How to Survey and Assess Hedgerows using the Hedgerow Regulations Online

The 1997 Hedgerow Regulations were drafted in response to the wholesale loss and destruction of British hedgerows in the post-war period up to the present day. Ripped up and fragmented by both agricultural and construction work, it was an attempt to afford legal protection to hedgerows of high historic or conservation value and prevent their removal.

Hedgerows are not only an iconic and unique part of the British landscape, but they also serve as a lifeline for a huge range of species. They form vital wildlife corridors in an increasingly fragmented landscape, as well as nesting and foraging sites, hibernacula, windbreaks, winter forage and soil protection. Yet so often they are simply regarded as 'getting in the way', and a hindrance to farm intensification and construction.

Over 30 years later the regulations are still in force, and correct use of them is vital to ecologists, conservationists, land managers and anyone interested in cherishing and protecting the countryside around them.

Although initially beautifully simple, as soon as you dig into the regs they can become highly complex and open to interpretation, and even the question of 'when is a hedge not a hedge' becomes a head-scratcher!

This tutorial will run through the regulations, then use a series of different scenarios on paper to help you get to grips with the regs.

At the end you will be equipped to confidently survey a range of hedgerows, and accurately assess whether they do qualify as 'important' and are therefore protected by law.

The course comprises a pre-recorded tutorial interspersed with short self-tests, which can be paused, rewound or skipped at any point during the 24 hours, giving you the chance to have a break when you want, and go back over any species you are less familiar with (or sections where you feel you’ve let yourself down on the test).

There is also a ‘bespoke’ ticket option, for which we will set you up with the tutorial on any date of your choosing.

All proceeds from this course go to supporting our endangered species conservation work.

Schedule

The tutorial lasts just under three hours and will be available to attendees for a 24 hour period (from 5pm the night before).

Four days prior to the course you should receive an email with all the joining details on. It appears that several work-based servers are spamming messages from Eventbrite, so if you have not heard from us by then, please check your spam folder, and the email address you used for the booking. In the event you can't find the email please be in touch.

About the tutor

Dominic Price is a highly regarded botanical tutor and has been running courses for all levels of ecologists since 2007. He is director of The Species Recovery Trust and specialises in the conservation of endangered species. He is the author of A Field Guide to Grasses, Sedges and Rushes, and co-author of A Field Guide to Bryophytes and The Photographic Guide to Winter Trees and Shrubs.

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Course certificate

This course can be used as part of your Continuing Professional Development (CPD). We invite attendees to download their own certificate and complete the numbers of hours spent on the course, as we are aware some attendees spend more time reading up about courses before the day, and writing their notes up and re-sitting the course tests afterwards. The hours on your certificate should accurately reflect this time.