Hedgehog hero, Hugh Warwick held the Hope Valley in his hand at his recent talk to members and guests of Hathersage Horticultural Society.
Despite it being one of the coldest and snowiest nights of the year, the Methodist Hall was packed with representatives from every village such is his reputation as one of the country’s leading experts on hedgehog care and conservation. Always entertaining, often thought provoking and occasionally provocative, Hugh did not disappoint. Whilst large and more exotic animals hog the limelight when it came to global compassion, the hedgehog seems to go below the radar even though it is always voted the nation’s favourite native wild animal.
In critical decline, the hedgehog is thwarted at every turn by human encroachment on its nightly rambling routes whilst its lack of fight or flight response leaves it open to attack and predation.
So what can we do to help the humble, harmless and hapless hedgehog? Well there are a few simple steps that anyone can take. Make sure that hedgehogs can move freely from garden to garden by making small gaps in the boundary fences or walls, just 13cm square holes in fences or walls at ground level is enough. Check out old cattlegrids as you pass to see if there is an internal ramp for trapped hedgehogs to escape, they are surprisingly sprightly when it comes to climbing steps and ramps and modern cattlegrids should be fitted with escape routes anyway. Don’t strim along hedges and stop being so tidy. Visit the British Hedgehogs Preservation Society website to log any sightings and to see how you can become a ‘Hedgehog Champion’.
Alongside the talk, local hedgehog enthusiasts staged a display detailing sightings in the village.
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