March 28, 2025
Guest blog by Thelma Rumsey, Coordinator South Hams Tree Warden Network
In a few weeks SHDC’s “South Hams Tree, Woodland & Hedge Plan 2024 - 2029” will be published. This plan recognises that it is not only trees and woodland that are vital for mitigating climate change and biodiversity in our landscape but that our network of hedges have to be included as well. As stated in the Plan; “Hedges and the individual trees within them provide sanctuary, food, shelter, and corridors for wildlife to navigate rural and urban landscapes.”
An example of the importance of hedges was highlighted recently when a group of tree wardens visited Mike Pearey’s 24 acre holding in Ashprington. Mike is a sheep farmer and Ashprington’s tree warden. He is also a committed environmentalist and manages the land to benefit both sheep and wildlife. Over last 13 years he has been transforming his land, which now includes restored Temperate Rainforest woodland on the steep northern slopes, and sunny meadows bordered by healthy hedges to the south. The area is now an environmental delight.
Mike is still continuing the process of repairing and rebuilding the old hedge banks and has been planting new wildlife hedges to reduce field sizes to further improve the many benefits that hedges bring to our farming, as well as improve wildlife connectivity across the land. All the hedges on his land are being managed with a cycle of laying (with all hedges on a roughly 10 year cycle) planting up gaps, and coppicing. His work reminded the visiting tree wardens of what healthy managed hedges should look like rather than the flailed hedges that we have all got used to over the last few decades.
Other actions taken to reduce climate change challenges on his land have included rainwater harvesting from various roofs, to create wildlife ponds on an otherwise dry ridge, and changing the pasture. Instead of uniform grassland the pasture is now a more mixed sward, including herbal leys and wildflowers, which has not only increased the number of invertebrates but has also increased the grazing resilience during drought periods. Mike has been doing everything he can to encourage wildlife to return and as a result has been keeping a yearly record of what species he sees. Up until around 2020 there was a significant increase in all flora and fauna - birds, bats, butterflies, bees, snakes and even glow worms (returning because of the rebuilding of dry stone walls). However, in the last 2 years he has observed a significant collapse in numbers. This is no doubt due to the wider malaise in our countryside and the impact of accelerating climate change. Healthy hedges help to alleviate some of these changes but all the tree wardens attending this visit agreed that there is still much more to be done.
If you would like to become a tree warden for your area, please contact Thelma Rumsey, South Hams Tree Network Coordinator on thelmainkingston@gmail.com.