Appeal
Hedges and Edges
Join the fight to bring nature back to the Lake District.
Nature is in crisis
England is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, so you’d expect our National Parks to be at the forefront of the nature recovery fight. But a recent report by Campaign for National Parks showed that just 6% of the land area in National Parks is managed effectively for nature.
Together we can do our bit to change that – by managing our own land to help nature recover, by campaigning for more government help for nature-friendly farming, and by mobilising our members and supporters.
Hedgerows are amazing
Hedgerows are amazing. They help to support healthy soils (holding carbon and slowing down water flow) and rich wildlife habitats. They’re also beautiful to see and are often very old (hundreds of years) and provide field boundaries and shelter for farm animals. Since the 1950s, 118,000 miles of hedgerows have been lost, so together we all need to replant many more hedgerows again!
By supporting this exciting new project you’ll be providing homes for a wide range of species, from invertebrates right up to dormice, birds, bats and more, whilst also supporting our vital bee and butterfly pollinators. You’re improving soil health, water and air quality, sequestering carbon, providing shelter for livestock, and of course helping to preserve the cultural traditions of hedgerows.
With your help over the next four years, we hope to plant and restore 32 miles of Cumbrian hedgerows, and train and empower more than 100 farmers, landowners, and volunteers. More importantly we’ll be working to change the way hedgerows are managed, as a valuable resource at the heart of nature-friendly farming practices.
This project is not just about the immediate action we can take but the lasting change that we can make for nature together.
