French Assistance for
Hedgerow Planting
The Kentish Stour Countryside Project, in partnership
with a group of French Conservation volunteers hope to plant over 1km of
new hedgerow in Hastingleigh!
Organised for Saturday 31st January, an army
of over 30 volunteers from Kent and the Nord pas de Calais, will be
working high on top of the Downs to make a connecting hedge to link up
areas of existing hedgerow and woodland. The area forms part of the Kent
Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty close to the Wye Downs, with
stunning scenery and plenty of wildlife.
Co-ordinated by Mary Lovick, Greenspace Officer with the
Kentish Stour Countryside Project, the event is part of a commitment to
the Interreg Programme, a scheme providing connections between the UK and
Europe. Mary says "this latest event will further build links with
our French conservation counterparts, who can use this weekend as a
platform for learning about conservation in the Kent Downs AONB and
hopefully gain some new skills. Species planted at the task will include
hawthorn, field maple, spindle, dogwood and guelder rose. There will also
be some ash and oak which will be allowed to grow on into standard
trees."
The French group are known as Les Blongios translating
into "The Bitterns". The Bittern is a shy and uncommon bird
which can be found both in the wetlands of Northern France and also areas
of the Lower Stour.
Les Blongios will be arriving on Friday 30th
January to stay in a central Canterbury location. The hedge planting task
will begin at around 10.15am on Sauturday morning. After a busy day, which
will include lunch of local Kentish Fayre, the group will be taken out to
a traditional pub in the centre of Canterbury for dinner and drinks. On
Sunday 1st February, the group will work alongside the White
Cliffs Countryside Project, clearing scrub from Creteway Down, a Chalk
Downland site close to Folkestone.
Both the Saturday and Sunday tasks will provide a
flavour of the beautiful landscape of Kent and important conservation work
carried out. It is hoped that an exchange to France will take place later
in the year.
