Meet Dan our resident blind hedgehog. Dan is just one of the many injured, sick and distressed hedgehogs we have come into us at Willows Hedgehog rescue.
I don't normally write about our work with hedgehogs here on the site but rather in the Willows Hedgehog Rescue area of the site (click on the logo at the top of the front page or click here Willows Hedgehog Rescue). However today I am breaking this rule as this week sees the start of Hedgehog Street a joint initiative between the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species and The Hedgehog Preservation Society.
So what is Hedgehog Street all about?
Well we have over the last 25 years seen a massive decline in the number of hedgehogs in the UK.
Why..... well how long is a piece of string.... loss of habitat from development and changes in farming practices, reduction in natural food sources (I certainly have less insects on my windscreen these days). But one of the major factors is now that gardens are too tidy and also they tend to be fenced off far too well.
Hedgehogs with the loss of hedgerows and woodland edge habitat moved into the urban setting adapting to life in our gardens. The problem now is that many gardens are not that wildlife friendly and that even if they are they may well have impenetrable fences around them.
Hedgehog Street is all about getting neighbours to link their gardens by making small gaps in fences and by making them hog and wildlife friendly by leaving wild areas, long grass, log piles etc,
Simple things you can do:
- leave some areas to go wild, (long grass, wild flowers)
- have a log pile
- plant some shrubs
- have a hedge rather than a fence
- have a compost heap
- leave some of those fallen leaves in a pile to rot down
- make a hole in the fence to let them get between gardens
- don't use pesticides
- don't use slug pellets
Other things you could do to help them along:
- leave water out
- leave some food out (dry cat or dog biscuits, peanut nibs, sunflower hearts)
- have a hog home int he garden
Don't tell me that you can look into Dans face and not take a few minutes to make your garden suitable for his friends.....
You can find out more about Hedgehog Street here ... Hedgehog Street
If you are in the area we will be at Webbs of Wychbold in Wychbold this Sunday (see press release here ... Spiky Topic) talking about what we do at Willows Hedgehog Rescue and about how you can help our only spiky mammal in the UK.
Check out the Willows Hedgehog Rescue page for more dates when we are out and about in Worcestershire
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