Hedgerow Heroes Herefordshire

After a fantastic first season, where volunteers, landowners, schools and communities helped us plant and restore over 3.7km of beautiful hedgerows, we were excited to launch the second year of Hedgerow Heroes Herefordshire in September 2025.

We’re absolutely thrilled to share that we surpassed our target of 6km — planting and restoring a total of 9.38km of hedgerow across the county between September 2025 and April 2026. That breaks down to 7900m new hedgerow, 1274m gapping up existing hedgerows and 203m hedgelaying.

Did you know that since 1945, England has lost more than half of its hedgerows? These living boundaries are bursting with life and support around one in ten of the UK’s vulnerable species, including the hazel dormouse and the much-loved hedgehog, whose decline is closely tied to hedgerow loss. The lines of hedges crisscrossing our countryside act as vital wildlife corridors, helping creatures as varied as dormice, pollinators and rare brown hairstreak butterflies move safely through our landscapes.

This season, we worked side-by-side with farmers, parish groups, communities, schools and colleges to protect and expand Herefordshire’s vital hedgerow network.

Alongside the planting, we ran traditional hedgelaying courses, hosted talks on the history and value of hedges, and inspired young people through hands-on learning projects. Every metre planted helps us tackle climate change, boost biodiversity and bring our landscapes to life — from giving safe passage to hedgehogs and dormice, to supporting pollinators and birds.

See our progress with our Hedge-o-Meter

Hedge Planting Locations

We’ve had a fantastic response from farmers around Herefordshire. You can see the approximate locations of our sites below:

Based on Hedgelink data, this season’s planting alone will offset around 7.2 tonnes of CO₂e per year, rising to an estimated 10 tonnes annually when combined with last season’s 3.7km, and projected to lock away over 100 tonnes of CO₂e across 20 years. And that’s before you factor in the long-term carbon stored in the soil.

Every metre planted sits within either the River Wye or River Lugg catchment, two of England’s most ecologically stressed rivers. Healthy hedgerows reduce agricultural run-off and soil erosion (key drivers of water pollution) directly supporting our ongoing work with our River Wye Citizen Science project.

Teaching the Craft of Hedgelaying

We are pleased to share that we ran 7 hands-on hedgelaying courses, restoring an impressive 203 metres of hedgerow in the process.

These courses, run by us and expertly led by Richard Clarke of Really Rural, offered a rare opportunity to step into a heritage countryside craft and learn how to manage and rejuvenate overgrown hedgerows with confidence.

With Richard’s guidance, participants gained practical skills in strengthening hedge structure, encouraging healthy new growth, and creating thriving habitats for wildlife.

Whether motivated by protecting crops and livestock, enhancing biodiversity, reducing flooding or preserving rural heritage, the courses provided a rewarding way to get involved and make a lasting difference — all while enjoying the fresh air and beauty of the Herefordshire countryside.

These courses were part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. A big thank you to the Herefordshire Council and UK Government for enabling us to pass on these traditional heritage skills to more people with these additional funds — helping keep vital heritage skills alive and thriving.

Hedgerow Heroes Talks

We held 3 successful Hedgerow talks in 2025 – with the Weobley and Ross branches of the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and another with the Almeley Green Group. Both events were well attended, sparked plenty of interest, and brought new volunteers into the project.

Although we don’t have any further talks currently scheduled, we’d be very happy to arrange one for your school, college, or community group.

If you’re interested in hosting a talk, please contact us at info@cpreherefordshire.org.uk – we’d love to hear from you!

Past Events:

• • Thursday 2nd October – Weobley branch of the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, Hopelands, Weobley Village Hall

  • Monday 13th October – Almeley Green Group, Almeley Village Hall

  • Friday 7th November – Ross brand of the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

Collaborating with schools and colleges

We’re pleased to continue collaborating with Holme Lacy Agricultural College and QE Bromyard Secondary School, while also hoping to build new partnerships with other schools and colleges across Herefordshire this season.

If you represent a school or college that would like students to take part in hedge planting and learn more about the importance of hedgerows, please email us at info@cpreherefordshire.org.uk.

We have free downloadable classroom resources for KS1 and KS2 available below.