Plans are being explored on further improving the hedgerow network in Rushcliffe to protect wildlife and help to tackle climate change.

Rushcliffe Borough Council is now working closely with partners to reach out to farmers and landowners to provide advice and support on managing hedgerows across the Borough.

Recognising that hedges have a positive effect for both wildlife and the amenity of residents, they play a vital role in carbon reduction and the authority has a strategic aim to increase the hedgerow network by 40% across the Borough by 2050.

It follows a national campaign by the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, helping to tackle the climate emergency.

The Council has statutory regulations in place to protect hedgerows and the unauthorised removal of a hedgerow can result in a fine of up to £5000 and can enforce replacement planting.

Hedgerows are an important component of the Rushcliffe countryside and play a crucial role in protecting wildlife and provide food, shelter and linear routes for many species.

Bats navigate and feed along hedgerows and over 30 species of bird nest in them. Mammals also use the areas for shelter and ditches alongside hedgerows are home to a diverse range of invertebrates.

The Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Communities and Climate Change Cllr Abby Brennan said: “A wildlife-rich environment has been shown to provide health and economic benefits.

“As part of our Carbon Clever initiative and a step towards our plans to becoming carbon neutral by 2023, we are looking at ways we can further protect hedgerows.

“Most hedgerows are over 150 years old and they enhance the appearance and character of the Borough. They also provide homes and corridors for wildlife, crucial for biodiversity.

“We have hundreds of miles of hedgerow across the Borough and every single hedgerow is important for the environment. Many predate 1850 and we have measures in place to monitor and protect these areas.

“We want to engage with private landowners and farmers and we’re taking further action to build those relationships and work with our partners.

“There is Government support and other sources of funding available from The Woodland Trust, The Forestry Commission and more to assist with the maintenance and management of hedgerows.

“I encourage private landowners and farmers to find out more about these opportunities and utilise free tools and trusted resources on our website at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk.

“We also have a free guide to planting native hedgerows for residents”.

For further information on protecting hedgerows, including advice grant funding opportunities, visit our website pages.

There is a common misconception that ivy “damages” trees, but it is important to realize that Ivy is a native species and is a normal component of most, if not all, woodland sites.

Ivy provides a valuable habitat for small mammals (including bats), birds and insects (including bees, hoverflies and butterflies). Its woody structure and evergreen nature provides safety, roosting, hibernation and nesting opportunities all year round. Whilst its berries provide an important food source for birds during winter, its long flowering season means it is an important source of late season nectar for bees and other invertebrates. It can also provide year-round ground cover and reduce the effect of frost hardening the ground in winter months, which means animals can continue to forage in the leaf litter during extreme cold weather (Woodland Trust, 2020).

The Woodland Trust states “Ivy uses trees and walls for support, allowing it to reach upwards to better levels of sunlight. It is not a parasitic plant and has a separate root system in the soil and so absorbs its own nutrients and water as needed. Ivy does not damage trees and its presence doesn’t indicate that a tree is unhealthy, and it doesn’t create a tree-safety issue.”

Another misconception is that ivy blocks the tree from photosynthesising. An already weakened or dying tree might appear to be failing because of the ivy, the ivy being more obvious than any fungal, bacterial or viral infections that may be blighting the tree. Ivy may help create a sort of sail effect in some trees. If it is old, declining or  disease-weakened a tree is more vulnerable to structural damage in strong winds. The ivy only marginally increases that risk.

Action to remove ivy from trees would negatively impact on a valuable wildlife resource, without meaningfully reducing any risk of tree damage; Indeed, there have been instances locally where poorly executed ivy removal has actively damaged trees.

Where there is a tree safety management issue an assessment should be made if the tree is safe. If it represents a risk, the tree should then be dealt with appropriately and whilst the presence of ivy might marginally increase the risk, it is the health of the tree and its core structure that is the problem.

RNCSIG would recommend that tree condition be monitored by land owners and farmers to prevent damage, loss or danger irrespective of the presence of ivy. Removal of ivy is unlikely to represent a solution. Where there is concern for tree safety, remedial advice should be sought.

A big thanks to Neil (the Birdhunter) Glenn for a lovely (if frosty in the shade) bird walk at Skylarks Nature Reserve today. Some 20 hardy souls turned out at 9pm and we were able to explore the bird life of the site. Don`t know about other people but amongst the highlights for me was two Green Woodpeckers on the ground (regularly hear but rarely see), a Song Thrush close up (only know them by song), the Heronry (not heard tell of that on site) and the  Great White Egret (didn`t know they were now appearing locally.

But then there was the supporting cast of raptors – Buzzard, Merlin (well Neil saw it anyway), Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, plus a range of ducks and geese (as you would expect) and also the little birds (Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Robin and the rest of the birds in the band) and Raven (apparently they are also now found locally, who knew). Oh yes and some rabbits.

If I had visited on my own I would not have noticed half the birds that were pointed out or been able to work out what they were (combination of eyesight and binoculars). But Neil also went into QI mode – did you know that Coots migrate – I thought they were resident, or that the Goldeneye mating displays are prior to flying north to their breeding grounds, so when they arrive for the short arctic summer the pairs are good to go.

So thanks Neil for a good morning bird stalking and also for the impromptu lesson of Greater or Lesser Spotted Woodpecker I heard  a week ago ? (Greater – the Lesser is apparently only known in Sherwood Forest nowadays).

Gordon Dyne 8th Feb 2023

Notts Wildlife Trust are running a whole string of courses (mainly one day) at Attenborough Nature Reserve on a range of wildlife related topics through the winter and into summer. It includes such diverse things as Wildlife Photography (Conventional and Smartphone), Winter Tree ID, Family Bushcraft, Willow working, Foraging, Winter Bird ID, Bird Song, Bat Walks, Painting , Bumblebee ID, Butterfly ID and Understanding Rewilding and maybe the odd one I have missed. If you want to know more follow this link   https://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/events  to explore.

Work Party on Saturday a bit of frost, but the sun was out and five hardy souls reported for duty. Mostly spent time attacking emergent scrub dotted over the Lower Meadow, but grandson did a tour of the fence posts marking loosish ones with the red spot, but only two so far are in definite need of replacement, but more fence posts to go before final tally. Thanks to Martin who bought along some Bakewell Tarts.

Now in possession of  four replacement nest boxes (thanks to South Notts for funding) plus two to reinstate and hope to get them up next week, weather and cordless drill driver permitting. That should see us back up to a complement of 18 boxes before the nesting season really starts.

Still have some sections of fence post to check and then I can let the Estates Team know so they can replace where necessary, hopefully not to many, but don`t want to be chasing sheep around the site later in the year !

On the sheep front Notts Wildlife Trust have got funding from Rushcliffe Borough Council for two large water tanks. The last two years, with the hotter summers, have been rather fraught in terms of keeping the sheep supplied with water and it is expected that these will make this a lot easier to support the little beasts on site.

I have also purloined, from a passing son in law, a roll of roofing felt so I can now think in terms of more ambitious plans to  check various locations on and around the reserve for Sloworms in the spring/summer. Presence or absence it is all good intel.

The other bit of good news is that RBC have requested NWT, under the Service Level Agreement, to draw up a Managment Plan for the created species rich grasslands either side of the tramway. This area is owned by RBC (despite being in the city !) and represents both a useful extension to Wilwells habitat and also a good link to the Fairham Brook wildlife corridor (linking both to the Silverdale Local Nature Reserve and the Fairham Brook Nature Reserve. It is also one of the areas our Sloworms are venturing into.

Gordon the Warden