Western Morning News (Saturday)
Donkey Sanctuary gets help from ‘hedge funds’
athwenna.irons@reachplc.com
RARE butterflies and birds could benefit from hedge restoration work at The Donkey Sanctuary as part of a wider scheme to improve water quality and reduce flooding across parts of East Devon.
Staff from the animal welfare charity have planted more the 500 young hedge trees so far to help restore and extend hedgerows at the Woods Farm site, near Sidmouth.
The trees, a mix of native species including beech, rowan, hawthorn, blackthorn and spindle, were put in as part of the Upstream Thinking Project and will reduce sediment and water run-off at the site, in turn helping to lessen the risk of flooding across the catchment of the nearby River Otter.
Ruth Angell, Ecology and Conservation Manager at The Donkey Sanctuary, said: “We are very grateful to the Upstream Thinking project for helping us make these improvements. Hedges are a really important component of the landscape – visually, culturally and ecologically.
“We also think they are very important for our donkeys, as they give them shade, shelter and browse.”
The Upstream Thinking Project is funded by South West Water and aims to improve water quality by providing grants and advice on a number of measures for land owners and managers located within river catchments. The Project’s partnership with the Woodland Trust enables them to provide free native trees.
The wildlife-friendly hedges at Woods Farm will enrich the environment of the resident donkeys and provide a home to rare threatened farmland birds such as linnet and yellowhammer. It is also hoped that it will provide habitat for the rare brown hairstreak butterfly. The trees were provided by the Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT), a partner in the Upstream Thinking Project.
David Rolls, Working Wetlands Advisory Officer at the DWT, added: “We are delighted to be able to team up with The Donkey Sanctuary in this way on this important project. The provision of free trees is just one of the ways we are working with a range of landowners in the Otter catchment who are undertaking some really significant work in the local area. It’s all very positive.”
Hedges can play an important role in improving water quality and reducing flooding risk because their
Helen Cavilla, ecology and conservation manager at The Donkey Sanctuary, planting new trees (inset) at the charity’s Woods Farm site
‘Hedges are a really important component of the landscape – visually, culturally and ecologically’
presence can reduce the speed and amount of water running off the land following heavy rain as well as reducing sediment run-off.
For wildlife, they can provide connectivity across the landscape, allowing animals such as bats to disperse and travel between areas of suitable habitat.
Woods Farm is not open to the public. To find out more about conservation volunteering with The Donkey Sanctuary, email: volunteer@thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk