Youngwilders partner with Campaign to Protect Rural England

Youngwilders and the Campaign to Protect Rural England partner to celebrate hedges in Hampshire

On Saturday 21st February, over 60 young people (18-30 years) will gather to plant hedges in three locations: Cheshire, Hampshire and Kent.
Named ‘Hedgentines Day’, the event aims to educate and empower young people (18-30) to love and create hedgerows.

The event has been enabled by CPRE's Hedgerow Heroes project, targeting 27 miles of hedgerow restoration in its fifth year.

Hedgentines Day is a love declaration from young people (18-30) to nature, and more specifically, to these beautiful hedges that help prevent soil erosion, tackle climate change and improve local biodiversity. 

Tickets to the Event - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hedgentines-day-hampshire-tickets-1980468768399

Across three sites, over 60 young people – 25 in Hampshire alone – will come together to create over 600 metres of new hedgerow on farmland in Cheshire, Hampshire and Kent. 

This event is a partnership project with the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) Hampshire and The Conservation Volunteers as part of CPRE’s Hedgerow Heroes project, empowering young people through workshops and practical training to create and care for hedges.

Youngwilders seek to remove as many barriers as possible stopping young people from attending events in the countryside. Attendees carpool from train stations and can get the cost of their train or bus ticket reimbursed. 

Discover more - https://www.youngwilders.org/

https://www.cpre.org.uk/

Jack Durant, co-director of Youngwilders, said:
‘There are few higher-leverage actions for restoring nature in the UK than planting hedgerows. Hedges are biodiversity banks; they provide crucial landscape connectivity, and they’re an agricultural asset. They’re also a deep part of our cultural heritage. We now see the impact of their removal; all that’s left is to bring them back!’

Roger Mortlock, chief executive of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said: 
‘Hedgerows are a vital part of the landscapes we love. They shape our countryside, but they are also incredible carbon stores and superhighways for nature. We’ve campaigned for years for the government to set ambitious targets for growing our network of hedgerows and through Hedgerow Heroes we are practising what we preach. The project is powered by amazing volunteers across the country and working with Youngwilders is a great opportunity to connect with passionate young people who want to share some love for the nature on their doorstep.’