Be a hedgerow hero

Help us champion the humble hedge.

For this challenge, we'd like your pupils to become hedgerow heroes!

Hedges are all around us, but have you ever stopped to think about why they're there and what they do? They're so much more than a physical boundary: they provide homes and food for wildlife, clean our air, reduce flooding and help fight climate change. So we think they deserve to be celebrated.

How to complete this challenge

This challenge is worth two points on our Green Tree Schools Award.

To earn your points, your pupils must:

• do at least one activity to explore a hedgerow
• do at least one activity to raise awareness of the importance of hedges

You can use our suggested activities below or encourage students to come up with their own ideas. As a bonus activity, you can even plant and care for your own hedge, although this isn't necessary to successfully complete the challenge.

What is a hedgerow and why are they important?

A hedgerow is like a leafy, living fence. It’s typically a line of trees or shrubs planted close together to create a boundary, enclose land or provide shelter. Some hedges contain just one species, while others are made up of lots of different trees. They can even include features like banks, walls, fences and gates.

Hedgerows are a vital part of a healthy landscape and have many benefits for people and nature.

• Homes for wildlife. Hedges are full of life! Lots of birds, mammals and invertebrates live and nest in hedgerows. They provide important food such as flowers, berries and nuts too.
• Nature’s highways. Hedges connect different parts of nature, so wildlife can move safely from one place to another.
• Clean air, shade and tackling climate change – hedges pump out oxygen and absorb pollutants, giving us clean air to breathe. They also capture carbon and help keep our towns and cities cool.
• Healthy land. Hedgerows boost the resilience of our environment. They reduce flooding by slowing the flow of rainwater once it hits the ground. Their roots help keep soil in place, preventing erosion. Hedges on farms also act as barriers, stopping pesticides and fertilisers from being washed into rivers and streams.
• A piece of history. Many of our hedgerows are ancient. They were planted hundreds or even thousands of years ago and tell us stories about the past and how people used the land long ago.

Sadly, around half the UK’s hedges have been lost since the 1950s, mostly due to changes in farming and land management. So it’s more important than ever that we understand their value, protect existing hedgerows and plant new ones.

Part 1 – find and study a hedge

First, you need to choose a hedgerow in your local area that your pupils can safely investigate. (Please make sure it’s on public land or you have permission from the landowner.)

You can find hedges in the countryside, as well as in towns and cities. There might even be one in your school grounds. Here are some places you might find a hedge:

• edging playing fields, parks and gardens
• alongside streets and paths
• bordering fields and farmland

There are plenty of ways your pupils can get hands-on with hedges. Choose at least one activity from our ideas below, or devise your own investigation.

Identify trees in your hedge

Investigate which tree species make up your hedge. Use our tree ID tools to help pupils identify them and look closely at the leaves, seeds, flowers and bark for clues.

Conduct a wildlife survey

Monitor the animals that visit your hedge. Can your students identify any birds, mammals or invertebrates? Keep your eyes peeled for other signs of animal activity, such as hedgehog poo or empty nests.

Our nature spotter sheets will help youngsters identify birds, butterflies, creepy crawlies, flying insects, animal droppings and wildlife homes.

Study seasonal changes

Your hedge might change throughout the year. Set aside time for your pupils to observe it in different seasons and record changes such as leaf colour, flowers and fruits.

Use our seasonal activity sheets to aid your exploration.

Write a fact file

Ask pupils to carry out research into hedgerows and their value to people and nature, then create a fact file of their findings.

Draw a labelled diagram

Ask students to sketch the hedge and label the different tree species. They can highlight features like gates and walls, as well as the wildlife that relies on it. They can even research different parts of a hedgerow such as the hedge base, shrub layer and tree layer and mark these on the diagram.

For an extra challenge, encourage students to expand their diagram to include the surrounding landscape and think about how it impacts the hedgerow.

Create a hedge-based food web

Explore which plants and animals are supported by hedges and ask students to map out their relationships in a food web. (Supports KS3 biology.)

Download the food webs lesson plan (PDF 80KB).

Measure the height of your hedge trees

Some hedgerows contain tall trees that stand higher than the rest of the hedge. Challenge your pupils to use trigonometry to work out the height of them. (Supports KS3 maths.)

Download the tree trigonometry lesson plan (PDF 83KB).

Plot your hedge on a map

Task students to locate your hedge on an Ordnance Survey map and work out the grid reference. (Supports KS3 geography.)

Download the tree mapping lesson plan (PDF 80KB).

Explore how hedges fight climate change

Introduce students to the role of trees and hedges in the global carbon cycle and discover how they help fight climate change. (Supports KS3 chemistry.)

Download the trees and the atmosphere lesson plan (PDF 72KB).

Part 2 - share your knowledge with others

Raising awareness is an essential part of conservation, so for the second part of this challenge we’d like you to share your hedgerow knowledge with the rest of your school and your wider community.

There are several ways you can do this.

Create a classroom display

Use photos, drawings and facts to create an informative display about the importance of hedges. Display it in school where lots of pupils and staff will be able to see it.

Deliver an assembly

Write a speech or create a PowerPoint presentation to tell your whole school about hedges and why we need them

Design a poster

Get creative and make an eye-catching poster with a powerful message about how hedges are vital for the health of our planet. Display it in school or in your local community.

Film a video

Head outdoors and make a film about a real-life hedgerow and why it’s important for people and nature. Show it in school or upload it to your school’s website.

Plant a new hedge

Do you have space to plant a hedge in your school grounds, or could you team up with your local community to plant on public land? If so, you could apply for one of our free tree packs.

Our tree packs come in different sizes and include a range of native species, so you can choose the best pack for your needs. They are supported by free educational resources on our Tree Tools for Schools website.

You don’t need to plant a new hedge to complete this challenge. However, you could earn an additional two points when you plant one of our tree packs for the first time.

How to claim your points

This challenge is worth two points on our award. To claim them, you need to show us how your pupils have investigated a hedge and how they’ve shared their knowledge with others. Written reports, photos and videos are all accepted. Don't forget to include activities suggested by your students – we might use their ideas for future resources!

You can also earn an additional two points when you plant a free tree pack for the first time.

To submit your evidence, log onto your Green Tree Schools Award dashboard and click the 'Submit evidence' button at the top right of the screen. Complete the form to show how you've completed this challenge and we’ll award your points within 10 working days.

How we use quotes and photos

We like to use comments and photos from schools to inspire other teachers and young people about outdoor learning. With your permission, they could appear on our award materials, website, press releases and social media.

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