Over 5 years the Ludwell Valley park restoration project will restore a country park to the south-east of Exeter on the fringe of one of the largest housing estates in the south-west. Restore Our Planet has supported this project which will have a huge impact on the local biodiversity and will ensure the site is protected from future development.

The majority of hedgerows in the park are overgrown and in many parts represent a thin line of trees rather than thick bushy hedgerow. The restoration plan involves laying or ‘steeping’ 2000m of overgrown hedgerow combined with interplanting using a variety of shrub species to combat loss due to disease.

Exeter City Council’s six countryside valley parks on the city’s urban fringe represent an important and easily accesssible resource. Ludwell park is not at present rich in wildlife, the hedgerow restoration and tree planting that Restore have financed will assist in rapidly building up a strong food based chain of the sort required to reinvigorate local biodiversity.

Many of the UK’s native mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, stoats, rabbitsnd badgers make their homes in hedgerows. 5 birds of prey species are regularly observed in the park including Barn Owls. Reed buntings and cirl buntings are also present aswell as a number of species of bat and butterfly.