Plant a Native Hedgerow at school

While Ireland was once mainly covered in woodland, over many centuries these native forests were mostly cut down. One of the last remaining refuges are the hedgerows criss-crossing our countryside. It's easy to underestimate the importance of Irish hedgerows. Their scale is remarkable... 689,000km. They could wrap around the equator 17 times! They are hugely important biodiversity features containing flowers, trees, shrubs, nesting sites and food for birds, insects and mammals as well as corridors for wildlife to move safely. They really are biodiversity superheroes. However, native hedgerows are on the decline and therefore we need to take every opportunity to help them.

It's very easy to incorporate native hedgerows around the school by planting alongside perimeter walls and fences. There is a lovely selection of species to choose from including hawthorn, blackthorn and holly to name but a few.