Hedgerow Heroes Winter 2025/26

Another successful planting season for our Hedgerow Heroes project

Read on to find out about our latest hedgerow planting and how to help us plant more hedgerows.

22nd – 27th April – Double your donations with our Big Give Earth Rise Campaign

Two years of Hedgerow Heroes

On top of the 1,220 metres of new hedgerow planting and restoration of 280 metres of hedgerow over the winter of 2024/25, we have now planted another 1000 metres of new native hedgerows. From November 2025 to February 2026 our volunteers turned out in all weather to hand-plant around 5,000 little hedge plants. Most of the sites are managed by Parish Councils, many of them next to recreation grounds or other public green spaces. These hedges will increase the biodiversity for wildlife and enhance the green spaces for the communities. This season we also planted specimen plants at some of the locations to enhance the biodiversity. None of this would be possible without the support of the Forest of Marston Vale and our Hedgerow Hero volunteers.

Here is what one of our landowners said,

“We would have struggled to plant the 250metre new native hedge around our new wildlife community field without the help of CPRE Bedfordshire and it’s volunteers. They also enabled us to have all of the 90 or so local school children come and help plant the hedge – great for engagement with nature.”

Valuable volunteers

We are grateful to our band of willing volunteers who braved the weather last winter and look forward to working with many of them again next season. If you are interested in volunteering next winter, please get in touch – we tend to meet in the middle of the week for two or three days, but you don’t have to attend every day. You can register your interest by emailing info@cprebeds.org.uk

Being in green spaces and volunteering is great for good mental health. Here is what one of our volunteers said,

“I feel energised being outdoors, doing something physical that’s also productive and doing my bit for nature. You can’t beat a sunny winter’s morning planting whips, with lovely countryside views and with like-minded people all working together. I even saw a hare in the field last time I volunteered”

Fundraising for more hedgerows

We aim to continue our hedgerow planting project in the years to come, but we can’t do this without donations.

During Earth Week, 22nd – 27th April, any donations will be doubled in value through the BigGive Earth Rise Campaign. The donation window opens on 22nd April.  

Donate Here 

How did last season’s hedgerows do?

We visited our hedgerows from our first season of planting to check on how they had established. Some losses are to be expected with all hedge planting, but we were encouraged by the high survival rate after just one year – a success we put down to the care and attention of our volunteers when planting the small whips. We did need to replace some plants that failed to establish, but more commonly were replacing canes and guards – it seems that small bamboo canes are just too tempting for role play and den building at the very public open spaces!

We did have to replace most of a short hedge at Meppershall. It was planted late in the season into very wet clay rich soil. A combination of being an exposed site and the soil drying out meant that the plants were unable to effectively root. We are hoping that better conditions will help the replacement plants to establish this year.

Hedgerows and trees in year two

In the winter of 2025/26 we planted around 1000 metres of hedge. The sites were mostly in villages and will enhance a community green space. Through our Hedgerow Heroes project, and with the support of the Forest of Marston Vale and the National CPRE Hedgerow Heroes campaign, we have planted hedgerows and trees in places that probably wouldn’t otherwise have been planted by landowners. So, we are helping to enhance the countryside and green spaces for the future.

Most hedgerows are made up of small tree species that are cut to maintain the hedge size. This year we incorporated a few specimen tree saplings that will be left to grow above the hedges. We also planted trees in open areas to enhance the public area at some sites.

Hedgerow Gallery

Here is a snapshot the sites we planted last season.

Stondon

A boundary hedge along the street fence to soften the landscape near the car park at Stondon community centre.

We also planted wild cherry trees along the far side of the playing field  and a raised area to the end of the field was planted with a grid of trees to provide shade and interest to an otherwise open space.

Brittains Rise – A wide verge between a key road through the village and a residential street.

Campton

Planting the perimeter of the new wildflower meadow beyond the recreation ground. A native hedgerow tapestry planted with the help of the local school children.

Flitton

Re-establishing an old boundary hedgerow between the road and a field along Wardhedges Road.

Gravenhurst

100 metres of hedgerow to mirror the row previously planted alongside the play equipment last year.

Southill

Road side planting to balance the woodland on the other side of the straight road on the approach to Southill. Oak tree saplings will create an avenue as they grow and mature.

Meadow Farm

In the ‘middle of nowhere’ – planting a field hedgerow on a farm near the Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire border

Read more

Visit our Hedgerow Heroes page for blog posts, site updates and much more!