National Hedgerow Week stretches from 5th May to 11th May 2025
National Hedgerow Week in 2025 is all about the Future of Hedgerows. Get involved and help the hedge! #NationalHedgerowWeek
We often see hedgerows, usually without really thinking about them - but how often do we appreciate how important they are to the British countryside and its wildlife? I think of hedgerows as nature's motorways, one being connected to another and shaping our landscape with all the thousands of miles of hedge.
RSPB The UK’s hedgerows (all 95,000 miles of them!) are a critical habitat, supporting up to 130 of our priority species throughout the seas
In the last 50 years we've lost about half of our hedgerows. One of the things that's been happening is that so many people are now planting fences instead of hedges perhaps on the basis that they think fences need less maintenance. The RHS has a video on why a hedge is better than a fence - hedges help benefit wildlife, they prevent flooding and they can capture air pollution. View the video here
Hedgerows help wildlife survive and thrive
Our hedges give wildlife an incredible network of routes, if you like. We can imagine a little hedgehog scurrying along a hedge on his nightly journey, or a bird laying eggs, nesting and resting in the safety of the thick of the hedge. Many hedges provide food for wildlife and also for ourselves. Blackberry picking gives many of us great pleasure - and blackberries to make a pie with!
Hedgerows benefit everyone
The Campaign for Rural England has a campaign for hedgerows and they have LOTS of information about them, so please connect to their site and do some exploring.
So how can we help hedgerows and so help wildlife survive and thrive?
The UK Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan has set targets to create 45,000 miles of new or restored hedgerow by 2050. The problem is where the funding and skills needed to do the job are going to come from. It's important that people have access to the information and help they need to make sure hedges thrive in the future. Hence the theme for the 2025 National Hedgerow Week, The Future of Hedgerows.
They are starting small - libraries around the UK have displayed themed on hedgerows and many have events. Find out if your nearest library is taking part here. And there are also Find a Happy Hedge activity sheets to do!
And there are other events, too - the Tree Council has a number of talks around The Future of Hedgerows, including a discussion on the latest research, the threat of ash dieback, (which is also part of National Plant Health Week) and a focus on Hedgelink, and why collaborative action is so important (Working Together for the Future of Hedgerows). You can also listen to podcasts, collectively called Life on the Hedge.
Plant a hedge!
Plant a hedge! The RSPB has information on how to do this here. And if you haven’t got room to plant a whole hedge, don’t worry! The RSPB’s wildlife garden expert called Adrian has invented a hedge wedge – just plant one corner with hedge plants, 30cm away from boundaries and the plants 30dcm apart. This creates a corner thicket – perfect for nesting birds and wildlife – and you could put a hedgehog house there as well. Find out more here – the RSPB have a list of trees and shrubs that would be great for wildlife! Be inspired by Aberystwyth! The community there planted a hedge for wildlife.
The week has teamed up with the Green Libraries Network to give special hedgerow theme displays for children. Head to your local library to see if they have a display. Or why not created display at home or in school? There are plenty of resources you can download to do this
Check the health of your hedge
If you have hedges, why not check out their health this week? National Hedgerow Week coincides with National Plant Health Week (and Hedgehog Awareness Week – it’s all happening in the natural world!). There are useful guides at Observatree, and you can report any pests and disease you find using Forest Research’s Tree Alert.
When you’re out and about…
Help the People’s Trust for Endangered Species with their Great British Hedgerow Survey. It’s very easy to get involved – you could really help further their understanding of hedgerow health and what laws are needed to help them thrive.
Share a picture of your favourite hedge on social media using #MyFaveHedge
Gifts for nature lovers who love hedges
Why not make a gift supporting hedges? You could give them a virtual gift from the Woodland Trust for £30. It's called the Hedge Fund and it will help the Trust boost declining hedgerows. You could also give a hedging plant to plant in their garden.
Privet hedges are making a comeback
In the Daily Mail today, there's a report on how privet hedges are undergoing a revival, partly because they can deal with all types of weather. Hedging has got to be better than a fence - it's far nicer to look at and can withstand high winds better than a fence. Plus it gives birds shelter as well. The RHS has information about hedge choices with environment benefits - take a look here.
The book Hedgelands : A wild wander around Britain’s greatest habitat by Christopher Hart tells you everything you need to know about hedges. It talks about the life, ecology and history of the humble British hedge, and how hedgerow is now considered the greatest edge habitat on earth. And of course it gives protection against the elements. I recall doing some gardening one afternoon, with a brisk wind coming across the Sussex Downs, and how protected I felt from the weather. Find out more about this book from Hive.co.uk
The Society is dedicated to promoting and preserving the traditional craft of hedgelaying. Help preserve the past and protect the future! They have courses, events and lots of information online.
The Wildlife Trusts have information on how to manage a hedge for wildlife, including where to start, maintaining existing hedges, planting new hedges or filling gaps and choosing & buying your hedge!
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