Our Hedgehogs Need You!
Did you know that 25% of British mammals are at risk of extinction in the UK? Amongst them is a much loved garden visitor – the hedgehog. Originally called ‘hedge’hogs because they were found in scrub and hedgerows, a study by the British Trust for Ornithology found that 66% of the population has been lost in the last 20 years – against an already depleted baseline.
Hedgehogs need access to quite a large area to forage, mate and survive – up to 20 hectares, and they roam around two kilometres each night.It is thought that the declining number of our spiky friends is mainly due to continuing loss of habitat; reducing range, decreasing food supplies and sites for hibernation. The reasons for habitat loss range from: agricultural intensification; pesticide use; destruction of scrub, trees and hedgerows; building development; roads; and our gardens are increasingly fenced-off, tidied-up, patio-ed, turned into drives, and slug pellets put down.
What can the government do to save hedgehogs?
We need the government to take action to increase protection of hedgehogs by changing their category to Level 5 in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This would mean that in addition to it being illegal to kill or capture hedgehogs, their habitats would also need to be protected.
The government is not keen to make this change, but we can help by spreading the word and putting pressure on our MPs.
What can we do as a village to protect hedgehogs?
Create hedgehog corridors! We can help hedgehogs survive by making our gardens hedgehog friendly. But individual gardens won’t help. We also need to create hedgehog corridors to connect all of our gardens. If we act as a community to ensure that hedgehogs can get from one garden to another, then we can make Limpley Stoke and Freshford a hedgehog haven. The PTES are encouraging communities to create ‘Hedgehog Streets’. Hedgehogs can get through 13 x 13cm openings. If hedgehogs can’t get into and out of your garden, can you make a small hole in your fence or wall? Once you have established a hedgehog entrance, please map it and any sightings on:
or email thenaturechain@gmail.com and we’ll log it for you.
Make your garden hedgehog friendly:
Create access to your garden!
Let plants go wild – allow an area of your garden to do its own thing – you’ll be helping hedgehogs and encouraging more pollinators into the garden
Build a log pile – the rotting wood will attract insects, providing food for hedgehogs and a place to hibernate. Hedgehogs use leaves, twigs and brushwood to create a nest (hibernaculum) under hedgerows or logs (or you can build or buy a hedgehog house)
Check before strimming - check long grass, scrub and under hedges before cutting
Hedgehogs can drown in ponds –a pebble-beach or shallow, non-slippery ramp will allow them to climb out
Don’t use chemicals like slug pellets, pesticides and herbicides. If slugs and snails are getting the better of you, be patient –it might take time for frogs, hedgehogs and other predators to find you. If you can’t wait, try nematodes
Be bonfire aware –dismantle and move bonfire piles to another location before burning in case you accidentally kill a sheltering hedgehog
Keep your garden safe – remove netting, cover holes and close shed doors
Food – hedgehogs eat anything from slugs to funghi. If your garden isn’t yet providing food, establish a feeding station. Put out water – not milk! Use hedgehog food or pet food (not fish based).
Tips and ideas:
Article by Sarah Fraser