Hedgerows line the roads and lanes of Ballyyahoo.
In fact, if you took a walk around the magic town you would pass hundreds, maybe thousands of them.
If you look around carefully, that is.
Hedgerows were originally planted hundreds of years ago to prevent cows and sheep escaping.
They were also useful so that farmers and landowners could tell where their fields and land ended and the next one began.
They are much more important than you might think.
Hedgerows are like blocks of apartments for nesting birds.
They are also a haven for all sorts of wonderful creatures and wildlife.
Hiding in among the hedgerows there can be owls, hedgehogs and badgers, as well as colourful butterflies, crane-flies and many other insects.
It is coming into summer here in Ballyyahoo and the hedgerows are dancing with birds and butterflies right now.
Hedgerows are made up of a mixture of trees and shrubs and these tend to be all tangled up together.
But, if you look carefully you will be able to tell the trees and shrubs apart.
If you look down, you might find the beautiful primrose, like this one above.
By the way, did you know Primroses have a little bit of magic all of their own?
Look up and you might see Hawthorne and Blackthorn, Elder, sometimes even apples such as the crab apple.
You might also find the magnificent hazel like the ones below. If you find hazel in autumn you might find beautiful hazel nuts.
Hedgerows are so important in Ireland and Ballyyahoo that there are laws to prevent them being cut during the times of the year when birds are nesting, laying their eggs and caring for their young.
The people of Ballyyahoo love nature and wildlife and they know how important it is for their future and their children’s future.
Without hedgerows many wonderful creatures would have nowhere to live and breed and would simply die out.
That’s why we should look after our hedgerows and never, ever cut them during the nesting period.
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