Sparkwell Parish Council - wildlife initiatives

At the end of February, the ‘State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2022’ report was published by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, (BHPS) giving an insight into the status of hedgehogs in the UK. 

Hedgehogs in Britain have undergone a historic decline in recent years and the differences between urban and rural populations are becoming increasingly apparent. In urban areas, the picture is of a stable population showing signs of recovery. This highlights the importance of gardens and green spaces and local action by Hedgehog Champions all over the country. Unfortunately, rural hedgehog populations remain low and in the last 20 years, numbers have continued to decline nationally. 

The loss of hedgerows seem to be partially responsible; encouraging farmers and land owners to restore and extend them will help. Research funded by the BHPS and others have found that hedgehogs prefer villages to open farmland as they travel about following hedgerows and field margins in search of food. They can travel about 1.5 miles each night, so understanding how they move through the landscape is important, especially if their travels take them across roads where many mortalities occur. In our efforts to help prevent hedgehog deaths in our parish, you will have noticed the road signs reminding motorists to slow down and look out for our nocturnal visitors. Unfortunately, hedgehogs freeze when they encounter a vehicle on the roads so if you do see one at night, please stop and move it to a place of safety.