A CHARITY has appointed a "hedgerow champion" to help it promote wildlife preservation.
The countryside charity, CPRE Sussex has appointed its first hedgerow champion to raise awareness of important countryside habitats.
Farmer Derek Crush has spent more than 30 years caring for some of the county’s oldest and most vital hedgerows at Daylands Farm on the Wiston Estate, near Steyning.
The charity is hoping that his knowledge and experience will help to inspire more people to see every hedgerow as a "lifeline for nature".
Derek said: “Everyone should care about hedgerows, they provide food for us and for wildlife. There are about 3000 metres on this farm and most can be dated to 1000 years old.
“My interest in hedgerows is part of life on the farm, all the hedgerows here are ancient and need careful management which I was keen to do. I find it very enjoyable.”
The decline of some species including dormice, hedgehogs and nightingales can be linked to the loss of ancient hedgerows.
“Many hedges were grubbed out in the interests of agricultural efficiency in the period after the Second World War,” said CPRE Sussex chairman, Professor Dan Osborn.
“This had a big impact on many species of plants and animals. It’s more important than ever to protect the hedgerows in Sussex.
“How hedgerows are managed also affects the biodiversity they support. The wider a hedge the more life that goes on within it, under it and near it. Hedges can be very diverse places and home to a large section of our wildlife.”
He added: “We are delighted that Derek has agreed to be our Hedgerow Champion – he has a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm which we hope will be an inspiration for people of all ages.”
As part of the initiative, the charity is holding a hedgerow hike to raise funds for its ongoing work in the Sussex countryside.
It wants people to walk 3km, the same distance that a hedgehog can walk in a night.
The event takes place next month and the aim is to raise money so that CPRE can protect important hedgerows.
“Three kilometres is a remarkable distance for such a small animal to travel, but it’s not such a great distance for us, so we are hoping that lots of people of all ages will take up this challenge and ‘walk like a hedgehog’ for such a good cause," said Prof Osborn.
Join the hedgerow hike at: www.cpresussex.org.uk/discover-your-countryside/hedgerow-hike/ and sign up by requesting a sponsorship form or setting up a Just Giving page.
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