Hedgehog Awareness Week

Unfortunately, hedgehog numbers are in decline in the UK, both in urban areas and in the countryside and have recently been added to the Red List for British Mammals and classed as vulnerable to extinction. Hedgehog Awareness Week runs from 05 – 11 May and is a great opportunity for you to get stuck in to help reverse this decline. We have been proudly supporting Hedgehog Awareness Week with The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) since 2021, with our bespoke range of sterling silver hedgehog jewellery.

At Reeves and Reeves it is important for us to give back to nature, and enhance our local habitat. Members of the team have dedicated time to provide shelter and food for hedgehogs. Hedgehog populations have decreased by up to 75% in rural areas since the year 2000, and the team are very proud to be able to support such an important charity that continues to raise awareness of the key role that hedgehogs play in our ecosystem and help to protect this declining species by supporting research to provide important new insights into the conservation and welfare of hedgehogs. Follow our tips below on how to get involved yourself!

Ways To Get Involved

Leaf piles and compost heaps: these are a very easy way to help and can be useful for hedgehogs, for nesting materials and as they provide a great source of natural foods, like grubs and insects, for hedgehogs to forage. It is however important to check the piles carefully before you rake, brush or turn them, as hedgehogs may be in residence!

Log pile: these can be used by hedgehogs when hibernating, foraging for food, or for nesting. One of the best things you can do is create a log pile in a quiet corner. Insects are also attracted to these, helping ensure hedgehogs have a continuous supply of their favourite natural foods.

Wildflowers or overgrown patches: These provide brilliant hiding places for hedgehogs and help to ensure insects are present as a food supply. As an added bonus - they are great for bees too!

Ponds: If you have a pond on your site, hedgehogs will appreciate having access to it as drinking water Hedgehogs are good swimmers, but make sure they have an easy way to exit the water, such as a gentle slope or a ramp with good grip for their feet.

Feeding Hedgehogs: It’s a good idea to help hedgehogs by providing them with shallow dishes of fresh water to drink all year round. If you want to feed hedgehogs, meat-based cat or dog food can supplement their natural diet of beetles, grubs and worms! It is important not to give them bread and milk as it can make them very unwell.

Hedgehog Homes: You could also build a hedgehog home. Instructions for doing so can be found on the BHPS website.

Recording: BHPS are working in partnership with People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) through an initiative called Hedgehog Street, encouraging the creation of hedgehog highways and coordinating hedgehog conservation work across the United Kingdom. To see how many hedgehogs have been sighted in your area, type your postcode into their Big Hedgehog Map.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society are running some fantastic giveaways during Hedgehog Awareness Week, check out their social medias and join us in the fight to save this national treasure.

https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/