Hello TCVers and fellow environmentalists!
I am into my seventh week as a Natural Networks Trainee and loving it! I have had the opportunity to get involved in lots of practical outdoor work which is what I like to do best!
Recently TCV Manchester have run some hedgelaying courses funded by the Veolia Environmental Trust, and affiliated with the Red Rose Forest Heritage Trees Project. The work took place in Sale Water Park and was run by our Senior Project Officer Ally Taylor and Area Manager Katie Lowry. The stretch that we focused on was particularly tricky as it had been previously layed, but in the wrong direction! And was full of gaps! Improvisation was key!
We had eight learners on the course, everyone was very enthusiasitic and interested to hear the history and the purpose of hedgelaying. The National Hedgelaying Society have some great information on their website, if anyone is interested!. This site also provides information on regional styles, we adopted the Lancashire style which involved laying the cut stems (pleachers) at a 45 degree angle and staking on either side of the hedge.
A good chunk of time was spent preparing the trees for laying by freeing them from surrounding foliage and removing dead and rotting trunks and branches, but this is essential in the hedgelaying process
Following this, and a demonstration from Ally, we made our way, in pairs or small groups, methodically along the hedge cutting and laying the trees. This was made pretty difficult by the age and therefore the thickness of the trunks (a two-handed Yorkshire Billhook and some brute force were necessary)!
After laying all the pleachers, it was time to drive in the stakes and weave in and tidy the branches.
At the end of the two days the hedge looked brilliant! The picture to the left shows the hedgerow before laying, and the one below is afterwards, what a massive difference!
It’s great to keep an ancient art like hedgelaying alive and provide additional habitats for all sorts of birds, small mammals and invertebrates. Laying and maintaining a hedge is also great for promoting new and sustained growth, and if a hedge is properly looked after, technicially, it can last indefiniteley! Plus we all had great fun doing it!
Why not see if there are any opportunities to conduct hedgelaying on some of the sites that you work on?