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An award-winning Jersey conservation group is calling on locals to manage banques and hedges to enhance biodiversity.
In 2018, in response to reports of deaths and injuries caused to hedgehogs and other local wildlife by the semi-annual Branchage cut, a coalition of Jersey’s environmental organisations formed the ‘Branchage Group’. The Group aims to support landowners to ‘do the right thing’ by cutting vegetation in a way that protects and enhances the local environment.
This year’s Visites du Branchage commence during the three weeks from 24 June. Under the Branchage law, the owners of land bordering public roads and footpaths must ensure that overhanging vegetation is cut back. Each parish organises twice-yearly Visites du Branchage, to ensure that the law is being adhered to.
Chris Perkins, Chairman of Action for Wildlife Jersey, said: “We want to ensure that landowners understand how important it is to balance the requirements of the Branchage law with protecting the environment and enhancing biodiversity.
The branchage guidelines were updated in 2019 and, since then, with the enthusiastic support of our farmers in particular, the campaign has been so successful as to be rated ‘Outstanding’ in 2021 by the Royal Horticultural Society: one of only 21 projects to receive this accolade throughout the British Isles. We aim to build on this success during 2022.”
There is still more to be done however, particularly by the non-farming community; sadly, the Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group continues to receive many hedgehogs seriously injured by strimmers, with numbers increasing during ‘lockdown’, as householders spent more time in their gardens. The 2022 campaign aims to reduce the number of injuries to hedgehogs and other animals, by emphasising this distressing problem and providing guidance as to how to avoid these avoidable injuries.
Mr Perkins added: “The charity, Plantlife estimates that if all of the road verges in the United Kingdom were managed for nature, there would be a spectacular 418,88bn more flowers. In Jersey that would equate to nearly 650million more flowers. Careful management of our banques and hedges could potentially provide us with a “Battle of Flowers” that will last for months every year”
There are leaflets available from Parish Halls. Videos are also available online which demonstrate best practice when carrying out branchage, to minimise the impact on plants and wildlife. Good Branchage practice leads to fewer animal casualties, stable banques and an increase in pollinating plants. A positive outcome for all.
Guidelines and more information on the next inspections, which will take place for three weeks from 24 June, is available on gov.je/branchage. Video guidelines are also available on the Facebook pages of Action for Wildlife Jersey; The Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group; and Branchage and Beyond Nurturing Nature’s Pathways
