A £500,000 Farming Hedgefund is available for farmers in England to plant new hedges, hedgerow trees and gap planting.
The Tree Council is leading Close the Gap, a partnership project, with a year of activity to champion 500,000 miles of hedgerows.
Farmers are being asked to get involved to halt biodiversity decline, tackle climate change and preserve the unique character of the of the English countryside.
Close the Gap will also provide durable tree ties for farmers to “leave their mark” by tagging selected trees in their hedges to protect them to grow into mature hedgerow trees for the future.
As well as grants, farmers can access management information and advice for new and existing hedgerows, with actions that can save time and money on farm bottom lines as well as helping biodiversity as well as helping biodiversity and climate change.
The Tree Council CEO Sara Lom said: “As guardians of the land, many farmers have managed miles of hedgerows for generations. Now, more than ever, we need them to play a renewed role in planting, protecting and restoring our nation’s hedgerows.”
Close the Gap will be launch the first ever National Hedgerow Week later this month to help engage the wider public in hedgerow heritage.