Volunteering for a Local Hedgerow Restoration Project

By Baking a Traditional Apple and Blackberry Crumble
Comments 35
1 Jul 2026

Volunteering for a Local Hedgerow Restoration Project

Why Britain's Hedgerows Need a Hand

Walk almost any country lane and you are walking beside one of the most important habitats in Britain. A good hedgerow is a corridor, a larder and a nursery all at once — sheltering everything from hedgehogs and harvest mice to yellowhammers, linnets and the brown hairstreak butterfly. Since the middle of the twentieth century we have lost roughly half of our hedgerows to field enlargement and mechanised farming, and much of what survives has been cut back so hard and so often that it is little more than a low, gappy line of twigs.

The good news is that hedgerows respond extraordinarily well to a bit of knowledgeable attention. A laid hedge thickens at the base, flowers and berries return, and within a couple of seasons the wildlife follows. That work is done largely by volunteers, and projects across the country are almost always short of hands.

What Volunteers Actually Do

Hedgerow restoration covers three broad jobs, and they run at different times of year. You do not need any prior experience for any of them — you will be shown what to do on the day, and most people pick it up within an hour.

Planting — filling gaps and creating new hedges between November and March, using bare-root native whips while the plants are dormant.
Hedge laying — the traditional winter craft of part-cutting and bending stems to create a living, stock-proof barrier that will last decades.
Surveying — walking a hedge in spring and summer with a clipboard, recording species, height, gaps, ground flora and signs of wildlife.

Planting and laying are physical days out in the cold; surveying is gentler and suits anyone who prefers a slow walk and a keen eye. Many projects need all three.

A Planting Day, Step by Step

Planting is the easiest way in. You will usually work in pairs down a marked line, one person making a slit with a spade or mattock, the other tucking in a whip and firming the soil around its roots with a heel. The plants are bare-root stock, roughly 60 to 90cm tall, and they arrive in bundles of mixed native species: hawthorn and blackthorn for the bulk, with hazel, field maple, dog rose, guelder rose, spindle and crab apple adding diversity.

Spacing matters. A double row staggered about 30cm apart gives roughly six plants per metre, which is dense enough to knit together into a hedge rather than a row of isolated shrubs. Each whip gets a cane and a spiral guard to protect it from rabbits and deer, and a mulch mat if the site is grassy. Plant to the same depth the plant was growing at in the nursery — the faint soil mark on the stem tells you where — then firm gently and water in.

One tip worth knowing: after planting, whips are often cut back hard to around 15cm. It feels brutal, but it encourages strong bushy growth from the base instead of one spindly stem.

Hedge Laying: An Old Craft With a Modern Purpose

Hedge laying is the winter work that turns a neglected, gappy hedge back into something magnificent. The principle is simple: a stem is cut almost all the way through near ground level, leaving a thin hinge of living wood, then laid over at an angle and woven in with its neighbours. The hinge keeps sap flowing, so the stem keeps growing and puts up fresh shoots along its length.

You will use a billhook, a handsaw or occasionally a chainsaw in trained hands, and you will learn to judge the cut by feel — too shallow and the stem snaps, too deep and it dies. Different regions have their own styles, from the Midland bullock hedge to the Devon bank, and finished hedges are usually bound with hazel or willow and staked for support. Expect to be shown the basics on a practice stem before you tackle anything real.

Surveying: Becoming the Project's Eyes

Surveys are how a project knows whether its work is paying off. A typical method is to record a 30-metre stretch of hedge in detail: the number of woody species present, height, width, the size and number of gaps, and any ground flora along the base. Five or more woody species in 30 metres is generally considered species-rich, and that figure alone can shape where future funding and effort go.

You might also look for wildlife signs — nibbled hazelnuts with neat tooth marks that suggest dormice, or the tiny pearl-like eggs of the brown hairstreak laid on blackthorn twigs in winter. Bird counts, bat transects and insect records all add value. If you like paying close attention to small things, this is the role for you.

What to Bring, and What to Expect

Practical clothing makes all the difference on a hedgerow site. Tools are almost always provided, but you will want your own kit.

Sturdy gloves — leather-palmed gardening gloves are ideal; thin cotton ones will not survive blackthorn.
Layers and a waterproof coat — hedge work is slow and you cool down quickly when you stop.
Wellies or sturdy boots — clay soil in February is a serious opponent.
A flask, lunch and plenty of water, plus secateurs if you own a pair.

Days typically run from around 10am to mid-afternoon, with a proper tea-and-biscuits break. Tell the organiser in advance about any back, shoulder or knee trouble so they can find you a comfortable task, and wear something brightly coloured during the shooting season. You will be taught as you go, and nobody will mind if you spend your first hour simply watching.

The quiet reward of this work is its timescale. A hedge you plant this winter will still be standing, flowering and full of birds when today's children are grandparents. Few afternoons of volunteering offer that kind of return.

Conservation

Making Elderflower Cordial from Local Hedgerows

Take a reusable bottle, pick up litter safely and choose snacks with minimal packaging. Small habits keep footpaths and waterways cleaner for wildlife.

Previous Post At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium.

Next Post Dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentiu deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores

5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

Jenny Watson

Hi! beautiful people. I`m an authtor of this blog. Read our post - stay with us

Instagram

How We Can
Help You!

Community orchards provide blossom for bees and fruit for people. Choose traditional varieties, plant in winter and protect young trees from grazing animals.

section heading hidden

Our Latest News

Reducing Plastic Waste on Countryside Walks

Creating a Community Orchard for Wildlife

Foraging Blackberries from British Hedgerows Safely

Contact Us

Article