-barker-reversing-nature-loss
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320715001068?via%3Dihub
Talk about hedgerow welfare - it really matters!
HELP US TO STOP THIS ECOCIDE NOW
Farmers, we need you - we all need good relations in our communities. We want to support your appeals for fair deals and back your efforts to prioritise farming initiatives. We also need you to manage the hedgerows on your land sustainably, so that everyone can access a healthy, vibrant countryside in support of our physical and mental health.
Please - advisories can be found here and throughout this site!
You can save time and money, improve soil health, supplement livestock, provide shelter and wild harvest, protect against flooding (1 metre of hedge draws 3 - 5 tonnes of water), aid carbon capture (40% more than grassland can manage) and support biodiversity.
Help positive changes in practice to gain ground before cascade failure
irreversibly destroys wild populations and ultimately threatens our own survival.
Member; National Hedgelaying Society and Nature Friendly Farming Network
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