Sunday 11 February 2018

Save our hedgehogs!


This week the annual State of Britain’s Hedgehogs report was released, showing that there has been a worrying decline in Britain’s hedgehogs in recent years, with the population having declined by at least half in the past two decades. The decline is especially concerning in rural areas, leading the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species to ask farmers to help in the fight to save our hedgehogs. The use of pesticides has reduced the amount of food for hedgehogs and intensive farming has meant that hedgerows and field margins have been lost, resulting in fewer nesting sites and less protection for hedgehogs- farmers can help by providing more field margins, hedgerows and shrubby areas. The government’s plans to replace the EU Common Agricultural Policy include a scheme to reward farmers for delivering environmental benefits, giving farmers a huge incentive to help protect our wildlife. Households can also help protect our hedgehogs by putting out wet cat and dog food, leaving wild areas for nesting and making holes in fences to allow them to move between gardens. Every single one of us has a role to play in ensuring that our wildlife thrives- it is so important that we all do our bit.