Hampshire Forest Partnership aims to bring trees and people together and much of our role is about working with local communities to develop projects that will benefit both people and the environment. One such example is in the Cheriton Valley, where we have been working closely with an incredible local group called the Cheriton Conservation Volunteers.
This is an example of the perfect partnership where we have been able to provide advice and funding and the Cheriton Volunteers have worked incredibly hard to plant the trees and hedgerow plants across multiple locations in the wider Cheriton Valley.
The village of Cheriton and the surrounding area are particularly vulnerable to flooding. Periods of prolonged rainfall raise the ground water levels, and flash flooding is caused by excessive water runoff. By encouraging the planting of trees in strategic locations, we can help reduce flood risk by intercepting rainfall and slowing the movement of water which can help mitigate the impact of flooding. Trees also absorb rainwater in their roots, trunks and branches, helping to remove excess water from the soils, as well as stabilising soils and reducing soil erosion. This is just one of the many benefits that these new trees and hedgerows will bring to the area.
The agricultural landscape around Cheriton. Credit: Simon Newman
The trees were planted across a range of sites, all chosen for their importance in supporting the local environment. Hedgerows have been widened and new hedges have been planted. Trees have been positioned alongside hedgerows to create additional habitats for wildlife and add diversity to the landscape. The vast majority of trees and hedgerow plants were planted on farmland, where they will provide additional benefits to the farm businesses. As well as reducing soil erosion, they also act as a biological pesticide by attracting predators, or natural enemies, which will feed on the destructive pests which can destroy farm crops. Trees will also provide protection for livestock from cold winter winds, as well as vital shade which can lead to heat stress in hot summers. They are also a powerhouse of nutrition, providing many essential minerals and nutrients not found in grass.
The Cheriton Conservation Volunteer Group, led by Barry Frampton, a local resident of the village, has organised the planting tasks, working closely with landowners and other local groups, including local Scouts, to ensure the trees get off to the best start. Important maintenance work followed in summer 2023, removing grass, weed and bramble growth around newly planted trees.
Local volunteers, including the Cheriton Conservation Volunteer Group and Scouts, ‘gapping up’ an existing hedgerow. Credit: Simon Newman
So far, an incredible 2,452 hedge whips have been planted by the volunteers, which amounts to about 500 metres of hedgerow. In addition, nearly 200 trees have also been planted, of which 70 were disease-resistant elm trees. The elms are part of a new trial by Hampshire Forest Partnership, which began in 2022 with the aim to test a number of different cultivars of elm, developed over the past few decades, and their resistant to Dutch elm disease. All elms planted have been shown to resist the disease and we hope they will grow to maturity, helping to re-elm the Hampshire landscape. Most have been planted as hedgerow trees where they will provide excellent habitat for wildlife, store carbon and support local populations of the white-letter hairstreak butterfly, a species which has greatly suffered across its range due to the loss of mature elm trees.
A big thank you to Barry and the Cheriton Conservation Volunteer Group for your efforts over the past two years to plant trees and hedgerows! May the good work continue!
Would you like to plant trees and hedgerows on your farm? Get in touch at [email protected].
Find out more about our funding opportunities for farmers and landowners.