Hedgehog Street
Hedgehog Street is a national hedgehog conservation campaign in the UK, launched in 2011 by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species. The campaign aims to raise awareness of the decline of hedgehog populations and encourage people to create hedgehog-friendly habitats in their gardens and neighbourhoods.[1]
Campaigns
Hedgehog Champions
The campaign involves more than 100,000 volunteers, called Hedgehog Champions, who register on the website and receive tips and resources on how to help hedgehogs. Hedgehog Champions can make hedgehog homes and feeding stations, create hedgehog highways by making holes in their fences, and persuade their neighbours to join in.[1]
Hedgehog Highways
One of the main features of the campaign is the promotion of hedgehog highways, which are small gaps or holes in fences or walls that allow hedgehogs to move freely between gardens. Hedgehogs need access to a large area of land to find food, mates, and shelter, and hedgehog highways help them overcome the barriers created by urban development. Hedgehog Champions can map their hedgehog highways on the website and see how they connect with others in their area.[1]
Hedgehog Conservation
The campaign is based on scientific research that shows that hedgehogs are in trouble in the UK, having lost a third of their population since 2000. The main threats to hedgehogs are habitat loss, fragmentation, and degradation, as well as predation, road traffic, and pesticides. Hedgehogs are considered a flagship species for urban wildlife, as they indicate the health and diversity of the ecosystem. By creating hedgehog-friendly gardens, people can help hedgehogs survive and thrive, as well as benefit other wildlife and plants.[1]