Help Discover Rusland’s Hidden Hedgerows

The Hidden Hedgerows Project is part of the Rusland Horizons Landscape Partnership Scheme in the Rusland Valley and Fells area. As part of this project Cumbria Wildlife Trust is putting together a group of volunteers to map and survey hedgerows in the area. Can you help?

What is being surveyed? The survey will be of hedgerows throughout the Rusland Horizons Valley and Fells area. The survey will record the physical and management characteristics of hedgerows, as well as the woody species which make up the hedge and hedge bottom flora.

Why is this survey taking place? Firstly, hedgerows (particularly old and species-rich ones) have been identified as important habitats however nobody knows exactly how much hedgerow we have, let alone what proportion of it is old and species-rich. A survey is needed to find out how much there is and what condition the hedges are in. This will help target where resources ought to be used to improve the hedgerow network for biodiversity. It will also be important to establish a baseline of information so that we can monitor change and see how these aspects of hedgerows vary over time.

What exactly do I have to do? We have identified and prioritised sample sites throughout the area with each site being a 1km grid square. Once you have ‘claimed’ a square, perhaps near where you live, the core activities are mapping all the hedgerows in the square and to record detailed information from up to 9 hedgerow lengths within the square. Each length is 30 metres and you will be required to record simple information such as height, width, adjacent land use and the woody species that make up the hedge.

How long will it take? This depends on the complexity of the site (how old and ‘interesting’ the hedgerows are) but generally all the hedgerows from a 1km grid square can be recorded easily in a single day.

What skills/knowledge should I have? It is important that you can identify all the ‘woody species’ (trees and shrubs) that are likely to be found growing in a Cumbrian hedgerow. You may need to use a reference guide (some will be provided) for some difficult species. Otherwise, you only need common sense (although it does help if you are interested, committed, thorough, methodical, neat and tidy!). For hedge-bottom flora (this part of the survey is optional), you must be confident that you can identify the higher plants and grasses commonly associated with hedgerows.

Will I receive any training? Yes you will! You will need to attend a Hedgerow Survey Training Day which will take place on July 26th 09.30am – 4.30pm at the Rusland Reading Rooms. The morning will provide a refresher on identifying woody plants and hedge bottom flora whilst the afternoon will provide training in the basic survey techniques and will cover issues such as Health & Safety. Visit the What’s On section of the Cumbria Wildlife Trust website for more info (www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk).

What equipment do I need? Very little. A backpack and personal weather-proof clothing is essential. We will provide weather writers, field guides and measuring tapes. All maps and survey forms will be provided, as will a handbook of methods.

When is the best time to survey hedgerows? The target months are June and July and you can start as soon as you have attended the Training Days. Ideally surveys where hedge-bottom flora is being recorded ought to be carried out by the end of July as many species become absent or difficult to identify at that time. Otherwise, surveys need to be completed before autumn leaf changes start.

How do I get permission to go on the land? You will need to find out who owns the land in your square and to seek permission to go onto the land at a time convenient to the landowner/manager. Further advice on these aspects will be given at the Training Day.

What happens to the information I collect? You may like to use the information for your own purposes and you should make copies available to any landowners/managers who request it. The information then needs to be returned to the survey organisers (see below). It will then be entered into a database and analysed. The data will also be lodged in a central, national database for use by hedgerow researchers and national organisations. Meanwhile, a short report of the findings and a guide to Rusland’s hedgerows will be made widely available.

Where do I find out more about the survey? The best thing is to book on to the Hedgerow Survey Training Days where all be revealed. If you want to see the survey handbook before then, copies can be downloaded from www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69285/pb11951-hedgerow- survey-handbook-070314.pdf.

The organisers of the survey, on behalf of the Rusland Horizons Landscape Partnership Scheme are Graham Jackson-Pitt from Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Mike Douglas from South Lakes Ecology.

To book onto the Hedgerow Survey Training Days contact Cumbria Wildlife Trust:

Tel: 01539 816 300 Email: [email protected]

To discuss any aspect of the project or the hedgerow surveys contact Graham Jackson-Pitt:

Tel: 01539 816 306 Email: [email protected]

What happens next? Contact the organisers and book on to the Hidden Hedgerows Training Days. We look forward to meeting you there!