The room was full for Jessica's talk - Jessica is from the charity "Wild Oxfordshire" and she knows her stuff about hedges .... mainly the ones that we see on the sides of the road and forming field bounaries, but which we may well take for granted as just "parts of the landscape".

But they are important ... to us and wildlife - they can reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides, help control stock, reduce flooding, act as windbreaks, prevent soil erosion, they look great and help us with our mental health, have forage prospects (sloes, blackberries, rosehips) , provide shelter for livestock, nesting for birds etc. they provide routes for bats, support pollinators, provide fuel if coppiced, song posts for birds, winter food for birds (berries etc), basking locations for reptiles, if it includes trees then they can host 400 different insect species, and on top of that, hedges help to absorb carbon dioxide.

So what is a good hedgerow? one that is maintained - cut on a regular basis (every one, 2 or3 years); has a wide margin of wildflowers, a good mix of species, connects different habitats (green corridor), and if it has a ditch, so much the better - its a separate micro-habitat rich in its own species.

Jess used material from the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species and spoke about rejuvenating poor quality hedges, suggesting layering or coppicing; Wild Oxfordshire hold courses on both which sound fun! both stimulate new growth, and improve the quality of the hedge.

Online resources referenced too of course Hedgelink, PTES, Wychwood Forest Trust, Farmability and Wild Oxfordshire all have information and resources. Locally there is a campaign Hedgerow Heros organised by Wild Oxfordshire with targets to improve hedgerows,

A really interesting talk about these often overlooked and really important features in our Countryside!