A bustle in the hedgerow

Hedgerows have been a critical part of the landscape in Devon, England, for a very long time. They act as shelter for livestock, buffers against inclement weather, refuge and corridors for wildlife and a connection to the area’s historical human story.

In some ways, however, modern production demands and government response to environmental problems have put pressure on this traditional form of field enclosure.

This was the perspective of the Gillbards, a dairy farming family concerned about the United Kingdom’s approach to some agricultural and environmental policies. For them, the best thing the government could do to protect hedgerows, and the ecosystems they support, is to adopt a more hands-off approach, and focus on making farms profitable through production rather than environmental schemes.