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The wildlife charity People's Trust for Endangered Species has launched a new competition for farmers and landowners to reward active conservation of hedgerows. These iconic features of the British landscape support a huge variety of native wildlife, such as the hazel dormouse and other vulnerable species, yet their decline is widespread. Reconnecting the Countryside' therefore aims to highlight the importance of hedgerows as both habitats and wildlife corridors, whilst celebrating the efforts made by the farming community to protect them for posterity.

In the period following the Second World War, the decline of Britain's hedgerows accelerated substantially due to increased use of mechanised agricultural machinery permitting the removal of many boundaries to increase field sizes. In 1946 there was estimated to be half a million miles of hedgerows in England, which had more than halved by the early 1990s (source: Natural England). A number of measures have since been put in place to protect these habitats (e.g. The Hedgerow Regulations 1997) and today a greater threat to the remaining hedgerows than outright removal, is neglect and inconsistent management. Hedgerows containing more than 80% native species are now classed as priority habitats and have their own Habitat Action Plan (HAP) as part of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

For the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), good quality, species-rich hedgerows provide not only a habitat in themselves, but also a source of food and a means of dispersal between other areas of woodland habitat. Unsympathetic management of hedgerows therefore, can have a disproportionate impact on the local dormouse population which may become isolated.

Many of our native wildlife species are suffering the effects of habitat fragmentation, leading to localised extinction and contributing to an overall decline in populations. So whilst improving hedgerow conservation will certainly have a positive impact on our dormouse population, many other species will also benefit, including other small mammals, bats, birds, butterflies, moths and other invertebrates.

Once widespread in the UK, the hazel dormouse is now rare and vulnerable to extinction. Nationally they have disappeared from more than half of their historic range, yet despite continued habitat loss approximately 45,000 dormice survive, chiefly confined to southern England and Wales.

Reconnecting the Countryside' seeks to encourage farmers and landowners to link wooded areas to create the largest possible continuous cover of dormouse-friendly habitat by planting, coppicing and/or filling in gaps in existing hedges. Both new and established woodland and hedgerows will be counted, however it is not necessary for these areas to be mature enough to support dormouse populations at present, providing that in the long-term the habitat will become suitable. Linked areas that cross land belonging to multiple owners will be given extra credit, so entrants are encouraged to join forces with neighbouring landowners in order to maximise habitat connectivity.

People's Trust for Endangered Species has been involved in dormouse conservation work over the last fifteen years, in particular monitoring many known dormouse populations around the country and releasing captive-bred populations into woodlands where they once occurred to try and re-establish this species back in its former range. The charity also initiated and continues to coordinate some of the key elements in the hazel dormouse Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP).

For a Reconnecting the Countryside' entry pack, or for more details about the competition, please contact the People's Trust for Endangered Species on 020 7498 4533 or e-mail enquiries@ptes.org. Entry packs contain details of competition rules and guidelines, information about the hazel dormouse, plus booklets giving practical advice on hedgerow planting, cutting and management.

Reconnecting the Countryside' rules The closing date for entries is 30 April 2009 Conservation work must have been carried out in the 12 months preceding the closing date The entrant who creates the largest area of continuous good quality dormouse-friendly habitat will receive £1000, with second and third placed entrants receiving £500 and £250 respectively Land on which work is carried out must not be in ownership of a conservation body or NGO (e.g. Wildlife Trust, Natural England) Work may be carried out by the landowner and their employees or by local volunteers The site need not currently have evidence of a dormouse population or one nearby, however it must be within the dormouse's known geographical range - unfortunately, there are no dormice known in Scotland, so this competition is open to owners of land located in England and Wales only.

11:32am Monday 18th August 2008

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