Our partners at The Tree Council have put together a range of ways you can get involved this week, from planting seeds to pledging a hedge, to entering your snaps into Chris Packham’s ‘Hedge of the Year’ competition, launching today. 

The Tree Council have also organised a series of Hedge Talks taking place over the week, including foraging tips, becoming a hedgerow detective and learning more about the cycle of life inside a hedgerow. 

Hedgerows aren’t new to our campaigning by any means. For almost a century they’ve been a core concern for CPRE, right back to our founding manifesto. 

And there have been many wins along the way, not least the Hedgerow regulations introduced in 1997, which gave hedgerows statutory protection for the first time. 

Campaigning can take a long time, but it is always worth it. To inspire you for the future, why not check out our story so far. 

Last year, five local CPRE groups received funding to get their fingers green planting and restoring our degraded hedgerow network. Following an outstanding success which saw 80% more hedgerow length planted than predicted, we’re running the programme again this year. Why not check out 2022’s upcoming projects, and see if there’s one near you. 

Nature spotting is always fun, but have you ever just looked closer to home?  

You don’t need to travel to a wildlife reserve to find beauty – hedgerows are bustling with life, and autumn is a great time to head out and explore.  

Look around and you’ll find berries and nuts aplenty; bats and birds swooping across hedge lines, and small mammals gathering nesting materials and food. This week, check out our spotters guide to your local hedgerow. 

On Tuesday 18 October, 6.30 - 8pm, CPRE Hampshire have organised an online talk from hedgerow expert Nigel Adams covering all aspects of hedgerow management, including the life cycle of a hedge, planting, hedgelaying, trimming and a simple methodology to access the condition of any hedge. 

You don’t need to be a hedgelayer to join, so do book your ticket below!

Thanks to thousands of you reaching out to your MPs, we’ve now got 66 Hedgerow Heroes in parliament championing our bushy buddies and the need to expand and restore the hedgerow network across the country! 

Not sure if your MP is one of them? Why not find out below and, if they aren’t - let them know much you’d appreciate them signing up. 

Our main event of this week is the hand-in of the hedgerow petition outside Defra on Monday morning. Thanks to an incredible level of support, we’ve hit our target of over 40,000 people calling for a hedgerow target in law, but we’re not far off our next milestone. 

Can you add your name this week?

We wouldn’t be able to champion hedgerows without your help. Supporters like you have been instrumental in achieving key campaign wins to date. 

But with a new government that seems to disregard the environment with every new announcement and speech, we’ve got a challenge on our hands. From stopping the government's deregulation drive to making the case for hedgerow protection and expansion – reversing wildlife decline and tackling the climate emergency – we're fighting on all corners right now.  

We know that times are tough right now, but this is a critical time for our countryside and we rely on donations from supporters like you. 

Can you help us by making a donation today?