In the last 18 months The Great Big Dorset Hedge Project has achieved an impressive 400km of surveys so far across Dorset.
CPRE – The Countryside Charity states that Hedgerows are the vital stitching in the patchwork of our countryside. Not only are they beautiful, with shifting seasonal colours, but they also provide homes and corridors for wildlife. And all the while they help tackle the climate crisis by capturing carbon.
With increased numbers of volunteers, better-developed local teams and increased demand from the farming community we are now able to set a bold target of surveying a further 500 km of hedges in 2024.
Over 5000 volunteer hours were logged in those first 18 months
– Over 500 hours engaging with farmers
– 280 Volunteers signed up with numbers set to increase beyond 400 in 2024
As the project continues to expand and grow we expect a further 5000 volunteer hours to be logged in 2024.
20 farmers in Dorset have now invited us onto their farms to undertake hedgerow surveys, this almost always leads to the adoption of the Sustainable Farming Incentive with the three hedgerow actions which DEFRA are confident will enhance and restore our hedgerows.
That process began slowly but now it has an increasing momentum, we can expect to be invited to anything between 50 and 100 new farms in 2024.
As we have grown our surveys have also become more ambitious with multiple surveys now happening across any one farm in one day.
Our short Film about Volunteering for the Great Big Dorset Hedge can be viewed here and gives the viewer a lovely introduction to the Project.
Click here
Volunteering for the great big Dorset Hedge project.