Traditional craft adds improved habitat to living classroom

A traditional craft is helping a school nature haven continue supporting local wildlife.

Denbighshire Countryside Services staff and volunteers supported by Nature for Health have carried out an age old technique to help provide stronger habitats for nature on land at Glasdir, Ruthin.

Countryside teams have worked over the years with Rhos Street school to create and manage a bustling outdoor living classroom on the land for pupils to enjoy and also learn from.

The site includes a bird hide area, wildflower meadows, orchards, bee box, camera traps and a wetlands pond to help children learn about nature and how to support it themselves.

A team of countryside staff and volunteers have now added a little bit more protection for nature by carrying out hedgelaying on the site.

The traditional craft allows a hedge to be partially cut and laid at an angle which results in regrowth of the hedge coming from the bottom and allows the hedgerow to thicken at the base providing a dense habitat for biodiversity.

It was historically applied by the majority of farms and landowners as part of their winter boundary management until mechanical hedgerow maintenance took over. However, studies have shown how much more effective this older method is for the important regeneration of hedgerows to improve local nature.

Councillor Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport, and Council Biodiversity Champion, said: “This is a real great partnership between Rhos Street and our Countryside teams that allow the pupils to learn about, appreciate and bring their own ideas forward for how to support local nature which is so important right now.

“It’s great to see this additional traditional work taking place at the Glasdir living classroom as it will add more support for nature habitats at the site and benefit the pupils as they can watch and learn as it develops over time into a deeper habitat.”