Happy 40th Birthday Hedgehog Society – support Hedgehog Awareness Week starting May 1

Major Adrian Coles MBE, who became nationally known as Major Hedgehog, founded the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) in 1982 and was instrumental in giving the hedgehog the high profile that it now enjoys. The charity continues to work tirelessly to improve awareness of the plight of the hedgehog.

It all began when Adrian found a hedgehog in a cattle grid on his land; he rescued it using a saucepan and then realised that if there hadn’t been a Major on hand with kitchenalia, the hedgehog would not have survived. He used his position as a county councillor at the time to get Shropshire Council to install escape ramps in all its grids. The resulting publicity was so vast that he realised there was a great appetite to help the humble hedgehog in the UK; and so, the Society was founded.

In its 40th year, the charity is asking people to grant some hedgehoggy birthday wishes:

• Make Hedgehog Highways in fences - 5” x 5” (13 x 13cm) square gaps in the bottom of fences or walls should do it. Once created you can log these on the BIG Hedgehog Map at www.bighedgehogmap.org

• Create an undisturbed log pile that will offer shelter and food.
• Buy or build a Hedgehog Home (see plans at www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/hedgehog-homes or contact BHPS for a paper copy).
• Offer water and meaty cat or dog food for hedgehogs – you can even build a feeding station to help keep the food safe (see plans on BHPS website or contact it for a paper copy).

• Check areas carefully before mowing or strimming.
• Ditch pesticides and poisons.
• Ensure there is an easy route out of ponds and pools.
• Create a wild corner – leave a corner or edge to go wild, supplying shelter and natural food for hedgehogs in the form of bugs and grubs.
• Join BHPS (or if you are already a supporter – recruit someone else). Prices start at just £7.50 for an individual UK supporter.

Fay Vass, chief executive of the Society said: “Hedgehogs are struggling and mostly that’s due to human activity; these small actions can help a great deal – a little effort from each of us could make life a lot easier for hedgehogs. If you don’t have a garden yourself, you can still help by contacting public space managers, neighbours, family and friends to ensure they are doing their bit.”

Hedgehog Awareness Week is organised by the BHPS annually from May 1 – 7. It aims to highlight the problems hedgehogs face and how you can help them – find out more about #hedgehogweek on the BHPS website or follow it on social media.

Follow the Society on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hedgehogsociety and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hedgehogsociety

Hedgehog Awareness Week runs from 1st to 7th May – find out more about #hedgehogweek at www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/hedgehog-awareness-week-runs-from-1st-7th-may-2022/

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