Orchards and hedgerows provide superb quality habitat for wildlife. Once a key landscape feature in Gloucestershire, these special habitats – and the rare wildlife that rely on them to survive – are under threat. It’s not too late to help nature recover, but urgent action is needed.
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Changes in agriculture over the past 50 years have devastated hedgerow and traditional orchard habitats and the wildlife that rely on them. Gloucestershire has lost over 70% of its orchards. Tens of thousands of hedgerows were removed. Many remaining hedges have been savagely trimmed, neglected or affected by agricultural chemicals. The impact on rare and key species such as hazel dormouse, noble chafer beetle and threatened bat species that rely on these habitats for food and shelter is severe.
We will work with landowners to plant new traditional orchards and hedgerows to connect habitats and plant the next generation of important trees within existing orchards. This will create and connect wildlife-rich habitat. The increased connectivity and resilience of the woodland and tree network will support biodiversity, help to mitigate climate change, and ensure the survival and expansion of rare species, providing them with the food, shelter and breeding sites they need to survive.