Jersey Hedgerow Campaign

Trees for Life, Jersey (the new name for Men of the Trees) in partnership with the National Trust for Jersey and other environmental groups are working together with the local community to launch the Jersey Hedgerow Campaign. The Campaign is a three year programme which focuses on planting new hedges, restoring existing hedgerows and undertaking ongoing maintenance to ensure that a dense islandwide network of hedges is created providing a permanent and much needed corridor for the local wildlife.

Jersey’s hedgerows are in a poor state due to the loss of 80% of this habitat to Dutch Elm Disease in the 1970’s,by damage caused by the Great Storm of 1987 and by ongoing agricultural pressures. Jonathan Le Maistre who is kindly providing sponsorship towards the Campaign commented: ’ Hedgerows are particularly important to Jersey because they act as natural corridors which enable wildlife to move between habitats, so we are delighted to be able to support this very worthwhile project.’

The lack of hedgerow on the island has severe implications to local wildlife. Where animal populations would have once used hedgerows to move safely around the island, they are now isolated in pockets of fragmented habitat. This leads to in-breeding and limits foraging and habitat options for animals. Consequently hedgerow loss has contributed to the decline of many local animal and bird species.

For further information and on how you can help this campaign to succeed, please contact Olivia Copsey at lifeonthehedge@jerseymail.co.uk or by phone on 736329.