Hedgehog Awareness Week
yes ... its that time of year!
I know, it feels like we have only just had Hedgehog Awareness Week - or at least that is how I feel!
This year the British Hedgehog Preservation Society is asking us all to take the ‘Hedgehog Pledge.’ And every day this week they are sharing one of these amazing images, done specially by Emily Heaven for them, on their socials - go check them out!
Out of this list, which have you already done? And which could you do?
Add more Hedgehog Highways.
Create, improve, or protect a wild space.
Always check for hedgehogs before strimming, mowing or hedge cutting.
Go totally organic in the garden or allotment.
Be net savvy.
Provide water for wildlife all year round.
Become an NHMP volunteer spotter.
It can be easy to be overwhelmed by the state of the world - so much sadness and badness going on that is beyond our control. This is why hedgehogs are so important! They can help alleviate that sense of overwhelm - there are some simple things we can do that will help someone very special.
Now, saving a hedgehog will not change the world - but it does change the world for that one hedgehog. And going through the list - signing up to the pledge and sharing the word - these are things that can help more than just one hedgehog … that will really chip away at despair - and replace despair with hope. Not the ‘fingers crossed’ hope, but the ‘roll your sleeves up’ hope.
Hope has to be an active thing - we can’t sit back and just hope things will get better, we have to work for it. The only way to guarantee things won’t get better is to give up hope. Which is why I KBO!!!
If you would like to come and see me speak, I have three events coming up - Marple Naturalists on 6th May, Salisbury on the 9th May (celebrating Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday), Cornwall Mammal Group on the 12th and Devon Mammal Group on the 13th … then back home to run the Kindling Stage at the delightful Wood Festival where I will be the compere, doing some interviews and doing a talk … then I will sleep!
People should be careful when doing strimming jobs - always check for wildlife nesting and no hedge cutting until September! Please be Mindful to all of our living creatures.
All the thanks I get for caring, poo over my outside door mat!!