Planting Our First Hedgerow

A trench alongside a wooden fence by Hathaway Court, newly planted with hedgerow whips

Our November volunteer activity saw us take an exciting step forward with our Hedgerow Project, as we planted the whips which will grow into our first hedgerow. This exciting endeavour will see our volunteers plant and maintain hundreds of metres of native species to form natural barriers against flooding and vandalism, provide habitats for wildlife and enhance the beauty of the landscape for decades to come. 

FoRCE Volunteers planting a whip
A sign on the fence asking people to keep away from the young whips

Lending us their professional expertise were Aidan and Meg from Sustainable Garden Solutions who demonstrated how to properly establish the whips in the trenches we prepared in October, having sorted them to ensure the various species - such as Hawthorn, Maple, Hazel, Alder, and Hornbeam - were (fairly) evenly distributed.

Aidan and Megan from Sustainable Garden Solutions demonstrating to our volunteers how to plant the whips that will grow into the hedgerow

Despite the weather being decidedly autumnal, with rain overnight and a good deal of fog over the river at first light, we had a great turnout from our volunteer force, including the Medway Volunteer Police Cadets and their leaders. It was another great example of how much can be achieved when we come together and combine our efforts for the benefit of the community and the enhancement of our cherished green spaces.

A group photo of the twenty or so volunteers that attended this activity, standing in front of the newly planted whips and the Hathaway Court fence

If you'd like to get involved in this exciting project, or any of the other volunteer activities we organise, we'd love to see you: just check out our Join In page. If you'd like to know more, it's easy to get in touch. Our Volunteer Activity Calendar for 2026 will be published within the next few weeks, so keep an eye on the website or sign up to our newsletter to find out about the opportunities to contribute coming up in the future.

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