A third of our hedgehogs have been lost in the UK in the last 10 years and now over 34,000 volunteers are helping to stem the decline.
But as Hedgehog Street, a national campaign led by British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), enters its fourth year, the charities are calling on more people to help their efforts by launching The BIG Hedgehog Map online where people can record their sightings of hedgehogs (dead or alive) and pledge to make a hole in their garden fence.
There are about half a million hectares of garden in the UK, a vast potential resource for hedgehogs. A simple action such as creating a small hole the size of a CD case in shared garden boundaries removes physical barriers for hedgehogs, which typically travel about a mile each night in order to gather food and search for a mate.
Fay Vass, CEO of BHPS said, “To reverse the decline of hedgehogs we need to know where they are, and we need to maintain their living spaces. Please help by telling us when you see hedgehogs and make small holes in your garden fences to create hedgehog highways all across the country. By acting together we can really benefit the species.”
Achievements since the launch of Hedgehog Street in 2011 include:
· 6,622 gardens linked · 3,929 hedgehog homes created · 7,243 natural feeding areas established · 4,776 hazards, such as poisonous slug pellets removed · A Gold medal and People’s Choice award for the Hedgehog Street summer garden designed by Tracy Foster at the 2014 RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
To record your hedgehog sighting on The BIG Hedgehog Map and make your pledge to create a hole for hogs visit www.hedgehogstreet.org
More hedgehog advice and tips can be found on the website or by visiting upcoming events around the country, including Hedgehog-themed Wild About Gardens Week with the RHS and Wildlife Trusts, nationwide, 24th October to 1st November
