Naomi Walker, Nature Recovery Officer at Friends of the Lake District, explores why hedgerows matter for wildlife, farming and the character of our landscape—and how restoring them can help nature recover across Ullswater and Cumbria.
Join the talk
Attend in person or watch live on Zoom. Free entry; donations welcome.
About the talk
Hedgerows are much more than boundaries between fields. They provide food and shelter for wildlife, create vital connections between fragmented habitats and form a distinctive part of Cumbria’s landscape.
They can also support nature-friendly farming: protecting soils, storing carbon, slowing and filtering water, and providing a home for pollinators and other beneficial insects. Hedge margins and roadside verges can be just as important, often preserving wildflowers and wildlife that have disappeared from more intensively managed land.
Drawing on Friends of the Lake District’s Hedges & Edges project, Naomi will explore why healthy hedgerows matter and how planting, laying, restoration and better management can bring neglected hedges back to life. The project includes work within the Eamont catchment, covering Ullswater and Haweswater, as part of a wider effort to create a more connected landscape for nature across Cumbria.
The evening offers an opportunity to look more closely at these familiar—but often overlooked—features of our countryside and discover the difference that practical local action can make.
About Naomi Walker
Naomi Walker is Nature Recovery Officer at Friends of the Lake District. Through its Hedges & Edges project, she works with landowners, volunteers and communities to support hedge planting, restoration, surveying and better management across Cumbria.
Find out more about Hedges & Edges ->
Continue learning
Naomi will also lead a practical Hedgerow Laying session on Saturday 10 October, offering an opportunity to learn more about this traditional countryside skill and its role in creating healthy, wildlife-rich hedges.