Buddies being asked to help charity with hedgerows survey

Paisley people are being invited to take part in a survey to health-check Britain’s hedgerows.

The hedgerows that criss-cross the countryside are a vital habitat and corridor for many of our native species.

However, they are becoming increasingly fragmented which is threatening the wildlife that depends on them.

This August, wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), is launching a new national survey, the Great British Hedgerow Survey, encouraging the UK to health-check the nation’s hedgerows in an attempt to safeguard the future of this important habitat.

The survey offers instant feedback about the health of each hedge, as well as tailored advice on what type of management will ensure it thrives in the future.

The results also provides conservationists with vital data helping build a national picture of the health of Britain’s hedges.

The Great British Hedgerow Survey is aimed at landowners, farmers, wildlife groups and anyone interested in healthy hedgerows, who are encouraged to complete hedgerow health-checks online.

Megan Gimber, from PTES, said:“With 70 per cent of UK land being agricultural, hedgerows offer the safest route for wildlife to travel across farmland.

“Sadly, many hedgerows are becoming gappy, which fragments this amazing network, and without more sensitive management, many hedgerows are at risk of being lost altogether.

“This is problematic, especially when we’re seeing a fall in numbers of the animals that depend on them, such as hedgehogs, bats, hazel dormice and song thrush.”

To take part and/or find out more, visit: hedgerowsurvey.ptes.org

Many hedgerows are being lost altogether. We’re seeing a fall in numbers of animals that depend on them. Megan Gimber PTES