Hawthorn Project - can you help?
Wednesday, 6 May 2026
Sara Lom, from the Tree Council, writes:
The British landscape is shaped by hundreds of thousands of miles of hedge; providing wildlife with a sheltered and bountiful habitat network; protecting agriculture, whether livestock or crops; creating living boundaries in our urban centres; capturing carbon; and bringing greenery and beauty to our rail lines and roadsides.
While hedgerows have a proud identity in their own right, for National Hedgerow Week 2026, The Tree Council is reminding everyone that they are essentially formed from trees - and that makes them equally and hugely important. We often think of them in their collective form but some of the UK's most commonly found hedgerow species are also some of our best loved trees.
We have a particular focus on hawthorn this year - join one of our free online talks to find out how you can help inform knowledge around its resilience, and the threats it faces.
Join The Tree Council and Forest Research for a special free online talk discussing this live research project, on Thursday May 7 from 1-2pm. Book your spot here
Collect hawthorn samples for National Hedgerow Week 2026
"Hawthorn makes up an estimated 70% of UK hedgerows and plays a crucial role in supporting biodiversity, storing carbon, preventing soil erosion and connecting habitats. Despite its importance, relatively little is known about the resilience of hawthorn to pests and diseases. A new national research initiative is now inviting volunteers to help change that"
BOOK YOUR SPOT FOR THE THURSDAY TALK.
If you have missed this, but would still like to take part, email [email protected]