FREE hedgehog book!

seriously - an enormous bundle of research, free!

This sounds like clickbait but is actually an amazing opportunity.

So - academic publishing can be a racket - getting hold of journals can be tricky, and expensive, unless you have access to a university library. 

Hedgehog ecology is important to understand - and the research which is undertaken to further that understanding needs to be shared. So I am delighted that the wonderful trio of Sophie Lund Rasmussen, Anne Berger and Nigel Reeve have dedicated an enormous amount of effort into puling together some of the most significant research of recent years.

Applied Hedgehog Conservation Research is free to download - grab it - but it is an enormous - nearly 500 pages of hedgehoggy goodness.

I realise I have read quite a few of the papers over the last few years, but there is new material in there too and I am so looking forward to finding some time to boost my hedgehog knowledge!

In other news … I was interviewed by Ryan and Nadia for the Into the Wild podcast - my bit starts at around 14 minutes and is mainly looking at my new book - but begins with a lot of hedgehogs!

A few things that are coming up … I am delighted to have been invited to the Hay Festival again this year - to talk about Cull of the Wild. If this is something that interests you I will be on stage on 28th May - talking with Derek Gow … it should be fascinating! 

And if that was not enough excitement, I am back at Hay on 1st June to record an episode of Start the Week for BBC Radio 4 …

The people I will be sharing the stage with are all so very impressive and I am not a little intimidated … so wish me luck! The interviewer, Adam Rutherford, I have always thought was rather good - Olivia Laing I do not know, but her intellect seems terrifying … and Robin Wall Kimmerer - I have so many friends who rate Braiding Sweetgrass as one of their favourite books ever - I am listening to it again … oh I fear I will be starstruck! I hope it is going to air on Monday 3rd June - but will let you know when I know for sure. 

Utterly unrelated, but you might be interested - yesterday morning - May 1st - is very significant in Oxford - thousands of people gather on the streets before dawn to listen to the Choir of Magdalen College sing the same songs they have done for over 500 years - from the top of the tower at 0600. 

My son was in the choir and for five years was up there! I am now their photographer, and my wife has got the best job going, filming the performance … live-streamed to the world. I know it is not about hedgehogs, but it is fascinating … I could not join in this year as that young chorister is now doing his A levels - and someone needed to be home to make sure he was up in time!

You can watch the choir here.

Now - to start the preparations for Hedgehog Awareness Week ... I hope to get three posts up here - guiding you to loads of resources that will help you help these amazing animals.