Britain has lost around half its hedgerows since the Second World War. The wildlife that depended on them has followed a similar trajectory. 🌿
The old field boundary — a strip of blackthorn, hawthorn, dog rose, and elder two to five metres wide between cultivated ground — was not wasted agricultural space. It was a functioning ecological system that maintained pollinators, pest predators, and farmland birds across centuries of working land.
Each hedgerow is a nesting corridor for grey partridge and skylark, a foraging habitat for brown hares and hedgehogs, a site for solitary bee colonies, and a windbreak for the crops alongside it.
The field cultivated to its very edge gives the maximum return this season. It removes the populations of beneficial insects, farmland birds, and small mammals on which stable long-term production depended.
The field with a hedgerow yields a few percent less per cultivated hectare — but remains productive across decades without compensatory chemical inputs. The documented declines in grey partridge, lapwing, and skylark across the British agricultural landscape since the 1970s are directly linked to field consolidation and hedgerow removal.
Practical equivalents for the garden or smallholding:
- A strip of wildflower meadow at least one metre wide at the plot boundary
- A clump of nettles in a shaded corner as a habitat base for red admiral, small tortoiseshell, and peacock butterflies
- A native mixed hedge of blackthorn and hawthorn in place of post-and-wire fencing
- A section of uncut grass between rows of fruit trees
#HedgerowHabitat #FarmlandWildlife #NativeHedge #GardenWildlife
I’m curious… who’s the real king of the jungle?
Lions mainly live in open savannahs and grasslands and are the only big cats that live in social groups called prides
Tigers mostly live in dense forests and jungles, and are solitary hunters known for their size and strength
Modern man has forgotten that most of his problems aren't new and have already been solved. He just needs to read the great works of the past to find those solutions.
12 old books that will help you overcome any obstacle...
Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution specifically reads: “No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.” Yet despite this clear prohibition, and his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, Trump is unilaterally imposing export taxes.
This painting is nearly 100 years old.
It's by Grant Wood (most famous for American Gothic) and it's called The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.
Why does it look like that? Because Grant Wood had one of the most unusual styles in art history...
Genesis - God is creator and friend
Exodus - God saves his people
Leviticus - God has likes and dislikes
Numbers - God is wrathful against sin
Deuteronomy- God desires obedience
Joshua - God delivers on his promises
Judges - Israel rejects God, chooses wickedness
Ruth - David’s Grandmother is important
1 Samuel - Monarchy is established in Israel
2 Samuel - Kind David’s Triumphs and failures
1 Kings - Solomon’s reign and Israel’s downfall
2 Kings - Bad kings lead to wickedness
1 Chronicles - reminiscing on Israel’s history
2 Chronicles - Israel’s history part two
Ezra - Rebuilding God’s temple
Nehemiah - Rebuilding God’s city
Esther - God protects his people
Job - God is found in suffering
Psalms - Prayers and worship songs
Proverbs - Wisdom in life
Ecclesiastes - Life is a vapor
Songs of Solomon - love explained literally, mystically, prophetically
Isaiah - The messiah will suffer
Jeremiah - Israel’s backsliding addressed
Lamentations - mourning over Israel’s backsliding
Ezekiel - Prophetic visions of hope
Daniel - The Messiah will reign forever
Hosea - God’s unchanging love
Joel - God wants you to repent
Amos - God wants social justice
Obadiah - God doesn’t forget
Jonah - God is patient and merciful
Micah - God hates injustice
Nahum - God unleashes judgement against wickedness
Habakkuk - Trusting God in the waiting
Zephaniah - God will judge the world
Haggai - God cares about his house
Zechariah - The Messiah will be humble
Malachi - God wants true worship