VOLUNTEERS from a Monmouth primary school and local conservation groups have been hard at work widening the hedge behind Monmouth rowing club, helping the town council to make a start on plans to enhance the biodiversity of the town field.

A number of volunteers from Ace Monmouth, Transition Monmouth and the Buckholt Bryngaer volunteer group metlast month to begin coppicing the existing Hawthorn hedge, in order to help ensure that the new hedging plants will have enough water and nutrients to survive. More volunteers from the Wye Valley National Landscape group completed the job a week later before year 5 and 6 students from the Overmonnow Primary School Heddlu Bach group spent part of their afternoon planting dozens of new plants alongside the existing hedge.

Local ecologist Helena Ronicle explained to the children how widening the hedge would make it more valuable for wildlife on the field, while adding a wider range of plants (Dogwood, Beech, Hazel and Field Maple) should make the site more beneficial to many birds, insects and small mammals.

The hedge planting is part of the Town Council management plan for the field, which was adopted last year after a long period of discussion and a public consultation exercise. Other changes will include part of the field being mown less frequently, and with the cuttings being removed from the site in order to promote growth of beneficial plants for pollinating insects.

Town Councillor Martin Sweeney said “I’m really pleased we’ve been able to make a start on this project. The Hedgerow Manifesto put forward by Bee Friendly Monmouthshire has highlighted the importance of higher, wider and denser hedges for wildlife and flood prevention.

“There’s an awful lot that we can do here, without negatively impacting on the amazing events that take place on the field like the regatta, raft race and fireworks.”