Hedgerows
Hedgerows are the UK’s largest wildlife habitat, an instantly recognisable part of British landscapes, a huge booster of biodiversity, all whilst helping to tackle climate change.
If you would like to plant a hedgerow on land you own, drop an e-mail to sustainabilityteam@doncaster.gov.uk to register your interest in free trees!
There are nearly 400,000km of hedgerow in England – enough to go around the entire planet almost 10 times! Sadly however, around 190,000km of hedgerow have disappeared since the 1950s.
What makes a good hedge?
Hedgerows are corridors, that are at their best when connecting to other green spaces. The key components of a good hedge are:
- Variety – species rich hedgerow that have many trees alongside each other, such as hawthorn, blackthorn, field maple, and hazel.
- Flowers and fruit – food sources for as many different animals as possible, with some edible for humans too!
- No gaps – there are no gaps, allowing animals to travel the length without exposing themselves to predators.
- Thickness – the hedge is dense enough that a bird’s nest could be hidden without being seen. It may take a few years before newly planted hedgerow reaches this point.
- Extra habitats – bonus points if there are wildflowers, ditches, or banks next to a hedge that can support even more species!
New hedgerow and tree planting in Doncaster
To fight back against the estimated loss of half of all hedgerows during the 20th century, Doncaster has answered the call to action. Here are what some of our contributors have to say:
 Comments and photos from our residents and landowners"The hedge plants will make extra habitat and extra shade, plus safety from predators for the birds. Waking up to a dawn chorus is lovely!" |
 What our schools are saying"We were delighted with the support provided by Doncaster Council to help us engage with the local plan to plant 1,000,000 trees. We are wanting to improve our boundaries in terms of security, sound reduction and biodiversity." |
To learn more about hedgerows and their value, check out the Woodland Trust’s document here: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/media/1800/wood-wise-hedgerows-and-hedgerow-trees.pdf or Hedgelink's webpage here: National Hedgerow Week 2024 - Celebrate connectivity this spring (hedgelink.org.uk)