Hedgerows: Exploring nature through the eyes of a Duke of Edinburgh Volunteer

As part of the Duke of Edinburgh challenge, participants must complete a period of volunteering, supporting organisations like CPRE Hampshire to make a meaningful difference.

We are therefore delighted to welcome young people, like Peter, to support our conservation efforts – in particular by raising awareness of the role that hedgerows play, the impact of the climate crisis and our ambition to connect Hampshire’s two national parks with a nature recovery corridor.

Here, Peter tells us about his experience searching for the abundance of edible plants growing in Hampshire’s hedgerows, as part of our Countryside Day celebrations.

Hedgerow Foraging

Did you know how much free food can be found in our hedgerows?  That was the focus of the Foraging Walk hosted by the CPRE Hampshire on Saturday 7^th September 2024, in celebration of their Countryside Day.

Led by Jen Williams, our expert foraging guide, we were given an insight into the world of foraging beyond the blackberries and sloes that we are all familiar with.  From spring salads containing daisies and dandelions, we were introduced to the idea of incorporating beech leaves, native plantain leaves and young hawthorn shoots. Tea was a key theme, with teas made from yarrow, clover flowers and young nettle tips. We learned that nettles can be used in the autumn too, with dried nettle seeds adding a nutty flavour to autumn dishes.  Dried plantain seeds (the native version, not the Caribbean banana like plants) can be toasted to add a mushroomy flavour to soups and stews. The abundance of autumn continued with sloes and blackberries added to crab apple jelly to make some fantastic hedgerow jams. Rosehips can be used to add a stronger flavour to these jams, but having learned that with the seeds remove, the flesh can be dried and will taste like sweets, I’m not sure that there will be any leftover in our home to add to any jam!

Our short walk around Cox Croft Farm in Hampshire, with the countryside charity opened my eyes to the wide variety of foods and flavours available just steps away from our doorstep.

The impact of Climate Change

Inspiring as it was, the walk was also a wakeup call to impact of climate change.  Within the short walk, you could appreciate the severe effect of climate change on our natural environment.  The heavy rains and cold spring and summer not only delayed the start to the growing season, but also took a severe toll on the pollinators we rely on so heavily to pollinate the fruits of our native hedgerows.  This year’s crop of hawthorn berries, blackberries and sloes have all suffered and this will have an impact on our wildlife as we head into winter.

Countryside Day

The Countryside Awareness Day, hosted by CPRE Hampshire on Saturday 7^th September 2024 is a brand new awareness day that highlights the importance of a thriving countryside, for both people and planet. In addition to the Foraging Walks, people also attended natural dying and leaf printing workshops to contribute to the Textile Hedge in celebration of CPRE Hampshire’s ambition to create a nature recovery corridor between the South Downs and New Forest National Park.