Hedgerow Heroes planting gets underway

Monday May 6th marked not only the start of National hedgerow Week, but also the first day of planting in the CPRE Bedfordshire Hedgerow Heroes project.

The team at St Mary’s Church, Goldington planted a hawthorn hedge as part of their Eco Church work, aiming to boost biodiversity on this urban site.  

CPRE Bedfordshire picked the site as our pilot project because the hedgerow planting would support the work already being done to help the church grounds provide homes for a wide variety of wildlife.

Over the past few years swift boxes have been installed in the church tower, a pond has been added, and areas of grass left to grow long. As an urban site, the church grounds provide a vital wildlife corridor alongside much needed green space. The new hedgerow is next to a busy footpath and will provide an opportunity for local residents to connect to nature. 

CPRE Bedfordshire helped fund the hedgerow saplings needed for 20m of planting as well as environmentally friendly tree guards. The Eco Church team at St Mary’s have knowledge and experience of tree planting and care and so were able to oversee the planting and will maintain the hedgerow as it grows.

The day was warm and clear, attracting a small band of volunteers – including children – to come along at 10:00 am, with more joining later in the morning. Inside the church there were extra activities for children including planting sunflower seeds and activity sheets. A mid-morning break for coffee and pastries was appreciated by all, providing an opportunity to relax and chat.

Involving children and families, including those from the uniformed organisations who meet in the church hall, Messy Church and other church activities, and holiday drop-ins for the local community, was an important part of the Hedgerow Heroes application. Learning about caring for the environment, the wildlife on their doorstep, and growing things are all part of the newly appointed Children’s and Families Minister Ceri-Anne Ashby’s vision for engaging families using the whole church site. On the Sunday following the planting, the children helped water the hedgerow following a week of warm weather.

It was a hugely positive planting session and set the tone for the Hedgerow Heroes project. We hope that the hedgerow will become an important asset for the church, the local community and wildlife. We look forward to seeing it flourish in the years ahead and hope to be able to share photo updates with you as it grows.