This week I’m speaking to Joff Curtoys, conservationist, ecologist and founder of Sloemotion Distillery. Saturday just gone saw the launch of National Hedgerow Day, an annual event launched by Joff to inspire people to undertake their own foraging missions to spot what’s growing and living in their local hedgerows. Hedgerows are historically important, biodiverse and fascinating, as Joff explains. Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Fruit Flies About Joff Curtoys  Joff is the founder of Sloemotion Distillery, a family-run Yorkshire business producing small batch spirits and liqueurs, and a passionate advocate of wildlife conservation. He has a background working for the RSPB and his respect for the environment and protection of the countryside is deeply embedded into how Sloemotion operates. The brand has its roots firmly in the Yorkshire countryside and this is a huge influence on the premium spirits they produce providing not only a source of sloes and hedgerow fruits, but also inspiration on their doorstep.  What we talk about: The history of hedgerows Hedgerows and biodiversity When and what to forage from hedgerows Managing hedgerows for foraging Links: https://www.sloemotiondistillery.com National Hedgerow Day  A Natural History of the Hedgerow - John Wright