Creating a “dead hedge”,,,. brilliant nature conservation task today!
Today for our nature conservation volunteering we were creating a “dead hedge” around a coppice with hazelnut trees. In order to keep the deer out so that the young saplings and shoots can grow, we had to weave sawn off branches and twigs between a row of stakes. The advantage of creating a “dead” hedge is that you can use the material that is left over after thinning out that coppice instead of having to remove or burn it. I had worked on creating a “living hedge” before (where trees and branches are partially cut, then bent and folded down to create a hedge), so this was a new experience! I thought the bit I had worked on looked rather messy, until the ranger said: that’s very good, nice and dense! Yay!! I spent several hours sawing and lopping branches and then weaving them into the hedge (slightly more difficult than weaving with wool methinks 🤔🙃🤣)! Arms are sore, body is tired, but the result was amazing as photo shows. There were twelve volunteers and together we created about 50 meters of hedge, 2.5-3 meters high. The height is needed because deer can jump high, the density is needed, because otherwise they barge their way through. In the replies: yep, me weaving, read pushing and worming branches into the hedge. Also in the replies the “living hedge” I worked on in the past: a “living hedge” will keep growing and filling itself out as the branches are still attached.
Creating a “dead hedge”,,,. brilliant nature conservation task today!
Today for our nature conservation volunteering we were creating a “dead hedge” around a coppice with hazelnut trees. In order to keep the deer out so that the young saplings and shoots can grow, we had to weave sawn off branches and twigs between a row of stakes. The advantage of creating a “dead” hedge is that you can use the material that is left over after thinning out that coppice instead of having to remove or burn it. I had worked on creating a “living hedge” before (where trees and branches are partially cut, then bent and folded down to create a hedge), so this was a new experience! I thought the bit I had worked on looked rather messy, until the ranger said: that’s very good, nice and dense! Yay!! I spent several hours sawing and lopping branches and then weaving them into the hedge (slightly more difficult than weaving with wool methinks 🤔🙃🤣)! Arms are sore, body is tired, but the result was amazing as photo shows. There were twelve volunteers and together we created about 50 meters of hedge, 2.5-3 meters high. The height is needed because deer can jump high, the density is needed, because otherwise they barge their way through. In the replies: yep, me weaving, read pushing and worming branches into the hedge. Also in the replies the “living hedge” I worked on in the past: a “living hedge” will keep growing and filling itself out as the branches are still attached.
#lovemynatureconservationwork