As part of our support for NHS Forest, we were delighted to donate 4000 trees to Pinderfields Hospital site.
Utilising volunteers from within the Trust and the local community, several planting days were undertaken resulting in the trees being planted along the 900m perimeter of site.
Hedgerows are an integral part of the UK’s landscape, where not only are they complex ecosystems that make up the nation’s largest linear wildlife habitat, but they also offer a wealth of further benefits to their surrounding localities, including reduced flooding risk, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity enhancement, in addition to positive health impacts such as alleviating air pollution, heat regulation, and noise reduction, and wider social and operational contributions like visual amenity and enhanced security. Unfortunately, they are disappearing at an alarming rate, with over half the UK’s hedgerows having vanished since the post-war period, equating to around 118,000 miles lost.
The whips planted consist of a double run of mixed native broadleaf species over a length of almost one kilometre, in what is thought to be the longest new hedgerow created on an NHS site within England in recent times.
Space
To provide the greatest impact, the area the Trust chose for the new hedgerow was along the Northern and Eastern boundaries of the hospital. These are along the two most busy roads for the site; Bar Lane and Aberford Road. The distance spans around 900m (0.56 miles) in total, with varying ecology such as shady wooded areas and open grassland. Invasive species, such as cherry laurel, first required removal.
Health & Social Benefits
- Air quality improvements – absorption of pollutants such as nitrous oxides & particulate matter
- Noise/wind reduction – hedgerows attenuate noise and act as a wind break
- Security & privacy – segregating areas that can be utilised for wellbeing areas
- Reducing flooding/soil erosion – increased water retention, via slowing surface water run-off and extensive root networks help to maintain soil integrity
- Cooling/thermal regulation – hedges provide shade & reduce ‘urban heat island’ effects and issues like wind-chill
Environmental Benefits
The hedgerow consists of a double run of mixed native broadleaf, which will sequester carbon as it grows, and once established, it will significantly enhance biodiversity within the local area. A species rich hedgerow (11 spp.) has been created in which a huge array of lichens, insects, animals, and microorganisms will co-exist, providing nesting sites for birds and refuges for small animals, in addition to pollen, nectar, fruit, and leaves as a vital food source.
