Devon Hedge Awards

The Devon Hedge Award has a different theme each year. For 2021 the theme is Managing Devon Hedges for Flowers and Berries. Hedges that are allowed to flower and set seed are really important for wildlife but they do need careful management to ensure that these benefits happen long term.

 

You can apply for a Devon Hedge Award in 2021 if you manage a hedge that produces abundant flowers and berries, year after year. The Award is about saying thank you to people who are working hard to create wildlife-rich hedges within Devon’s countryside and gardens.  You will receive an award plaque to proudly display on your gate, wall or door and a certificate.

 

To enter , you need to complete the entry form below and then submit it with (up to 4) photographs.  The closing date for entries is 31st December 2021.

If you are thinking about how to increase the number of flowers and berries, there’s all the information you need on our website. You’ll have future opportunities to receive a Devon Hedge Award and will be doing something good for Devon’s natural landscape.

Whether in towns or countryside, the way that hedges are managed greatly affects the number of flowers and berries that are produced every year. More information about this can be found throughout this website, particularly in the sections Management Advice and Hedges and Wildlife

Entry Form

    To enter for an award in 2021, you will need to meet at least 6 of the criteria below, with at least one from each of the three groups.

    Group 1: Flowers
    Abundant catkins and blossom on native trees or shrubsBramble and rose outgrowths, so there are plenty of flowers on these ramblersA flower-rich margin on at least one side, with native herbs like knapweed, trefoils, mints, hogweed, wild angelica and thistles

    Group 2: Berries, fruits and nuts
    Good quantities of berries, fruits and nuts produced every the autumnContains mainly native speciesHedge cut only after the majority of the berries, fruits and nuts eaten by wildlife

    Group 3: Structure
    Hedge maintenanceHedge cutting frequency aimed at maximising fruit berry and nut production over the long term.Hedge trimmed no more often than once every three yearsHedge cutting time to be after the majority of fruits, berries and nuts eaten by wildlifeHedge at least 2m wide, including any herbaceous marginsWhenever the hedge is trimmed, even if annually, it is not cut hard back to the previous growth point but allowed to grow up and out by 10-15cm each time.

    About your hedge
    Tell us about your hedge-(up to 500 words, including how you manage it, any wildlife associated with it and the benefits that the hedge provides). Please send photographs of your hedge.

    Photos
    Please include up to four photos. Please upload only image files up to a maximum of 1MB each. If your images are too big, you can resize them, for example with an online service such as picresize.com.

    Photo 1:

    Photo 2:

    Photo 3:

    Photo 4:

    Your Permissions

    Can we use your comments and photos to inspire others in our social media?
    YesNo

    Can we give your name and approx. location of your new hedge in social media news about the Devon Hedge Award?
    YesNo

    Are you happy for us to locate your hedge on a low-resolution map - postcode only?
    YesNo

    Would you like to receive further updates on Devon's hedges?
    YesNo

    I would like Devon Hedge Group to keep in touch with me by email
    YesNo

    I would like Devon Hedge Group to keep in touch with me by telephone
    YesNo

    I would like Devon Hedge Group to keep in touch with me by post (no more than every 6 months)
    YesNo

    We would love to keep in touch with you to share the latest Devon Hedge Group news; opportunities to get involved through our projects, events, volunteering, appeals, and campaigns; information about our products and services, and to let you know the impact your support is having on Devon’s hedges

    If you would like to receive your award plaque and certificate, please compete the address details below. We will not use this information for anything else unless you opt-in to Devon Hedge Group communications above

    Your details

    Please submit your form by 31 December 2021. GOOD LUCK!

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