
Talking Hedges
A Series of 4 Webinars Celebrating Hedgerow Habitat
Learn from our expert guest speakers about:
Wildlife
How hedgerows are great for biodiversityManagement
How to manage hedgerows to get the most out of themProtection
What's going on to protect these vital habitatsZoom Webinar Details
The webinars are FREE to attend thanks to generous support from CPRE and Smiths of Bletchington. You can register to join by following the Eventbrite links under each webinar heading below. Once you have registered you will gain access to the Zoom webinar link.
We look forward to seeing you there! The webinars are ordered by date of occurrence.
'Surveying Hedgerows - Why & How' - Megan Gimber
Working for the ‘People’s Trust for Endangered Species’ as the Key Habitats project officer, Megan works to protect our most vital habitats. Currently the habitat she’s particularly focused on is hedgerows! Passionate about keeping our hedgerows as healthy as possible, Megan has been heavily involved in PTES’ “Close the Gap” campaign to improve the quality of the habitat as well as promoting the new ‘Healthy Hedgerows App’ to help users best manage hedgerows with a focus on habitat conservation and improvement. Join us to discover why hedgerows truly are fabulous and to learn specialized survey techniques.
'Hedgerows and Wildlife' - Rob Wolton
Watch Again Professional Ecologist turned Hedgerow Advocate and Research Enthusiast, Rob began studying his local hedgerow as a result of an extreme surveying challenge from a friend. After two years of making observations he’d found a whopping 2,000 species, including dormice, hedgehogs and toads, in just 40 meters of hedgerow! Over a decade on and he’s done press releases, created the Devon Hedgerow Project, expanded his research and continued to promote the value of hedgerows, these “reservoirs of life”.
'Hedgerows - Laws, Rules & Regulations (Legislation and the Hedgerow Protection Bill) - Emma Marrington
Watch Again Emma is an experienced campaigns and rural policy specialist working for ‘The Countryside’s Charity’ within their campaigns team. Leading their landscape enhancement, she works on some of our most treasured places, including National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Adept at bringing research, strategy and people together, Emma will be talking about the planning system behind protecting our hedgerows, specifically the Hedge Protection Bill and clearing up the complex world of legislation for us.
'The Management Lifecycle of a Hedge' - Nigel Adams
We were unable to record Nigel's presentation but you can watch him explain "The Management Lifecycle of a Hedge" at the Oxford Real Farming Conference 2022 HERE
“No hedge stays the same for ever. A hard cut, short hedge will start to fade away, and a tall hedge may eventually collapse or develop into a line of trees. Effectively every hedge goes through a life cycle, and good hedge management should recognize this.”
Nigel has has given talks for likes of Kew gardens and Oxfordshire Forestry Group, amongst many others, and has led many hedgerow management training days for Natural England, Peoples Trust For Endangered Species, The Tree Council, FWAG and local wildlife trusts, all with the view of using education and experienced practical advice to improve the condition of our hedgerows and make their future sustainable.
Hedge-laying and management is an ancient craft and therefore also somewhat of a dark art to get right. Over the years, Nigel has become an expert, understanding the importance of our hedgerows for both landowners and wildlife. Through his extensive and varied experience of managing the countryside and teaching others, Nigel believes land managers are keen to improve their land for wildlife and the landscape.
Thank you to Our Supporters
A huge thank you to the generous support of The Countryside Charity CPRE and Smiths of Bletchington whose generous support has enabled us to bring these events to you for free.