Take the Hedgehog Pledge this Hedgehog Awareness Week
"Hedgehogs are an important indicator species – they don’t need an awful lot to survive, so if they aren’t coping well, it means the habitat is deficient and that should ring alarm bells for other species, including humans"
Hedgehog Awareness Week is almost here so get set to celebrate hedgehogs from May 3-9! The annual campaign, run by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) is back and this year, you’re invited to take the Hedgehog Pledge!
Fay Vass, Chief Executive for BHPS, said: “As well as hailing all things hedgehog, Hedgehog Awareness Week highlights the problems hedgehogs face in the UK – so we’ve created The Hedgehog Pledge with seven practical options to inspire everyone to act with hedgehogs in mind.
“Sign up & take the pledge – pick just one or challenge yourself to do one each day during #HedgehogWeek!”
Pledge to…:
o Add more Hedgehog Highways!
13cm x 13cm square gaps in boundary walls and fences ensure hedgehogs can access to vital habitat! Create more - talk to neighbours first! Once made, log them at www.bighedgehogmap.org
o Create, improve or protect a wild space
Log piles, leaf heaps and wild edges attract natural food and offer shelter for hedgehogs.
o Always check for hedgehogs before strimming, mowing or hedge cutting
Many hedgehogs are harmed or killed by garden machinery every year – simple checks before you start can save lives.
o Go totally organic in the garden or allotment
Pesticides and chemicals can harm wildlife and destroy the food chain. Embrace the wild instead!
o Be net savvy
Netting can become tangled in hedgehog spines: make sure sports nets are put away and garden netting is raised 30cm off the ground so hedgehogs can safely pass underneath.
o Provide water for wildlife all year round!
Make it part of your routine to check, clean & refill water sources for hedgehogs in your garden or outside your workplace. Add a few pebbles so bees and butterflies can perch and safely drink too.
o Become an NHMP volunteer spotter!
In partnership with People's Trust for Endangered Species, BHPS leads the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme, surveying hedgehogs across the UK.
Help classify images taken on specialist trail cameras from the comfort of home! Visit www.nhmp.co.uk to become a ‘spotter’!
Find out more & log your pledge at www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/hedgehogpledge
Fay added: “Hedgehogs are an important indicator species – they don’t need an awful lot to survive, so if they aren’t coping well, it means the habitat is deficient and that should ring alarm bells for other species, including humans.
“Taking the Hedgehog Pledge this #HedgehogWeek and beyond can really make a difference. We’ve had more than a hundred people pledging already and can’t wait to see how many more are ready to take the Pledge!”
On top of the Pledge, you can download and share the official Hedgehog Week poster, or donate at www.justgiving.com/campaign/haw26