A TEAM has planted 500 saplings to form a hedgerow.

The five volunteers braved wind and rain to take part in the project, a team who regularly undertake conservation work for the Malvern Hills Trust throughout the year.

The saplings, planted near to Castle Morton, run alongside a field boundary where there are already some oak standards at Snookes Croft and Plants Piece, containing a mixture of native species.

The planting and restoration of hedgerows provides corridors so wildlife can move through the landscape, as well as providing somewhere for birds to nest and creatures to shelter.

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A spokesman for the Malvern Hills Trust, who are behind the initiative, said: “In 2018/19 we purchased a number of fields adjacent to Castlemorton Common to help support local commoners who graze the open common.

“Following the purchase, we have installed new fencing to make the fields secure but have also planted 500 trees to create a new boundary hedge.

“Hedges are an important part of the English landscape.

"They are a feature that needs protecting.

“Our planting will provide a home for native wildlife and a corridor along which wildlife can move through the local area.

“Thank you to all our volunteers who came to help us on a very rainy day.

"We are planning further planting days in the Malvern area later in the year and are always looking for dedicated helpers."

The Malvern Hills Trust is the working name of the Malvern Hills Conservators, a body established by Act of Parliament in 1884 to protect and manage the Malvern Hills and the adjacent commons.

The area which they manage is approximately 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres) of open grassland, woodland and scrub.

To get involved with volunteering, visit: https://bit.ly/335csVe.

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